Bougainvillea Bonsai: Help Needed

[Moxie]

Hello,

I am trying to figure out what's wrong with my bougainvillea bonsai tree:/ I am new to this and any help would be greatly appreciated.

• The leaves are turning yellow, curling up, and dropping - the plant looks almost bald on one side is it getting too much or not enough water?
• I spotted black dots on the leaves and flowers and some of the leaves appear to be chewed - my friend recommended spraying a soapy solution to get rid of pests.
• The plant is located on the porch and gets about 2 hrs of the morning sun - should I reposition it to a full sun area?
• What else am I missing in taking care of it?

 

[Forsoothe!]

If you go to the upper right hand corner and click on your Icon, you can add your location and people will be able to customize advice for you.






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You have at least two bugs and less than good sun. Evidently, you are not in the temperate zone.

 

[Moxie]

Thank you! I am in Dorado, Puerto Rico

 

[Forsoothe!]

I think I'll wait for somebody in PR to advise because your bugs speak Spanish.

 

[Moxie]

I think I'll wait for somebody in PR to advise because your bugs speak Spanish.

hahahaha I wish they would just go away

 

[Carol 83]

hahahaha I wish they would just go away

I don't think that's going to happen. I don't know what is available there, but it needs some sort of insect intervention. Even in P.R. I would give it more than 2 hours of morning sun.

 

[leatherback]

Bougainville needs full sun exposure. So yeah, move it.

Your bougainville has aphids, which you will need to treat.

 

[Tycoss]

Full sun and insecticidal soap should do the trick. Bougainvillea often drop all their old leaves and grow new ones if the lighting and watering conditions change. It is usually easier to get them too wet than too dry.

 

[luvinthemountains]

Definitely looks like aphids...although you might have some issues with fungus as well. The bugs should be easy to deal with. Just mix a solution of neem oil and Dawn dish soap or "black soap" and heavily spray the tree, making sure to hit both the tops and bottoms of leaves and every nook and cranny of the trunk and stems. I usually mix about a teaspoon of neem oil to a pint of hot water, and a half teaspoon of soap. Put the soap in after the water, or you will have a sudsy mess.

As for the fungus, someone else can hopefully answer that one. I live in a dry climate, so thankfully have not had to deal with that one.

You may very well lose all the leaves, but I have found bougainvillea to be pretty resilient. Just slow down on watering until it fully recovers. I would say wait to water until the soil is mostly dry.

Good luck!!!

 

[leatherback]

Remember to repeat the treatment after 1-2 and 3-4 weeks, to get any last one of them and the freshly hatched offspring

 

[sorce]

Welcome to Crazy!

That's worth saving, like pork chops for rice!

Sorce

 

[JoeH]

I live in Florida and all mine are dropping leaves so maybe part of yours is the same thing winter nap time

 

[Forsoothe!]

There are at least 5 zones in FL, the difference is night and day.

 

[thomas22]

My guess is the chewed leaves are from Bougainvillea looper worms. The black dots are eggs or poop from the loopers. I get this every year with mine. Look very closely under all the leaves and you should be able to find them.

 

[JoeH]

There are at least 5 zones in FL, the difference is night and day.

Well I am smack dab in the middle

 

[Forsoothe!]

Do the Bougies in the landscape lose their leaves where you are?

 

[JoeH]

Do the Bougies in the landscape lose their leaves where you are?

If you are talking to me,yes. They don’t go completely bare. Just yellows and drops green leaves and bracts. If we get a hard freeze doomsday. This year so far we have just gotten a little close with some frost

 

[Forsoothe!]

If you are talking to me,yes. They don’t go completely bare. Just yellows and drops green leaves and bracts. If we get a hard freeze doomsday. This year so far we have just gotten a little close with some frost

You can expect about the same with a pot plant unless you have provided year-around equatorial conditions, in which case you would get 6 weeks of growth, 6 weeks of flowers, 6 weeks of rest, repeat cycle ad infinitum. In an equatorial place with a wind direction change that brings a dry season the rest period is longer for that portion of the year. Nothing is forever and leaves of fast growing plants are more perishable than slow growing plants that keep their leaves for more than a year, like Buxus, Ilex, et al. Older wood also is a limiting factor in that we try to keep our bonsai a given size and shape and limit new growth. Normally, all those twigs die as the branch they are on grows bigger and longer and new twigs grow further out incidentally shading the older twigs. We make our trees artificially old on the exterior, grow them outside their natural range and otherwise in conditions which are disadvantaged and are surprised when they don't preform up to our standards. Yet we persist!

 

[Moxie]

HUGE thanks to everyone for chiming in - I greatly appreciate the tips and suggestions. I moved the plant to the front of the house where it gets plenty of sunlight and will slow down on watering. As for the bugs, I spotted plenty of black dots that look more like tiny bugs vs poops and have yet to find who's chewing on the leaves

 

[Carol 83]

HUGE thanks to everyone for chiming in - I greatly appreciate the tips and suggestions. I moved the plant to the front of the house where it gets plenty of sunlight and will slow down on watering. As for the bugs, I spotted plenty of black dots that look more like tiny bugs vs poops and have yet to find who's chewing on the leaves

More sun will be beneficial, but you should still treat for the insects.