MaverickLancer
Mame
Hi, everyone. I recently walked through a bonsai exhibit and fell in love with the beauty of bonsai. On a mad impulse, I found a bonsai nursery and ended up with this Bougainvillea (see pictures). I've been combing through Bonsai (DK Publishing) and have a good idea of some of the fundamentals, but I have been reading a lot of contradicting info around the web. As such, I wanted to see if you could help me sift through everything for what might work best and to correct any mistakes I might be making. For reference, I am in Southern California in a very small 2nd floor apartment with no access to ground planting.
Soil
One of the nursery workers told me that the most important thing is good drainage, and that a cactus/succulent soil would work well. Others have told me to use a more acidic soil like one for Azaleas. I've also seen people use a mix of standard potting soil and pearlite or volcanic rock.
Fertilizing
Fertilizing seems to differ greatly depending on who you ask. One source used a 12-0-0 to encourage a large spurt of leafy growth, and then a 6-8-0 to encourage blooming. Another source says to use low nitrogen fertilizer. However, I've also seen mention of "Bougain" fertilizer, which is 6-8-10.
Watering
The consensus seems to be to completely soak the plant through, and then water again only when the soil is completely dry. Occasional misting also seems to help.
Potting
I do not like the pot that it came in, but due to the sensitive roots of the bougainvillea, I am waiting to repot. When I do, I can fit up to an 18" pot on my balcony. Will this be big enough for any real trunk growth, or is that an exercise in futility? On the invernse, I've also seen that Bougainvillea grow better when rootbound?
Pruning and Trimming
It looks like the nursery has already trimmed the old bracts and flowers from a previous bloom, and I can see that it's been pruned with a broom type feel. Aside from eliminating any crossing branches, would it be beneficial to prune more?
Wiring
I've heard that Bougainvillea branches tend to be very brittle after they develop and that it does not respond well to wiring. Is this at that stage yet?
Yellowing on the Bracts
In some of the images, there's some yellowing on the bracts. I've seen a lot of explanations - overwatering, iron/water deficiency, not enough light, etc. Does anyone with experience have any ideas?
Styling
Any suggestions on styling are also welcome. It looks like the tree lends itself to improper upright, and I've been playing with the idea of altering the planting angle (maybe 3 - 5 degrees) in the future for something a bit more dramatic.
Soil
One of the nursery workers told me that the most important thing is good drainage, and that a cactus/succulent soil would work well. Others have told me to use a more acidic soil like one for Azaleas. I've also seen people use a mix of standard potting soil and pearlite or volcanic rock.
Fertilizing
Fertilizing seems to differ greatly depending on who you ask. One source used a 12-0-0 to encourage a large spurt of leafy growth, and then a 6-8-0 to encourage blooming. Another source says to use low nitrogen fertilizer. However, I've also seen mention of "Bougain" fertilizer, which is 6-8-10.
Watering
The consensus seems to be to completely soak the plant through, and then water again only when the soil is completely dry. Occasional misting also seems to help.
Potting
I do not like the pot that it came in, but due to the sensitive roots of the bougainvillea, I am waiting to repot. When I do, I can fit up to an 18" pot on my balcony. Will this be big enough for any real trunk growth, or is that an exercise in futility? On the invernse, I've also seen that Bougainvillea grow better when rootbound?
Pruning and Trimming
It looks like the nursery has already trimmed the old bracts and flowers from a previous bloom, and I can see that it's been pruned with a broom type feel. Aside from eliminating any crossing branches, would it be beneficial to prune more?
Wiring
I've heard that Bougainvillea branches tend to be very brittle after they develop and that it does not respond well to wiring. Is this at that stage yet?
Yellowing on the Bracts
In some of the images, there's some yellowing on the bracts. I've seen a lot of explanations - overwatering, iron/water deficiency, not enough light, etc. Does anyone with experience have any ideas?
Styling
Any suggestions on styling are also welcome. It looks like the tree lends itself to improper upright, and I've been playing with the idea of altering the planting angle (maybe 3 - 5 degrees) in the future for something a bit more dramatic.