A bit over a week ago, I decided to try my hand at planting a dish garden. I found a near dead bougainvillea on my window sill (nothing left to lose), cut back all the dead parts and 1/2 the root ball, and planted her in the dish (drainage holes, 1/2" layer of perlite, soil is 2 parts perlite one part seedling mix, wick watered from a reservoir at the bottom).
Then I put the whole thing on the shelf where I grow my african violets, (the top of the "tree" is about level with and 4" past the end of the fluorescents, so not straight below, the dish about 16" lower, light for about 10h a day). Crossing my fingers that she will come back to life.
now, not too long after, she is sprouting buds literally everywhere.
I am thinking I shouldn't let them all grow out, and deadhead any branches that grow too quickly.
once I have some new foliage, I was going to trim the older branches that are too straight/long/have long internodes - which I had left because they were the only foliage still available at the time of planting.
so the question here is basically, am I on the right track? is it possible to grow bougies via "clip and grow"? - has anyone tried it?
I am not looking to artfully shape this bougie (yet), just want to keep her compact and as happy as possible for the next few months, until I decide on whether I dare exhibit my "container garden" at the local show or not....
thanks for any opinions
Karin
(photo below is right after "assembly", I'll post pics of the new growth later...)
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