Bougainvillea Flower

True Bougainvillea Flower

Bougainvillea flower is often mistaken by many to be those colorful bracts. Those tiny trumpet-shaped, white or sometimes yellow-white are the true flowers of a bougainvillea plant. Those colorful bracts that surrounds those tiny flowers are the specialized leaves. Bracts are oftentimes different from foliage leaves and play a big role of inviting pollinators. Each array of bougainvillea flower are usually surrounded by three to six bracts. Bougainvillea flowers can also be used as dye.

Bougainvillea plant is a breed of thorny ornamental shrublike vines. The original bougainvillea plant is a native of South America from Brazil. The shrublike vine specie grow from 3 to 40 ft. in height. Bougainvillea plants are known to be ornamental plants and are popular in places with warm climates. The bracts has a variety of color among these are pink, red, orange, magenta, purple, white or yellow. Bougainvillea plants are rather pest-free but may also be affected with aphids and snails.

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Bougainvillea - Wiring or Clip and Grow Method

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:

1. Bougainvillea Bonsai 1 (where it started)

NEWER POST ABOUT THIS SERIES:

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Bougainvillea Shohin Bonsai Propagation

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.

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Air Layering | Bougainvillea Bonsai Cutting (2) Progression Series

This was an update of my Bougainvillea cuttings.

I'm aiming to grow this as a mame bonsai at about 5" tall. The shoots are getting long now and it's a good sign that this little tree is healthy. The trunk is really not that nice at about 1" in diameter with no movement at all. It also looks slender relative its height. This tiny tree really has a long way to go and a lot of flaws to fixed. The trunk also needs taper to give an impression of an old tree. Maybe in the near future I'd like to grow a lower branch until it thickens up the base of the trunk by using a thread grafting technique and to be cut back when that branch has served its purpose. But for now this post will tackle about an air layering technique to shorten this tree. Air layering is a process of propagation where you will grow roots on a branch or trunk to grow it independently and also allowing the lower part which already has a root system to  continue to grow.

THE PROCESS:

First decide on how tall you want the trunk to be. Be sure to use a clean cutting tool and and make two parallel clean cuts across the trunk.

Then make another cut perpendicular to the previous cut you've made. This will allow you to have an easy access in peeling off the bark deep enough to remove the cambium (dividing tissue between xylem and phloem) which is responsible for the growth of stems and roots. Be sure to peel off all the bark and cambium around the trunk.

 Next prepare a clean plastic container and a rooting medium of your choice. Make a cut on the container so that it will fit the trunk. You can also use a sphagnum moss as a rooting medium and a plastic wrap to seal it. Be sure to check the moisture of the rooting medium and water if necessary.

Happy Bonsai growing to ALL!!!

OLDER POST ABOUT THIS SERIES:

1. Bougainvillea Cuttings

NEWER POST ABOUT THIS SERIES:

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Future Plan - Propagation by Air Layering

This was an update of Bougainvillea Pre-Bonsai 2 Deadwood Refinement

Just a bit weary about my plan to air layer this specimen. One of the main reason that I want to  shorten it is because it's too long for my taste and it looks a bit slender with it's length. Another reason is that the advantage of getting 2 specimen as mame bonsai.

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Bonsai Deadwood Refinement

This was an update of my Bougainvillea Pre-Bonsai 2 Progression Seires.

Back View

If you had read my previous post, this bougainvillea is severely damage and rotten specially on the lower part of the trunk maybe because it's always wet and because of the fungal infection that it had before I rescued it at my mother's backyard.

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Bougainvillea Cuttings

These are some of the Bougainvillea hardwood large cuttings that I made. Most of the cuttings are relatively big and woody at about 1 to 3 inches in diameter. Because of a limited space in our front yard, I'm aiming to grow and train all the cuttings as shohin and mame bonsai at around 6 to 10 inches tall. Some of the hardwood cuttings that I made specially the really big ones are not yet showing any signs of new growth. Most of these cuttings came from these parent bougainvillea (Bougainvillea Pre-Bonsai 1 and Multiple Trunk Style Bougainvillea) and they are a month old now and growing nice and healthy. I can say that I have a success rate of 70% with all the cuttings that I made.

Some useful tips:

1. Use a clean cutting tools.
2. Make the cut clean and parallel to the trunk.
3. Use some rooting hormone of your choice (optional)
4. Be sure not to plant your cuttings upside down.
5. After planting your cuttings to a suitable rooting media of your choice immediately water it and cover your cuttings with a plastic bag to retain moisture. Occasionally check and water if necessary.
6. Place your cuttings under a shaded area.
7. When new shoots arise, gradually open the plastic bag by making a small cut every other few days or so before you totally uncover it.
8. Wear appropriate gloves before working with your cuttings to avoid hurting yourself with those sharp thorns.

Cutting 1
approx. 1.5 in. trunk diameter / 3 in. tall

Cutting 2
approx. 1 in. trunk diameter / 8 in. tall

Cutting 3
approx. 1.5 in. trunk diameter / 4 in. tall

Cutting 4
approx. 1 in. trunk diameter / 3 in. tall

Cutting 5
approx. 1 in. trunk diameter / 2 in. tall

Cutting 6
approx. 3.5 in. trunk diameter / 8 in. tall

Cutting 7
approx. 2 in. trunk diameter / 7 in. tall

Cutting 8
approx. 3 in. trunk diameter / 2.5 in. tall

Cutting 9

approx. 1.5 in. trunk diameter / 4 in. tall 

Cutting 10
Approx 3 in trunk diameter

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Bougainvillea Pre-Bonsai (3) Progression Series

This is one of the Bougainvillea specimen that I'm growing as multiple trunk style. 

Jan 2012

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Bougainvillea Pre-Bonsai (2) Progression Series

As I was looking at my Mom's backyard, I saw this dying bougainvillea in a pot. The tree is heavily root bound and the lower trunk is already rotten. There were also lot of dead branches. She's not so much of a beauty but I thought I could take care of it and train it as another specimen for my bonsai adventure. Immediately re-potted it, pruned the dead twigs and branches, removed the fungus and the dead barks on the lower trunk. It's been a month now and she's starting to grow new shoots.

NEWER POST ABOUT THIS SERIES:

1. Deadwood Refinement

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Bougainvillea Pre-Bonsai (1) Progression Series

This was a 6 ft. tall bougainvillea before it was trunk chop right after new year of 2012 to be trained as bonsai. This was planted on the ground for almost 4 years. It has a trunk diameter of approximately 6 inches and the height now is about 10 inches after the trunk chop. Planted it on a 3 gallon garden pot to be trained as future bonsai. It's been a month now and it's growing new shoots. I know that this bougainvillea still have a long way to go before it reaches a bonsai pot and I'm really getting more excited to see the final bonsai tree.

I hope to hear comments, suggestions and even tips and techniques on how to grow a bougainvillea bonsai. Happy Bonsai growing to all!

January 2012

NEWER POST ABOUT THIS SERIES:

1. Bougainvillea - Wiring or Clip and Grow Method

 

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