Bonsai Adventure | A Guide to Bonsai Tree Care and Techniques

An Update of My Bougainvillea Bonsai

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These are two of the bougainvillea bonsais that I am working with. They both come from a large wood cutting.

March 2012

July 2012
Just let this bonsai grew undisturbed for a couple of months

July 2012
After pruning (to grow more branches)

I'm really not into wiring bougainvillea bonsai branches especially this size for they are too brittle and easily breaks. I shaped my bougainvillea bonsai by combining the "clip and grow method" and by using an anchor to pull the branches down to desired position. As you can see on the picture below I used copper wire and tied it on another wire that is anchored on the pot. The branch on the lower part of the trunk is a sacrificial branch that would thicken and add taper to the trunk and would be cut down when it has serve its purpose. I grew this branch opposite my front view because by doing that any scar after pruning will be hidden.

March 2012

July 2012

Bougainvillea Bonsai - Root Escape Method

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This is just one of my bougainvilleas that needs pruning and an update of my bougainvillea bonsai clip and grow method. To acquire faster growth on the branch girth, I used a method called escape root method. This method is simply allowing the roots to escape the pot and find its way on the ground. This is a great alternative than planting directly on the ground because you can manage it easily. I did this method because I already have the trunk girth developed, all I need is to grow more are the branches girth and in this escape method I will grow my bougainvillea branch a bit faster. As you can see on the picture within about four months it did grow the branches quite well. You can compare the difference here on my Progression Series Pictures. I should have not pruned this yet but I was just preventing the branches to break because typhoon season is coming shortly. The branches are getting too long and I would rather do trimming back the branches than to be sorry in the end when it breaks.

My bougainvillea bonsai after pruning.

Bougainvillea Shohin Bonsai Pruning

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It's been quite some time that I haven't posted on this blog because I just let my bougainvillea bonsai grow undisturbed for a couple of months. For now, I think they need a little bit of pruning. This is an update of my bougainvillea shohin bonsai. For about 4 months, I just let this bougainvillea bonsai developed its branches and leaves. As you can see some of the leaves are a bit dry

Bougainvillea Shohin Bonsai Pruning Technique

because of the very hot summer time we had. I should have watered it enough to prevent the leaves from drying out but rainy season is coming shortly and I know they will recover eventually. I also did some pruning to developed more branches. I found that clip and grow method works best especially for this type of plant for they are really very sensitive. As you can see on the picture I just leave a couple of millimeters from the node to the tip of the pruned portion of the branch so that the coming new shoot will have a room for growth.

My bougainvillea shohin bonsai after pruning.

Bougainvillea - Wiring or Clip and Grow Method

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There are different ways and techniques to train or shape bonsai branches. The most popular one is with the use of copper or aluminum wire. With this method you simply choose a branch you want to change the shape and direction then wrap the wire spirally around the branch at an edge of about 45 degree angle maintaining a consistent gap between wires and providing enough room for growth. Also take into consideration the thickness of the wire to be used. Thicker branch needs thicker wire. As a rule of thumb use a wire that is 1/3 the thickness of the branch. There is also a tool called trunk benders which you can use to shape or bend much thicker branches.

But for my Bougainvillea I seldom use wire to wrap around the branches because they are really brittle and soon die back if wrapped tightly. One method I use is to put a weight to pull down the branch at a desired angle. I just used stone for my weight which you can find anywhere at your backyard and it cost you nothing (LOL). I also used the clip and grow method to change the shape and direction of the branch. This method is very handy and produces a natural curve and bends. With this method of shaping your branches, you must start to work with a young shoot/branch that is still green and pliable. I find this technique easy, but of course you must take extra care when working on a young shoot.
This is my Bougainvillea Bonsai 1 on training. Growing the lower branches to increase more girth. I also changed the front of the Bonsai to reveal the section of the chopped trunk which will then be carved maybe next growing season to add an interesting look at the trunk and also to hide the flaw of the chopped portion.

Bougainvillea Bonsai 1 Progression Series
Taken on March 2012

OLDER POST ABOUT THIS SERIES:

Bougainvillea Bonsai 1 (where it started)

NEWER POST ABOUT THIS SERIES:

Bougainvillea Shohin Bonsai Propagation

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Just an update of my previous post (Future Plan) to get two shohin bonsai. The upper trunk of this specimen has a great potential to become another shohin bonsai because it has taper and a nice trunk movement. You can propagate bougainvillea through cuttings (soft or woody cuttings) and air layering. In my own opinion woody cutting at around 2 inches in diameter is the best, easy and the fastest way to propagate bougainvillea bonsai which can readily be use a shohin bonsai specimen.