bougainvillea with flowers

[boguz]

I have had a bougainvillea tree for a long time, but I have not been able to make it bloom. I see other bougainvilleas around that look much less healthy, yet they are covered in flowers rather than leaves. In your opinion, what are the key factors for a bougainvillea to bloom?

I tried to list like this, what is your comments?

-Plenty of sunlight
-Avoiding overwatering
-Low-nitrogen fertilizers
-Avoiding excessive pruning
-Small pot

 

[just.wing.it]

I see you have "avoiding overwatering" on your list. That was the thing I've read in the past about them. They bloom when they dry out frequently.
I would also think that the weaker, less healthy looking ones with loads of flowers are actually weaker and less healthy because they have less photosynthesis happening due to fewer green leaves.

 

[Carol 83]

Plenty of sunlight and not overwatering are key. I just use regular Miracle-Gro and Bougain on occasion when I remember I have it. The bracts do form at the the ends of branches, so constantly pruning will negate them blooming. I usually cut mine back in the spring when they go out and in the fall before when they come inside. I don't find that a small pot has anything to do with them flowering as long as you aren't keeping it too wet. Mine get good sun outside but for some reason they bloom more in the winter under the lights. But the purple ones bloom mostly in the winter anyway. Do you have a picture?

 

[milehigh_7]

Here's the deal. They are native to a tropical climate with a dry and a rainy season. In the rainy season, they grow veg, and in the dry season, they flower. Dry (relatively) = flowering. Damp (not wet feet) = veg. Here in Phoenix, I pretty much can't stop them; they flower year-round (except the varieties that drop leaves in winter). I was just on the Phoenix Bonsai Society's website and they recommend "use 0-10-10 fertilizer once a month from September until summer to encourage blooming; in summer, feed with high Nitrogen fertilizer to get a lot of growth of leaf pads " I just make sure they have a sufficiently low PH and lots of minerals and I feed both osmocote and good old miracle grow. Fully blazing sun until 100F then they get moved to morning sun only. Here is a pic from today of one of my little fellas that will be moved to a bonsai pot in the summer. This is a VERY interesting variety that seems to be a dwarf as it naturally stays very small and congested but as you can see the color is fantastic. This pic is from today.