Bougainvillea Question?? What Next?

[Beth]

Hello Everyone,
Last year I bought this Boug. at the local nursery as the extended branch appealed.
Trimmed the rest of the plant leaving what you see here.
Of course, it went bare through the winter but my concern is that the BRATS--( nauty little so & so's)
didn't come out through the summer. They are supposed to, aren't they?
What have I done, or not done??!
Your comments and advive are more than appreciated.
Thanks a multipurpose million.
Beth.

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[Jamie]

hi beth,

being a boug these guys just seem to power on, or should do, with the bracts being a varigated boug might make it slightly difficult, not 100% possitive on that, variegated trees are generally a slightly weaker form of the spcies/cultivar. i would think about getting a fert that is designed for flowering trees.

i will try go into more detail later, i am feeling really ill.

jamie

[astroboy76]

if you want to boug to flower allow the soil the dry out before watering and only give just enough to sustain it. keep feeding to a minimum too. overwatering and overfeeding will cause the tree to slow down its growth and it wont flower. bougs come from tropical areas where there is no rain for months on end and then a heavy wet season. i had a boug i nurtured and almost killed it with basic bonsai care. yet my brothers one that he kept potbound and hidden in the corner thrived.

bougs will fight beign trained in cascade and will reluctantly flower down low. its worth a shot though. fertilise with high nitrogen fertiliser as the actual coloured bracts are leaves. the tiny flowers are inside these bracts

[Jamie]

thanks mate. i wasnt super sure on the feeding side of things either.

what are your thoughts on it being variegated??????????

[astroboy76]

to be honest i am not sure if there is much difference betweeb varigated or not. my neighbour has a varigated boug in his garden and its seems as vigourous as any other boug

[Jamie]

thanks mate, i think being in the ground and pot culture might be a little different but am unsure, i havent really ever gotten into bougs to be honest

[Beth]

if you want to boug to flower allow the soil the dry out before watering and only give just enough to sustain it. keep feeding to a minimum too. overwatering and overfeeding will cause the tree to slow down its growth and it wont flower. bougs come from tropical areas where there is no rain for months on end and then a heavy wet season. i had a boug i nurtured and almost killed it with basic bonsai care. yet my brothers one that he kept potbound and hidden in the corner thrived.

bougs will fight beign trained in cascade and will reluctantly flower down low. its worth a shot though. fertilise with high nitrogen fertiliser as the actual coloured bracts are leaves. the tiny flowers are inside these bracts

Thanks very much astroboy76, and you as well Jamie, for your knowledge and advice.
Up till now, I have been keeping the water up to, and fertilising ALL the plants with seasol...a little, but often. I can see now that
each tree will have to have different treatment.
Well the boug, anyway. From now on I'll let them (I have 3) dry out a bit. Thanks.
What would be a good nitrogen based fertiliser?
Thanks very much for all your help. It IS realy great.
Thanks a million.
Beth.