Bougainvilla has stopped blooming!

nevermind...found the answer

This message was edited Jun 29, 2005 4:29 PM

What was the answer? Too much water?

I want to know too.

Please!!!

Dee

Hi There...I copied the information from the post I'd found. It was from back in 2003, but the info is awesome. Hope this helps you both :)

PiggyPoo :)

The first bougainvillea I planted, grew up a trellis and up over the house, but never bloomed. I found out that I had given the roots too much room in which to grow and too much water. The following are some tips:

1. Keep it root bound. The more root bound it is, the better it will bloom. A bougainvillea will grow in the same container for years. For inground planting, I cut holes in the bottom of a large plastic container, place the plant in it and plant the container and all in the ground. Cinder blocks placed around the root system under the ground work well too to contain the roots somewhat.

2. Bougainvillea blooms more readily when kept dry. I let the plant dry to the point of just about wilting then I water it thoroughly. Do this over a couple of weeks then water it thoroughly; repeating this process over a couple of weeks until you see bracets forming.

3. I apply a 17-7-19 fertilizer, NutriStar for Bougainvillea, in the spring following the directions on the container (there are 2 sides with directions, 1 for container grown and 1 for inground planted). Before this, I used a palm food fertilizer because it has the minor nutrients like magnesium that the bougainvillea requires. Although the NutriStar fertilizer contains epsom salts, once or twice a growing season, I apply epsom salts (magnesium sulphate) at the rate of 1 to 2 tablespoons per inground plant and 1 to 2 teaspoons per container grown ones being sure to soak it in well. I apply epsom salts to my roses more frequently and to my hibiscus also. It increases the blooms' depth of color. If you don't use the bougainvillea fertilizer I suggested and the leaves are turning a lighter green, apply some liquid seaweed to the leaves. Note: Peters 20-20-20 and Miracle Grow do just fine, but add epsom salts so the plants receive enough magnesium and occassionally mix some bonemeal in the top of the soil.

NOTE: After the first blooming cycle, there are no more bracts and you have let it almost wilt and then watered it once, feed it with the fertilizer (be sure the soil is damp). Each time it quits producing bracts do this. This is the secret to forcing it to bloom.

4. Be sure it receives plenty of direct sunlight, at least 5 hours a day (afternoon is best).

5. Because the bougainvillea blooms on new growth, it may be pruned. You can prune it to where you want the new bracts to be produced. I would suggest it be pruned, if necessary, when you provide fertilizer after the blooming cycles described in the "NOTE" above. I prune mine back by about 1/3 in the spring before new growth begins. My hanging basket plants are pruned by 1/2 when they go dormant in the winter and are in the garage. Pruning will not cause the plant to become substantially more bushy because it is a vine. It will grow only one or two branches from the leafbuds just below the cut after pruning and not up and down the entire branch. By doing a "hard" prune, next spring when the plant regrows it will be somewhat fuller from the base up. Some types of bougainvillea by growth habit have longer branches than others.

6. If in containers, do not place directly on the ground because the roots will grow into the soil and be damaged if you move the conatiner, plus it will not be root bound. I place mine on bricks, being sure not to block the drainage holes. If the container or the hanging basket has a saucer, take it off. Poor drainage can damage the root system. If the container is sitting on a saucer, pour the water out of it so the roots are not sitting in water. I always drill more holes in my containers, even hanging basket, regardless of what I am planting in them.

7. When to repot a container grown bougainvilla? When it appears that the roots have replaced all of the soil and the plant can not be kept watered. Handle bougainvillea with care when repotting because it has a very delicate root system and a fragile root to stem connection. Do NOT root prune. Always pot into a larger container than the old one. If the plant has been growing in a 10-inch pot, then it should be repotted into a 12-inch pot.

I hope this information has been helpful to you. Thanks for your comments.