What is the purpose of pruning bougainvillea? Once you understand it, blooming is not difficult

There are many discussions and many methods regarding bougainvillea pruning. I think the first thing you must consider is what your purpose for pruning is?

1. If you want the bougainvillea tree shape to be styled according to your envisioned requirements, such as umbrella shape, spherical shape, welcoming-pine shape, or willow-like drooping shape, then you must prune and shape it according to the above requirements!

2. If you want the bougainvillea to bloom early, I think you should not shape it for now, and wait until after it blooms to shape it; I have found that with purchased 1-year seedlings, some branches need to grow to 14-16 leaves before they have flower buds, while some only need 6-8 leaves to have flower buds, and the difference is especially large; if you pinch off the leaves too early (pinching), then the flower buds may be removed! There is pictorial evidence.

3. If you want more branches and more blooms (the first bloom will be delayed), then you must pinch early, because the new side branches will have flower buds when they have fewer leaves, but fertilizer and nutrients must keep up, otherwise the flowers will not be able to continue blooming!

The above are my personal thoughts. I hope fellow flower growers will advise and add to them!