Jorielle's Blog

Bougainvillea
Mar 31, 2008 | 10:42 PM PST
To encourage flowering, keep watering to a minimum, and heavy pruning will keep bougainvillea growth within bounds. Keep suckers pruned back and long branches removed to maintain shape, but be careful of the sharp thorns while doing this.

The Bougainvillea is a versatile vine or shrub with vibrant colored bracts (modified leaves) instead of flowers. They have vigorous growth habits and long blooming seasons. They are resistant to strong pruning but unless you want to shape or direct growth, pruning isn’t really necessary. Prune if you must in the winter. As your plant leafs out in the spring it should bloom again although it may skip a season. While it can be pruned year round, the best time to prune the Bougainvillea is during its dormant period between December and February.

Bougainvillea may be pruned at any time of the year. Bloom initiation does not depend upon pruning - a bougainvillea has a bloom cycle followed by a rest period whether pruned or not. A hard prune is recommended when you need to contain growth or when you are preparing to move your bougainvillea indoors for the winter. The ‘Soft Prune' is recommended for bougainvillea only when trying to obtain a special form. A bougainvillea, like most vining-type plants, will continue to grow outward without sending out side branches from each leaf-bud point unless the stem is pinched. If you want one long stem, then don't pinch out the tip. By pinching out the tip, most bougainvillea cultivars will send out new stems from 2 to 3 leaf-buds below the cut. Some varieties do not send out any new stems, so their appearance is always stringy or bare.

http://www.askmar.com/Bougainv
illeas/Bougainvilleas.pdf

Barbara Karst

Vigorous, showy vine shines with bright red bracts gives a fine cover to patios or arbors. Also a good ground cover for banks. Use as annual color in colder climates. Evergreen. Full sun. Fast grower to 20 to 30 feet long. Cutting grown.

Climbing plant used for masses of color. Can be trained as ground cover, or planted in pots. Good for bank cover. Used on terrace or patio as summer annual. Nice screening plant, use as accent. Evergreen species in native or similar climate. Becomes deciduous in colder climates.

Climbing, thorny vines grow well on south and west walls. Most characteristic climber in hot climates such as Mediterranean, Southwest and the Indian subcontinent. Can get as large as 12 feet. Without support and corrective pruning, becomes broad, sprawling shrub.

Showy part of flower is formed by papery bracts surrounding true flower, which is small and inconspicuous. Colors range from red, magenta, pink, orange, yellow or white. Thrive in hot weather, some bloom almost continuously. Flower production comes so quickly that replacement of frost damage is not a deterrent.

The leaves have smooth margins. Vines make dense cover of medium-sized, medium green leaves. Extreme drought results in leaf fall. The root balls of this plant fragile and sensitive to disruption. Can be grown from stem cuttings, planted at an angle in a box containing sand and watered every day until roots and shoots appear. Horticultural varieties do not produce seeds. It is essential to achieve required shape and size. Done after flowering season or start of rainy season. Flowers will sprout from tips of new growth. In 1768, Admiral Louis de Bougainvillea began his long journey to the Pacific Ocean and discovered the vine that now bears his name. Plant is susceptible to iron chlorosis. Leaf and flower drops can be messy in late summer.

After each blooming cycle (approximately every 4-6 weeks), trim or pinch the soft tips of young plants stems to encourage new growth. Pinching means removing the growing tip. This will create multiple offshoots, thicken the plant’s appearance, and yield a more colorful bougainvillea.

Unless you stop a vine like this, it will continue to grow outward. You must pinch in order to promote a more bushy plant.

Bougainvilleas may be pruned at any time of the year. Bloom initiation does not depend upon pruning - a bougainvillea has a bloom cycle followed by a rest period whether pruned or not.

Young plants should be pinched often to produce a bushy large plant. Most bougainvillea cultivars tend to grow without producing side shoots.

I always soft pinch out the tip of any "liner" (baby plant) that I am potting up, then 4 or 5 weeks later, soft pinch out the tips of all stems on the plant. If the plant hasn't filled out after another 4 or 5 weeks, I pinch it again. Some cultivars will branch better than others. Do not be afraid to pinch a bougainvillea -- the more you do the better the plant will branch.

If I want to grow a "Standard" bougainvillea, then I do not pinch (see section about how to grow a Standard). After you have a bushy plants, it is best to prune for shape. For container bougainvillea, I perfer to prune all my pots or baskets back to the edge of the container after blooming has stopped. This keeps them compact and causes a beautiful basket or pot to be a spectacular sight the next time they bloom. Prune your bougainvillea and you'll be rewarded for the effort.