Bougainvillea Project

[Justa_Grl]

Hi guys,
I've been talking to a few of you about a little project I've been given and as requested here are some photos. Given I'm very new to practicing the actual art of bonsai, please go easy on me. I've been exposed to bonsai over the last 2 years by a fellow forum user Nathan and picked up things from him and flicked through his books, watched him work and tracked through nurseries in Japan and here in Brisbane and surrounding suburbs.

Unfortunately I don't have any pre-work pics at the moment but here are some pics after i played with some wire. Not sure what to do with it now.... open to suggestions.

Front View:


Side View:


Back View:


Top of the Tree:

[NathanM]

Like we've spoken about, I think it wil need to be planted on an angle to help take focus from the straight trunk. But for now I think the lenght of most of the branches should be shortened. That way they will fill out a bit more and it might promote some new shoots to pop down the trunk like the couple that are there already, which in turn will help get some lower branches.
SO cut it back and it will go well

[Bougy Fan]

Hi Justa nice choice of tree I agree with Nathan. I have a lot of cuttings like this and most of them have been planted on a angle. It's hard to find material for cuttings that has any movement in the trunk. I tend to approach Bougys a little differently treating them like the vine they are and not a tree. It's very hard to get a traditional branch structure on one of these. I also agree about shortening the branches - don't worry, in summer if you make a mistake 4 weeks of growth can erase it. Keep it in a big pot like that until it is the size you want. You can do a lot of the work with wire too as it doesn't slow the tree down like when it's in a bonsai pot. Guessing you go that from Tess's ?

[Justa_Grl]

So the common advice I've had is to chop... I suppose I'll just roll with it, reduce it and if it doesn't work at least it'll grow back!... I hope

Yes, the plant came from Tess. I don't know why but it grabbed me and we couldn't leave it there... maybe not the best project for a beginner but I'm sure I'll have fun and enjoy freaking out when I chop it up!

Thanks guys

[Bougy Fan]

Well I think they're fantastic. Fast growth and I love a flowering bonsai. Sometimes they can take a while to get a decent root system and it takes a while for new growth to get that woody look. Just remember get the size you want before putting it in a bonsai pot as with all trees the growth slows right down. With a bit of work you get the leaves reduced quite considerably. Enjoy

[NathanM]

Smartypants don't seem to really get huge leaves like some bougs do anyway, but they will reduce as said
I definitely don't think a boug is a bad choice for a beginner for a few reasons. 1) They love our climate. 2) They are fast growers. 3) They are hardy. 4) the flowers (or bracts....) make them look pretty.
And they do flower alot too!! My little semi cascade one is always covered in pink Poor thing needs some lvoe this weekend though.

[Asus101]

Allow me to show these:

[Bougy Fan]

WOW these trees are sensational. I am presuming they were collected ? Do you have any further info on them Asus ?

[Asus101]

They would be nursery grown, they have awesome set ups over there. Even the largest of junipers most are grown in nurseries with a few being imported.

[NathanM]

WOW!! Sensational!!! They look even better on my 42in monitor at home than they did at work hehe.
I like the bottom one in particular. They have so much ramification!

[Asus101]

these tree's have a different view than what we do.
We look at a bougie and think of the flowers. We style to suit that, and have pleasing results. They don't think like that from my observations, they still think of the finished object as a tree, choosing to show off the final result bare, forgetting the flowers and leaf size, focusing only on fine ramification. I tend to agree. Looking at a tree its in its glory stage completely bare, the craftsmanship be it man or God shines through. You can not afford to have flaws, as they show up in this form.

[Justa_Grl]

Asus101 - I love the second tree.. it's simply beautiful!

Bougy Fan - It'll be moved to a larger growing pot over the weekend and planted on an angle like Nathan and you have suggested... I'm undecided about which plan of attack I'm going to execute but seeing it's coming in to winter maybe i should just take some length out of the branches and feed her up and see what happens. That way by the time it's spring I'll have even more to work with??

[Bougy Fan]

I posted a pic of one I planted on an angle and am doing into a semi cascade in another thread titeld help with a bougan I think. It's a bit hard to see detail but it gives you an idea. Keep in the pots for as long as you can - once they go into a bonsai pot they slow right down in growth.