Bougainvillea/Lantana pre-bonsai potting question

[PastryBaker]

Hi,
I have a bougainvillea and lantana pre-bonsai that I am going to repot. As you can see they are pretty root bound. I have heard that bougainvilleas don't like their roots messed with very much. So should I leave them alone and pot as is or trim a little?
I think lantanas are fine with it. They are both going into inorganic mix.
Thanks

 

[Carol 83]

I have heard of people sticking a chunk of bougainvillea in some soil and it grows. I have never had a problem with them minding root work during repotting. I know you're in CA but they like to be repotted when it's hot.

 

[PastryBaker]

I have heard of people sticking a chunk of bougainvillea in some soil and it grows. I have never had a problem with them minding root work during repotting. I know you're in CA but they like to be repotted when it's hoCool

Cool. I didn't know that about bougies. I think I will wait a little later. But not when we are at our peak of heat, then it is 120F.
Thanks.

 

[milehigh_7]

The thing about bougs is they hate root work any time but the hottest part of summer. You can chainsaw a log and stick it in a pot, and it will grow. Just defoliate and chop away. Put it in the shade till it pops leaves and you are gold. Now lantana is another beast. I have had luck in early spring. Here's one little cutting that's probably a 4" base.


Here's another cutting that's probably 6" at the base.



I dug this Lantana in January which for us is early spring.

 

[Bonsai Nut]

My experience with bougainvillea seems to have been different. You have to avoid root rot and overwatering until the tree is well-established. I always planted/repotted in the SoCal spring - after the cool wet winter but well before the heat of the summer, and before they pushed their spring flush of growth. I think the issue many people have is that it is easy to injure the roots, and combined with over-watering the tree will crash. They thrive on neglect, and will punish over-care. I never tried the "take a stump and stick it in a pot in shade in the summer" trick - so I can't confirm or deny whether that works.

Once established in landscape, they can go nine months without a drop of water in the worst clay/sand soil imaginable. Never let the roots dry out - but never feel you have to keep it like a rain-forest tree. They absolutely need full sun - as much as you can give them. Without full sun they will get leggy and may not push any bracts. Heavy prune in the winter, and you will be rewarded come spring with increased refinement and heavy color. Heat and sun are your allies.

 

[PastryBaker]

The thing about bougs is they hate root work any time but the hottest part of summer. You can chainsaw a log and stick it in a pot, and it will grow. Just defoliate and chop away. Put it in the shade till it pops leaves and you are gold. Now lantana is another beast. I have had luck in early spring. Here's one little cutting that's probably a 4" base.
View attachment 590182

Here's another cutting that's probably 6" at the base.

View attachment 590183

I dug this Lantana in January which for us is early spring.

View attachment 590184

Great trees. I will not touch the roots. They like root work in summer? As in the heat of your's and my summer...125F?

 

[PastryBaker]

My experience with bougainvillea seems to have been different. You have to avoid root rot and overwatering until the tree is well-established. I always planted/repotted in the SoCal spring - after the cool wet winter but well before the heat of the summer, and before they pushed their spring flush of growth. I think the issue many people have is that it is easy to injure the roots, and combined with over-watering the tree will crash. They thrive on neglect, and will punish over-care. I never tried the "take a stump and stick it in a pot in shade in the summer" trick - so I can't confirm or deny whether that works.

Once established in landscape, they can go nine months without a drop of water in the worst clay/sand soil imaginable. Never let the roots dry out - but never feel you have to keep it like a rain-forest tree. They absolutely need full sun - as much as you can give them. Without full sun they will get leggy and may not push any bracts. Heavy prune in the winter, and you will be rewarded come spring with increased refinement and heavy color. Heat and sun are your allies.


View attachment 590185

Full sun as in NC full sun? Because desert full sun is a bit stronger. Even though every bougie in landscape out here is in full sun and dry dirt.

 

[Bonsai Nut]

Full sun as in NC full sun? Because desert full sun is a bit stronger. Even though every bougie in landscape out here is in full sun and dry dirt.

I lived in SoCal for 24 years

 

[PastryBaker]

I lived in SoCal for 24 years

And you left? How could you? lol Kidding. North Carolina is actually one of the places I have been many times. Beautiful.

 

[milehigh_7]

Great trees. I will not touch the roots. They like root work in summer? As in the heat of your's and my summer...125F?

Yep! Over 100 is go time!

 

[milehigh_7]

I’ve done literally hundreds this way…

 

[PastryBaker]

I’ve done literally hundreds this way…

Thanks. After repotting, do you put them in shade for a bit?

 

[milehigh_7]

Thanks. After repotting, do you put them in shade for a bit?

Most definitely. My way of doing this was adapted from the Phoenix Bonsai Society, at this link: PBS Easy to grow species. I was pretty shocked when I discovered they dig em up in the heat of summer, but it works! A member here (that's not active I don't believe) is a good friend and the current president of PBS was the first to show me his stump. Apparently, someone knew of a large landscape specimen that was being ripped out so they cut in in pieces and several people got a chunk. He had one growing in a pot and I was amazed! I tried it and have had 100% success when they are about 2" in diameter or bigger. They get huge here so that's not rare. My niece and nephew have a pink pixie that's about 9 feet tall with about a 8-10 inch trunk... I do use root hormone on them but I have no idea if it's necessary.

I have an apple blossom boug that I am going to do cuttings on in a month or so but it's much smaller so I am going to make a humidity dome for them.

 

[PastryBaker]

Most definitely. My way of doing this was adapted from the Phoenix Bonsai Society, at this link: PBS Easy to grow species. I was pretty shocked when I discovered they dig em up in the heat of summer, but it works! A member here (that's not active I don't believe) is a good friend and the current president of PBS was the first to show me his stump. Apparently, someone knew of a large landscape specimen that was being ripped out so they cut in in pieces and several people got a chunk. He had one growing in a pot and I was amazed! I tried it and have had 100% success when they are about 2" in diameter or bigger. They get huge here so that's not rare. My niece and nephew have a pink pixie that's about 9 feet tall with about a 8-10 inch trunk... I do use root hormone on them but I have no idea if it's necessary.

I have an apple blossom boug that I am going to do cuttings on in a month or so but it's much smaller so I am going to make a humidity dome for them.

I am going to keep my eye out for anyone doing landscape renovations. Thanks.

 

[milehigh_7]

Here is as good of a place as any to show a Phoenix Pink Pixie! This one is probably 10" at the base. It's in a whole row of them as landscape at IKEA. I was kind of temped I must admit LOL!

 

[milehigh_7]

100% of these made it and are still kicking. The really nice lady that gave them to me cut them all out with a sawzall she put the two big ones in a buckets of water and the two smaller ones I grabbed out of a pile on the curb. She messaged a bonsai group on facebook for people to come get them if they wanted. I brought them all home and put them in buckets as I did not have time for about 4 days to pot them. That was September of 2023.

 

[PastryBaker]

Wow,,, I would be tempted at Ikea also. Just tell the store is is s new piece of furniture that needs assembly.
Looking forward to people re-doing their yards here. My neighbor's father has a landscape biz, may ask him to let me know if he is digging up any.