Starting bougainvillea from large cutting

[LuZiKui]

Hi everyone, new to bonsai for about the last year. I’ve noticed how it’s changed my view of plants and trees around me…
Case in point I’ve had these bougainvilleas in my yard that grow like crazy and I seem to be cutting them all the time. I finally realized I could have taken some cuttings from them long ago and made a pretty cool think trunk bonsai.
If I’m going to take a large cutting from one of these, is there anything I should look for? After staring at the plant I like the looks of the branch circled in red, it’s got more movement than all the other branches.
also, will these develop taper as they grow more? All of the branches seem pretty straight with no taper/movement. Thank you!

 

[Grego83]

Looks like you've already got a pretty thick trunk there - if it were my yard, I would think about collecting the bougies that are growing and re-plant some smaller ones in their place.

 

[Shibui]

Bougies are pretty easy to strike as cuttings so thicker pieces should have a good chance. I'd look for a few to try rather than having all the eggs in one basket. Some as backups in case they don't all grow and if they do you'll have material to give away, sell or swap. Layers are much more predictable and much higher success for thicker wood.

Taper takes a very long time to achieve growing normally. More likely the whole trunk will thicken and you won't see substantial changes in taper for many years unless you can employ some taper inducing techniques like sacrifice branches or chop and grow. Much quicker to cut back to a side branch and regrow for taper if you can find one with a convenient branch. Chopping to a side branch also gives bends to a trunk so also look for spots where the stems divide and branch for cutting or layering potential.
The bend looks good on the tree in your yard but when you remove that piece and change the scale to bonsai size suddenly the bends, taper an branch placement all seem to be way out and you'll wonder what you ever saw in that piece. Just my experiences from many years of playing with bonsai. You are welcome to take them or leave them.
The project is worth doing for the experience. Provided you have some space for the new plant there's nothing wrong with trying some growing techniques and learning more about how plants respond. It is also possible you could prove me completely wrong and make an outstanding bonsai from that branch.

 

[Arizona bonsai]

I would try an air layer or two on the larger branches like Shibui suggested.

 

[LuZiKui]

I attended Bonsaithon and Cheryl Manning was doing a demo of a beautiful old bougainvillea. As the demo was wrapping up I was standing nearby watching her work with a few other people. All of the other people left at the same time and I was left watching her by myself. She looks at me and says “Looks like you’re about to learn something no one else will today!”

I scooted closer and ended up getting a little impromptu private workshop for about 45 minutes from her. And she was great! I asked a million questions and she was so friendly and answered everything. I really hope I get to cross paths with her again, she had some great stories as well.

To bring it back to this bougainvillea- I decided based on her input to just chuck some cuttings in some pots and see what happens! She showed me pictures of a bunch of bougies in her yard that all came from big cuttings she just put in the ground.

I’ve got some pumice, perlite, and organic mulch that I’m going to experiment with to see what does best. I took a bunch of cuttings from the right side of the plant, dipped them in rooting hormone and potted them. I’ll cover with plastic bags to keep up humidity and see what happens.

I don’t have much shade in my backyard. Could I put these in the garage while I wait for them to root? It has windows in the garage door so it gets some ambient light but nothing direct.

 

[LuZiKui]

Well I checked on them today and it looks like they’re starting to get some mold or something. I had them covered with plastic bags which I took off to see if they would dry out. Too late to save these things? Can I just keep the soil moist without the bags on them?

 

[Crazy Diamond]

Spray them with diluted peroxide

 

[LuZiKui]

Spray them with diluted peroxide

Appreciate it. You think I should leave the bags on them after I spray to keep up humidity or just keep the soil moist?

 

[LuZiKui]

Cut a couple more big boys. These have the most potential for bonsai so I’m really hoping they root. Soil is a mix of perlite, pumice, sand, and a little mulch. Cut them and used rooting hormone powder.

Used diluted peroxide on the others and it took care of the mold. No bags on them now, they’re just sitting under my bench. I’ll just try to keep them moist and hope for the best.

 

[Carol 83]

Cut a couple more big boys. These have the most potential for bonsai so I’m really hoping they root. Soil is a mix of perlite, pumice, sand, and a little mulch. Cut them and used rooting hormone powder.

Used diluted peroxide on the others and it took care of the mold. No bags on them now, they’re just sitting under my bench. I’ll just try to keep them moist and hope for the best.

Good luck!

 

[LuZiKui]

 

[Carol 83]

View attachment 433377

You can get away with those in Cali, mine have to come in for the winter, so are a bit more diminutive.

 

[queenofsheba52]

Hi @LuZiKui , I like how you are being adventurous with this material. It is amazing to me, as someone living in zone 5, to see such big trunks on bougies. Where I live, bougies are maybe available in greenhouses in the spring, with trunks about the size of a pencil.

Good luck with your bougie project and keep is informed!

 

[Carol 83]

Where I live, bougies are maybe available in greenhouses in the spring, with trunks about the size of a pencil.

Never even seen one in a store here.

 

[LuZiKui]

Hi @LuZiKui , I like how you are being adventurous with this material. It is amazing to me, as someone living in zone 5, to see such big trunks on bougies. Where I live, bougies are maybe available in greenhouses in the spring, with trunks about the size of a pencil.

Good luck with your bougie project and keep is informed!

Thanks! I definitely will. It's funny, out here these things grow like weeds. I have 2 in my yard and just as fast as I can trim them, they grow out 3 feet. The people who lived here before apparently never stepped foot in the backyard, the bougies were out of control when we moved in, probably 10' high and 12' wide. Wish I would have been doing bonsai then, would have had unlimited large bougie cuttings!

Before and after (kid for scale, LOL)

 

[LuZiKui]

Looks like they’re coming along. Starting to get buds popping out all over, hoping similar is going on with the roots below.

Has anyone seen a bougie forest before? I don’t want to count my chickens before they hatch but it looks like I’m gonna have 10+ plants here soon. I’ll keep the 3-4 with bigger trunks and train into individual trees, but I’m trying to figure out to do with the other ones.

 

[LuZiKui]

At what point should I get these things out in some partial sunlight? I’ve got them in the shade still and they’re starting to send out some bigger growth, I just don’t want to fry them.

 

[Carol 83]

At what point should I get these things out in some partial sunlight? I’ve got them in the shade still and they’re starting to send out some bigger growth, I just don’t want to fry them.

In Illinois I would do it now, Cali is a different story, not sure.

 

[LuZiKui]

Bougies are coming along nicely, some of the leaves were getting a little crinkled so I backed off on watering. Hoping they keep growing well!

 

[LuZiKui]

About 4.5 months from initial cutting and they are definitely starting to pick up speed. I added some Bougain fertilizer and they seemed to respond very well, even threw out some colors for me. I was thinking about trying to repot this summer but I think I'll just let them grow until next spring/summer. 2 of the containers have a few smaller plants so I'm a little concerned they'll grow together but I'll cross that bridge next year.

So far been a pretty fun experiment plus it's nice having a something with a 2"-3" trunk after only 5 months. My plan is to let them grow wild until my wife says they are taking up too much room then I'll trim them down a little