Bougainvillea Random Leaf Drop

[altizerc2196]

Looking for help - my Bougainvillea keeps yellowing and dropping 2-3 leaves a day. It doesn't seem to push as much growth as other Bougie owners brag on the species about. Also, new leaves are rippled, not smooth, shown in photo.

I water daily in the AM, and use this liquid fertilizer: https://a.co/d/dJ9EihY diluted as instructed once per week. Soil blend is equal parts akadama, lava rock & pumice. It is positioned in full sun from ~7:00 AM-8:30 PM as of today. I repositioned in the same pot in Late Feb, but no root pruning. At the time, it seemed far from root-bound. The root mat reached all edges of the pot, but did not fill beneath them, and wasn't circling. Pressing a finger in the soil now, it has the density of a semi-dry sponge.

The leaves seem to fall off at random, old or new, small or large, shaded by other leaves or in full sun. I've checked for pests, none to be seen. The tips start to turn yellow, and at that point, they will come off with the slightest touch. It is also flowering for probably the 4th time this year.

Any help is appreciated!

 

[Bonsai Nut]

They do not like to have their roots messed with. Additionally, be careful you aren't over-watering. I had these in landscape in SoCal and they would go nine months without a drop of water. Where do you live? How often are you pruning back growth - the growth looks extremely compact for a bougainvillea? What is the source of your water?

 

[Jetson1950]

Bougainvillea are very susceptible to trunk rot from over watering. Move the potting mix away from the base a bit and squeeze the trunk. If it’s not hard as a rock, then it’s already started. The trunk should have no sign of being mushy. This will also cause leaf drop and yellowing. As @Bonsai Nut said, they don’t like a lot of water. They are desert plants.