Q&A for How to Prune Bougainvillea

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How do you propagate Bougainvillea?

Monique Capanelli
Plant Specialist
Monique Capanelli is a Plant Specialist and the Owner and Designer for Articulture Designs, an innovative design firm and boutique in Austin, Texas. With over 15 years of experience, Monique specializes in interior botanical design, living walls, event decor, and sustainable landscape design. She attended the University of Texas at Austin. Monique is a Certified Permaculture Designer. She provides plant and botanical design experiences, from small gifts to entire transformations, to shoppers as well as commercial clients including Whole Foods Market and The Four Seasons.

Monique Capanelli

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When deadheading, do I pinch the whole flower off or leave the bulbous bit it grows out of?

Katie Gohmann
Professional Gardener
Katherine Gohmann is a Professional Gardener in Texas. She has been a home gardener and professional gardener since 2008.

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Professional Gardener

Expert Answer

To properly deadhead your bougainvillea, pinch off the whole flower and bracts down to where they meet the stem.

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How do I prune bougainvillea during a frost?

Katie Gohmann
Professional Gardener
Katherine Gohmann is a Professional Gardener in Texas. She has been a home gardener and professional gardener since 2008.

Katie Gohmann

Professional Gardener

Expert Answer

Don't prune your bougainvillea during a frost. Instead, wait until spring. If you don't wait, you could damage the plant.

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I grow my bougainvillea in a pot outside in summer and inside in winter. When would be the best time to move it to a larger container?

Katie Gohmann
Professional Gardener
Katherine Gohmann is a Professional Gardener in Texas. She has been a home gardener and professional gardener since 2008.

Katie Gohmann

Professional Gardener

Expert Answer

It would be best if you didn't move your bougainvillea to a larger container at all. Bougainvillea grow and thrive better in a pot because the pot helps with drainage. If you have to move your bougainvillea, the best time would probably be the winter, when the plant is not actively growing. However, if you are gentle while repotting you can do it anytime. Try not to disturb the roots, and check your plant often after repotting to make sure it's okay.

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Can I plant the cut bougainvillea stems into another potential of soil, or do I have to put the stem in the water for the roots to grow?

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You can plant into another pot of soil. You don't have to put the stem in water.

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My bougainvillas are over 8 feet tall. Can I cut them off at 4 feet and still have them bloom next year?

Community Answer

Probably. I cut mine from about 10 feet down to 6 feet, and they still bloomed a few months later. They are sturdy plants.

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My bougainvillea is not flowering, what could be causing this when it is large and healthy?

Community Answer

Give it some bloom fertilizer.

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A neighbor pruned her bougainvillea and left long branches. Can those be planted successfully?

Community Answer

Yes. You can plant the cut stems and they will grow into a healthy shrub. It will take a few years, but once it takes hold it will grow nicely.

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After I plant the bougainvillea cutting, how much time will it take to produce roots?

Community Answer

Around three months is when you see new leaves starting to grow.

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Is there a way to make my plant bloom year round?

Community Answer

No. Plants need time to rejuvenate and start another growing cycle .

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How do I transplant it from one location to another location?

Community Answer

Dig far beyond the root system of your plant so you do not upset the roots. If you're replanting in a pot, make sure it's an appropriate size, they like it a bit snug. Place a rock over the drain hole. Place the plant in a pot with soil or sand, then water to settle and remove air pockets. Don't water again, for quite sometime, they do well without water. Treat it similarly to a cactus.

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Question

We bought 2 beautiful bougainvilleas 3 weeks ago, and now the blooms are all gone and they look like they are dying. What can I do?

Community Answer

If your plants are still in containers, make sure you water them daily (or every two days). If they are already planted on the ground, then water them deeply every few days until they are established.

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My bougainvillea has problems with its leaves. One side is black and the other side has round pools of rusty water drops. What could be causing this?

Community Answer

You could be over watering it. Make sure you don't irrigate when the sun is too strong or you'll damage the leaves that way. Wait until late afternoon or whenever the plant is in shade long enough for the leaves to dry up.

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Can I transplant a plant from the ground near my home into a pot?

Community Answer

Yes, you can. I bring my bougainvillea inside each fall. I prune it back down to about a foot tall, take it out of the ground, root prune it to fit a pot I can easily take inside, and place it in a south-facing window over the winter. It will lose all its leaves to start out with, but don't panic -- with lots of water and a bit of fertilizer every couple of months, it will grow again and even start flowering before it's time to put it back outside after the first frost!

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How far back can I prune a bougainvillea?

Community Answer

I have pruned mine almost halfway back in the past without issue.

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My bougainvillea needs help. It looks like a bunch of thick (about 3" thick) sticks (about 6 feet tall) are coming out of the ground and only partially blooms at the very top. Should I cut them?

Community Answer

These are called water shoots. Cut them back to the trunk. They do not flower and only upset the shape of the plant.

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I live in Albuquerque. My bougainvillea is growing vigorously with new branches growing out all over. One new branch is growing out of the top and is getting pretty long. Can I trim that back?

Community Answer

Yes, you can.

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Some of my bougainvillea plants are full of new leaves, but for unknown reasons, there is no flower. What can I do to have flowers?

Community Answer

I had same problem. I moved it to back porch where it gets sun all day instead of most of the day, stopped watering until I see it drooping, then water thoroughly and don't water again until it droops. Only feed if leaves start paling a bit. Within 2 months, it was blooming beautifully.

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My bougainvillea is growing on a trellis that is leaning forward rather than on the wall behind it. How can I right this without stressing the plant?

Community Answer

You need to anchor the trellis to the wall. Make it a good anchor; otherwise, the weight will try and pull forward again.

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When is the best time to prune, trim, and pinch in Orlando, Florida?

Community Answer

Try pruning them in May or June (rainy season). This usually promotes more branches and flowers.

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How do I prune climbing bougainvillea that are both "dead," but have new growth at the base?

Community Answer

Prune very early spring, almost to ground level. After that, it should grow up to 3 metres with prolific flowers.

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Will my bougainvillea die if I disturb the roots?

Community Answer

Maybe. Don't disturb the fibrous plant. But if you damage the roots, keep it in shade for 1-2 weeks.

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Do bougainvillea attract pests?

Community Answer

Yes, they attract slugs, which eat all the blooms.

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