Bougainvillea will not bloom

You know how we all kind of go through phases where you find one kind of plant you love and then think you need a ton of them? ha ha. Well, I love bougainvillea and have really gotten quite a few this year. I have read and taken suggestions on DG about them and have learned several things about taking care of my bougies. Anyways, I purchased a really neat one that is called "blueberry ice." It has variegated leaves and the bracts are supposed to be a bluish, purplish. I ordered 2- 2" pots and they were really little babies when I got them. I gradually introduced them to the outside world and then finally potted them up into a new small pot. They survived the transplant beautifully. I waited about a month before I fertilized them. I fertilized them with NutriStar and no bloom. I waited another 3 weeks, fertilized again. I still have not gotten the plant to produce any bracts. This plant stands up to the heat wonderfully and I water only when it starts to wilt. Is it just because it is a baby that it isn't blooming? Is it something where I need to wait till next year to see the bracts or is there something else I need to do? Has anyone else had this experience? I don't have this problem with any of my other bougies, just this one.

Could be that it's young and small, I've had a few that haven't bloomed much their first year especially when they were so small to begin with (were the other ones that you've bought that bloomed in larger containers when you got them?). I also don't think they like to be fertilized, so that could be part of the problem too.

I also purchased California Gold bougies in the same tiny pots and I am getting bracts on those. Do you think that I am just having good luck with that one and that it is regular for it not to bloom the first year? My most prolific bloomer is a Barbara Karst and it was pretty big when I purchased it. I would say it was already in a 2 gallon container. It did not bloom for a while after I repotted it....I learned that was a mistake...but now it follows a regular bougie pattern....growth cycle followed by a blooming cycle. I prune it back after every blooming cycle or else it just gets out of control. I am using a NutriStar fertilizer which is for bougies and works really well in my experience with my other bougies. However, I do appreciate your feedback, thanks for commenting.

A couple other possibilities...could be that the one that's not blooming suffered more root damage when you transplanted it--bougies are one of those plants that don't like having their roots disturbed, so if the root ball got roughed up more than the others during transplanting it could be taking it a little longer to establish. Or it's possible that some varieties are not quite as floriferous as others--I haven't grown Blueberry Ice, but I did have Raspberry Ice once and it seemed more finicky and didn't bloom as well as some of my others like Barbara Karst

My 'Coconut Ice', which is much larger than yours did not bloom as soon as my other bougainvilleas. It is blooming now with its pink and white bracts. Your 'Blueberry Ice' probably does not need to be fertilized again in order for it to bloom. I usually fertilize mine in the spring as they are putting on new growth and then after each bloom cycle has finished. NutriStar bougainvilea fertilizer is excellent. I think your plants probably just need to mature more before they bloom. These 'Ice' series bougainvillea do not grow as fast as my other types. If you have moved them to a different location, they made need to "get settled". I sure hope that they provide you with some beautiful bracts before the summer has ended.

I'll throw my 2 cents in if y'all don't mind.I was having the same trouble with mine until I followed the advise give me by and ole Florida Cracker.It was fertilize but once in the spring or late winter here and then give them as much neglect as you possibly can and ever since I started with the neglect well my only problem is finding the time to keep the things off my roof.They seem to be always in bloom and when I water I'm sure not to give them any.I hate cutting anything when it's in bloom but I have to cut this thing back atleast twice a year and here's what I'm talkin 'bout

and

sorry their so blurry

donlaclair, I appreciate you throwing your 2 cents and your lovely pics of your bougie. What a pretty and soft color of pink. I try not to baby my bougie, believe me I do, ha ha. Isn't it funny how some plants want to be neglected?

htop- thank you so much for providing me your feedback and response. I appreciate your time. I will stop fertilizing and try my best to practice patience. Hopefully I won't have to be practicing until next April. ha ha.

ecrane - you are right about bougies not liking their roots disturbed. Although, I am sure that is not the issue this time. I did learn that on one of my others though, , thankfully it recovered, however, I was not sure it was going to.

Bougainvilla will bloom after an extended dry period- thus the neglect- if they are constantly watered, there will be few blooms, as a rule of thumb. Usually in sept/oct when there are less rains, there will be a noticeable increase bougie blooms all through the neighborhood.
rj