How do you care for a bougainvillea bonsai so it blooms all over the tree?
During the care of bougainvillea bonsai, too much water and fertilizer often leads to vigorous branches and leaves, resulting in few or no flowers. Although the branches and trunk have high ornamental value, the ornamental value would be even higher if there were flowers. To make a bougainvillea bonsai bloom all over the tree and achieve a better ornamental effect, care must focus on sunlight, water and fertilizer, and pruning.
(1) Light. Bougainvillea is a plant that loves sun and warmth. A bougainvillea bonsai should be placed in a sunny spot with direct light, which can make the branches thick and strong with short internodes, and the flower branches and flower bud differentiation full, so that when it blooms there are many flowers, the flowering period is long, and the flower branches are short.
(2) Pruning. Bougainvillea has a long growth period, strong sprouting ability, and long shoots, so long shoots, inner branches, and crossing branches should be pruned in time, leaving 2-3 basal buds to let them sprout short branches and maintain the shape, which is good for flowering. Pruning is best done in spring and summer; after mid-August, branches must not be pruned, otherwise flowering will be affected. When flowering, the green leaves can be picked off to reveal the flower leaves.
(3) Watering. Withholding water is a step in forming flower branches. After pruning stops in mid-August, the water supply must be strictly controlled, and each watering should be done when the young leaves and buds of the plant are drooping and wilting. When the young buds are often in a wilted state, they are not easy to elongate and can keep their original form. When the branches differentiate flower buds and leaf buds grow in the leaf axils, normal watering can be resumed. During the flowering period, do not water onto the flower leaves, to avoid rotting the flowers and shortening the flowering period.
(4) Fertilizing. During the growth period, bougainvillea should be frequently given a dilute fertilizer of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium or well-rotted organic fertilizer, with less nitrogen fertilizer, to prevent excessive growth. Topdressing after spring flowering can increase the plant's nutrients and promote the growth of new branches. Bougainvillea flower buds grow on new branches and short branches after autumn; during the flowering period, apply a dilute fertilizer mainly of phosphorus and potassium twice a month to prolong the flowering period and increase the number of flowers. No fertilizing is needed in winter.
(5) Repotting and changing soil. Repot once every 2 years after flowering; when changing the soil, add sufficient base fertilizer and carry out root pruning, so that the aboveground part and the root system grow in proportion, avoiding poor nutrition of the plant caused by soil compaction and water accumulation, which affects flowering.
How do you make a bougainvillea bonsai bloom all over the tree?
How do you make a bougainvillea bonsai bloom all over the tree?
During the care of bougainvillea bonsai, too much water and fertilizer often leads to vigorous branches and leaves, resulting in few or no flowers. Although the branches and trunk have relatively high ornamental value, the ornamental value would be even higher if there were flowers. To make a bougainvillea bonsai bloom all over the tree and achieve a better ornamental effect, care must focus on sunlight, water and fertilizer, and pruning.
(1) Light. Bougainvillea is a plant that loves sun and warmth. A bougainvillea bonsai should be placed in a sunny spot with direct light, which can make the branches thick and strong with short internodes, and the flower branches and flower bud differentiation full, so that when it blooms there are many flowers, the flowering period is long, and the flower branches are short.
(2) Pruning. Bougainvillea has a long growth period, strong sprouting ability, and long shoots, so long shoots, inner branches, and crossing branches should be pruned in time, leaving 2-3 basal buds to let them sprout short branches and maintain the shape, which is good for flowering. Pruning is best done in spring and summer; after mid-August, branches must not be pruned, otherwise flowering will be affected. When flowering, the green leaves can be picked off to reveal the flower leaves.
(3) Watering. Withholding water is a step in forming flower branches. After pruning stops in mid-August, the water supply must be strictly controlled, and each watering should be done when the young leaves and buds of the plant are drooping and wilting. When the young buds are often in a wilted state, they are not easy to elongate and can keep their original form. When the branches differentiate flower buds and leaf buds grow in the leaf axils, normal watering can be resumed. During the flowering period, do not water onto the flower leaves, to avoid rotting the flowers and shortening the flowering period.
(4) Fertilizing. During the growth period, bougainvillea should be frequently given a dilute fertilizer of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium or well-rotted organic fertilizer, with less nitrogen fertilizer, to prevent excessive growth. Topdressing after spring flowering can increase the plant's nutrients and promote the growth of new branches. Bougainvillea flower buds grow on new branches and short branches after autumn; during the flowering period, apply a dilute fertilizer mainly of phosphorus and potassium twice a month to prolong the flowering period and increase the number of flowers. No fertilizing is needed in winter.
(5) Repotting and changing soil. Repot once every 2 years after flowering; when changing the soil, add sufficient base fertilizer and carry out root pruning, so that the aboveground part and the root system grow in proportion, avoiding poor nutrition of the plant caused by soil compaction and water accumulation, which affects flowering.
How do you make a bougainvillea bonsai? Bougainvillea bonsai making methods
Bougainvillea bonsai has a distinctive shape, lush branches and leaves, bright colors, and high ornamental value. Placing a bougainvillea bonsai at home is very pleasing to the eye. How do you make a bougainvillea bonsai? Let's take a look at the bougainvillea bonsai making methods below.
Making a bougainvillea bonsai is relatively easy. According to the condition of the potted bougainvillea, it can be made into different shapes such as single-trunk style, double-trunk style, slanting-trunk style, curved-trunk style, lying-trunk style, water-and-land style, waterside style, cliff style, pagoda style, and flower basket style.
The shaping method for bougainvillea bonsai is mainly pruning, supplemented by binding. For young trees, wiring can be done according to the shaping needs, and several bougainvillea plants of different flower color varieties can also be planted together for approach grafting as needed.
Below, the editor will introduce several specific methods for making bougainvillea bonsai.
Flower basket style: that is, on the premise of training the bougainvillea into a large flat surface, at the diagonal positions of the bougainvillea flat surface, leave one branch 500-600mm long on each side, gently bend the bougainvillea branches inward, overlap them at 100-200mm, and tie them together to form the handle of a flower basket; the flower basket style bougainvillea bonsai is then complete.
Pagoda style: cut off all the side branches of the bougainvillea, leaving only one or three upright branches growing upward; if three are left, they must be tied or braided together, and when they reach the ideal height, cut off the tips to make them sprout side buds, and at intervals of 400-500mm, remove excess buds to form a multi-pagoda style.
Cliff style: this uses binding to make part of the bougainvillea branches droop, shaped like a cliff. The cliff style bougainvillea bonsai is then complete.
Approach grafting method for different varieties
Plant several bougainvillea plants in the same pot, with the stems and branches spaced three centimeters apart; after they grow normally, at a suitable height (determined according to the shape), bind them tightly and fix them with plastic-covered electrical wire. After the bougainvillea has grown into shape, loosen the binding, use a knife to cut away the outer bark at the joint of the stems and branches, align the cambium, and carry out approach grafting.
After approach grafting, the bougainvillea branches are still tied tightly (protect the wound from rain and watering), and after they have grown firmly into one body, remove the binding wire. The part below the approach graft can be regarded as the root, and can be bent into shape according to your own needs, or matched with stone to form a root-clasping-stone. Strengthen management; the part above the approach graft will grow many branches, and according to the intended design, prune as needed and remove excess branches.
When pruning bougainvillea branches, do not prune blindly; you must have an overall bonsai design concept. The branches remaining after pruning should be further wired and shaped. As time goes by, the part below the approach graft will form a new trunk, but its surface will be rough and uneven, making it appear even more vigorous and antique.