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gbhunter77
- Senior Member
- Posts: 184
- Joined: Wed Jul 13, 2011 12:54 am
- Location: Michigan
bougenvellia issue
Well its been in the new chamber for a few weeks and I gave it light amount of osmocote,plus iron. Now I have so many leaves I have no idea what to do? Cut it all back leave it alone, cut some back to get better branching? The leaves are so tightly compacted its like it exploded. Ideas anyone?[/list]
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Intriguedbybonsai
- Senior Member
- Posts: 262
- Joined: Sun Jun 28, 2009 9:03 pm
- Location: Escondido, CA (USDA Zone 9-10)
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gbhunter77
- Senior Member
- Posts: 184
- Joined: Wed Jul 13, 2011 12:54 am
- Location: Michigan
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gbhunter77
- Senior Member
- Posts: 184
- Joined: Wed Jul 13, 2011 12:54 am
- Location: Michigan
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Intriguedbybonsai
- Senior Member
- Posts: 262
- Joined: Sun Jun 28, 2009 9:03 pm
- Location: Escondido, CA (USDA Zone 9-10)
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TomM
- Greener Thumb
- Posts: 749
- Joined: Sat Feb 06, 2010 7:28 am
- Location: Cedarville (SE of Utica) NY, USA
That's the way bougainvillea (note the spelling) grow in the colder regions in the Winter season - leggy. When Spring gets warm and steady and it is growing strongly outdoors you can prune back hard and get more branching. Til then leave it alone.
If you are brave you can try something that I do. Early next Winter (I do this between Thanksgiving and Christmas) give it a rest period. I put my 2 bougies in a cool pantry, just off my kitchen, for about 3 weeks. Temperature is about 50 degrees - no lighting, just cool and a little damp. Water very lightly once each week. All the leaves will shrivel and fall or can be plucked off. Is is like an artificial sub-tropical Winter. You are, after all, providing these plants an artificial environment. They might look dead at this time - just like deciduous trees.
Bring the naked bougies back just about the time of the equinox (Dec 21-22) when days begin to get longer. Start slowly giving more light and more water over a 1-3 week period - to acclimate and wake up. After the first week you will (hopefully) see bud swelling. Soon these new buds will practically cover the trunk and branches and new branches will form.
IMPORTANT - because of all this new growth you also need to start feeding. Use a balanced fertilizer, lightly at first, and progressively more as time goes by. I switch to other types on a rotating basis using the BOUGAIN brand and also fish emulsion and micronutrients. Bougainvillea love fertilizer.
I have tried this trick with other trop's too including jacaranda - which preferred a cool dark damp corner in my cellar. Ficus? Not so much. All my ficus bonsai (and I have had many) have died on me. Easy tree? Not for me - LOL. I'm sure that they like a steady location.
If you are brave you can try something that I do. Early next Winter (I do this between Thanksgiving and Christmas) give it a rest period. I put my 2 bougies in a cool pantry, just off my kitchen, for about 3 weeks. Temperature is about 50 degrees - no lighting, just cool and a little damp. Water very lightly once each week. All the leaves will shrivel and fall or can be plucked off. Is is like an artificial sub-tropical Winter. You are, after all, providing these plants an artificial environment. They might look dead at this time - just like deciduous trees.
Bring the naked bougies back just about the time of the equinox (Dec 21-22) when days begin to get longer. Start slowly giving more light and more water over a 1-3 week period - to acclimate and wake up. After the first week you will (hopefully) see bud swelling. Soon these new buds will practically cover the trunk and branches and new branches will form.
IMPORTANT - because of all this new growth you also need to start feeding. Use a balanced fertilizer, lightly at first, and progressively more as time goes by. I switch to other types on a rotating basis using the BOUGAIN brand and also fish emulsion and micronutrients. Bougainvillea love fertilizer.
I have tried this trick with other trop's too including jacaranda - which preferred a cool dark damp corner in my cellar. Ficus? Not so much. All my ficus bonsai (and I have had many) have died on me. Easy tree? Not for me - LOL. I'm sure that they like a steady location.
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gbhunter77
- Senior Member
- Posts: 184
- Joined: Wed Jul 13, 2011 12:54 am
- Location: Michigan
This one is growing like its summer! 40,000 lumens and a 90 degree environment.
I had to cut it back 3 times. I'm just curious what styles are popular with this plant. I'm limiting the field to bougies,golden gate ficus and green island ficus that's it. Need to focus on some plants and not 20 different types. This plant is not leggy at all it I super compact.
I had to cut it back 3 times. I'm just curious what styles are popular with this plant. I'm limiting the field to bougies,golden gate ficus and green island ficus that's it. Need to focus on some plants and not 20 different types. This plant is not leggy at all it I super compact.