Bougainvillea stage 1 - courage and advice needed

[TinRoses]

I swore I wasn't going to touch this plant until deep into spring when her blooms started to fade. Swore. Well... I swear the plant started talking to me and was begging for a bit of a clean up and some attention. It wants to be a Bonsai. It really really does. I, however, lacked the testicular fortitude to hack off more than just a little bit to clean her up and turned out 4 decent sized cuttings.

I've determined the best angle for the front. I know I have some super wonky stuff that seriously needs to be clipped - but THOSE will wait until after the bloom so I can enjoy the beauty a bit more. Spruced up, fed with Bougainvillea fertilizer and tucked away, she can rest until she's done being pretty and I'm done being a chicken.

Before:


And then the joint I'm fascinated by after:


I have a feeling of what I NEED to do... but... Yeah... Lacking the confidence. I swear she will be hacked WAY back.

 

[TinRoses]

aaand the tree as she currently stands as a whole;

 

[Cadillactaste]

Do you have a vision you see taking this at this point? Just curious...I think it's always good to hear ones thoughts...google images for bougainvillea bonsai is a good tool as well. To just get ideas...if you see something similar in your tree.

 

[TinRoses]

I do, actually. I see the shape of the tree becoming something similar to these to start with... Minus the deadwood of course.



And then eventually, after many many years of building and training, something like this;

 

[iant]

It's SO young! If you want it to look like one of those photos I'd let it go for several years without cutting ANYTHING.
Ian

 

[edprocoat]

It's SO young! If you want it to look like one of those photos I'd let it go for several years without cutting ANYTHING.
Ian

Except for the middle picture in the first set of three. That tree is no older than Tins tree as a matter of fact you can see the round pot shaped root ball through the gravel clearly. It looks like it was just plopped into a Bonsai pot. The rest of them will take planted in a large container or the ground and at least a decade of growth to achieve. Bougies though grow more profusely when trimmed, remove a branch and they will backbud all down the trunk, gotta love 'em.

ed

 

[TinRoses]

LOL definitely a work in progress and will take YEARS to do anything. Not expecting to wake up tomorrow morning to find that good ole Saint Miyagi came down the chimney and aged it 10 years over night. If I let this thing grow wild for a couple years, I think it would swallow my house. That scares me. Two days outside on my porch and it wrapped itself around my fence!

 

[milehigh_7]

Just a few thoughts:

1) You will kill many trees so don't be frightened just accept this.
2) You won't get thicker trunks unless you let em grow

 

[TinRoses]

Just a few thoughts:

1) You will kill many trees so don't be frightened just accept this.
2) You won't get thicker trunks unless you let em grow

Truth. So much truth.

 

[Cadillactaste]

Also...keep your eye out for ones doing landscaping...check craigslist. You never know if you have a chance at a collection of one which has aged many years in the ground. Remember...they can have a decent thickness and be made into a cutting if one even but prunes their bougainvillea back. Or...has some damage after a storm. Nothing wrong with something to grow out...but, always keep the eyes open for more mature stock.

 

[jk_lewis]

It's SO young! If you want it to look like one of those photos I'd let it go for several years without cutting ANYTHING.
Ian

AND plant it in the ground or a large, shallow grow box.

You have an infant plant. It might be suitable if you were working toward a mini-bonsai.

Remember, the best bonsai are not grown UP to become a bonsai, they are cut BACK to become a bonsai.

 

[Cadillactaste]

aaand the tree as she currently stands as a whole;

View attachment 65817

This is a young plant...the reason the suggestion to plant this in the ground will allow the trunk to thicken up quicker than one does while potted. It's one of the reasons why we cut back trees...the shorter the tree the larger the trunk appears.

But...it is a bougainvillea...I see no reason you can't have fun with it. But, know that when choosing material...one typically looks at the roots...looks for a trunk flare and movement....and goes from there when choosing. As your knowledge of bonsai grows...you will want to add more mature materials. But...no foul...you have material...I say work with them. And enjoy the ride...

Bougainvillea are my heart...so I see no reason you can't enjoy working it. Put some wire on it...but...grow and clip method is also done with these...but, yours you would do best letting it grow out some...and enjoy the bracts while it's in that stage.

 

[Kimberley82h]

I do, actually. I see the shape of the tree becoming something similar to these to start with... Minus the deadwood of course.

View attachment 65818View attachment 65819View attachment 65820

And then eventually, after many many years of building and training, something like this;
View attachment 65821

Some beautiful images there! I have just this last year discovered this species and saw a few images of the larger ones and I fell in love, immediately ordered some seeds for a purple bougainvillea, I really hope to get a strong one going as they are stunning! (Also ordered some azalia seeds, but not confident enough to try those yet!) kim.

 

[M. Frary]

This one gets me every time. It's quite large and hails from Australia. Very large.

 

[Kimberley82h]

Absoltely stunning

 

[drew33998]

The hardest thing for me to learn about bonsai was patience. The more you work a tree the slower it is to respond and grow. If you are wanting it to trunk up then you need to just let it grow for several seasons unchecked or perhaps cutting back 2/3 of the new growth at the end of each growing season. Most of the branches will be removed after than time as essentially you are growing just the trunk. Get it in the ground and let it run like crazy. Perhaps dig it up every 2-3 years to work the roots.

 

[Kimberley82h]

I finally today found a massive stock of them (bougainvillea), a load that are maybe 1 year small for £3 each and some slightly larger for £9, I bought a small one that looks healthy, will bung into a big pot and leave for a while, sooo pleased I found some though that I could view in person, as opposed to mail order. I always seem to get sent duff things so gave up on that!