July 2015 update of my bougainvillea.No blooms at this time, it just wants to make leaves. For some reason it will make the blooms only when it is really cooler, so got to wait patiently for early/mid Fall.

I don't understand what triggers blooms. The bougainvillea I'm growing is very sporadic about blooming. Currently it is putting out lots of new growth which is good, but very few blooms. It bloomed well earlier. Last year blooms followed a dose of fertilizer. This year it has responded to that with new growth. The ones at the garden center in town seem to have perpetual bloom for the most part, but they aren't sure why. They think it is due to fertilizer maybe. I'm finding it needs a lot of water or it will drop the leaves.

Mine is on vacation too .. I've always thought it was a combination of soil temperature and length of day for blooming.

I don't know. Day length would be the same for mine as for those in the garden center, but those at the garden center may be a bit cooler. At least those growing under the shade cloth. I think they told me once the sunlight under their shade cloth was 75% of what direct sun is. They have them growing out in the sun as well, but I don't know if, or how often, they might move them in and out. Mine is growing in sun, so it gets the full effect of the heat. It did bloom heavily 3 times last summer, but didn't really put on very much new growth. It needs the growth, so I'm happy at the moment. It hasn't been normally hot this year, but the days are getting shorter now. Probably won't be any cooling off until September at the earliest.

Same dilemma with my plant. I am just glad the leaves are variegated, so it is not just boring solid green. It certainly does not like our dry heat here..though I see some bougainvilleas planted on the islands by the roadways..but as long as the plant is leafing, then I am reassured it is doing some growing. I have to step up watering, to really encourage leafing. Sometimes I am guilty keeping some of my plants too dry..oops..and our ongoing drought is making it worst.

Our nice cool down today seems to be what this bougainvillea is waiting for..seeing more bracts forming now

Looks like your pretty little bougainvillea is doing just fine!

Thanks woofie! Yeah it is happier when our temps are just in between 70's and low 80's

I'll have to check mine tomorrow and see if it's making bracts. It spent the whole Summer outside for the first time. Normally it stays in the greenhouse.

Finally a pair of cutesy blooms!


The whole plant right now:

They are so pretty! Mine isn't in bract making mode yet.

Thanks Anne! I am still waiting for more bracts to show, still tiny, hope they can make it too.

Nice Tarev. The foliage on one of mine looks just like yours.

I have 3 - all blooming now. They all bllomed in late June and early July too

Two are variegated. One is white bracts and one is hot pink. The other is a bright red/pink and solid green foliage. That one has the least foliage and looks like a Charlie Brown plant. One is inside now - other 2 still on deck where I had them all where they get full day sun.

In order to save space I weave mine on plant hoops. Works great on 2 of them. The other has large thick stems.

Oh! I would love to see the photo of your plants in hoops David! Pretty please

Will try for pics tomorrow if no rain. Unlikely - no rain for 4 weeks.

I'd love to see them too!

Three's a charm today

This is the nicest looking of my 3 plants:




You can see the little bamboo hoops I put in. I weave the plants around these to keep them in control size wise. I just started with all 3 plants in 2014 so they are all quite small. I am limited for space, so they will always stay small.

This is my white one:



It is the thickest, fullest and thorniest.

Thanks for the photos David! They are so pretty!

I leave my plant outdoors in winter so it will go deciduous later so it is rather slow growing..but right now our temps are still warm, and it is still forming new bracts.

I also want to keep them in its small container, lack of space too, makes it easier to move them around as needed.

Will experiment how to weave those branches into something, I want to make a nice display

Two of mine - one in particular - the white one - are easy to weave. The third has extremely sturdy and thick stems. And tons of thorns. It is a pain - in more than one way. Were the white one not weaved, it would be over 6 feet tall.

It now is in need of some minor pruning and some more weaving.