Tiny Bougainvillea Bonsai pruning and root work. Saving space by repotting plants into smaller pots.

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Bougainvillea is an evergreen shrub known for brilliant shows of prolific blooms.

There are varieties with red, pink, orange, yellow, white bracts. The flowers appear in the middle of the bracts or leaves that have changed color. Bougainvillea leaves are oval and are positioned in an alternate pattern. The bark is beige-grey and with age it gets more texture and character.

The species is native to South America. Bougainvilleas are fast growing, tolerate pruning very well and are well suited for most bonsai styles. As they are subtropical plants, they can't endure frost and need temperatures around 50° F – 59° F / 10° C – 15° C in winter.

Bougainvillea needs full sun and high temperatures for producing flowers. In Fall in colder climates, the tree should be placed in a cool room with sufficient light (or under grow lights) and at temperatures not below 50°F / 10° C and best not over 59° F / 15° C.

Bougainvillea prefers a pH value of 6 to 6.5. I use a liquid fertilizer every week during the growing season and every couple of weeks in winter.

For pruning and wiring, cut the shoots after flowering, leaving two leaves on each and prune twigs and branches in autumn or winter. The bougainvillea can bud from old wood after hard pruning. If you want the tree to flower, don't pinch and trim it too much in summer. Those heal over slowly. Wiring is possible on young shoots and twigs but older branches are very stiff and break easily.

Repot smaller bougainvilleas every two or three years. Larger specimens can be repotted every three to five years. A well-draining standard soil mix is fine for this species. The roots of the bougainvillea are yellow, thin and delicate. Take good care not to tear off the roots when you remove the root ball from the pot! Untangle the roots tenderly and don't use the root rake with force. Root pruning is tolerated well.

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