Bouganvillea - small flowers

[Bonsai_hope]

It’s not a huge issue for me because about 3/4 of our year it is single digit humidity.

I’ve been growing bougainvillea as container plants in a humid 8B environment for a number of years and have never dealt with the rot issue. They remain outdoors until the forecast is 40 Fahrenheit or less when I move them into an equally humid (70% to 95%) greenhouse. I trim interior branches to foster air flow. They grow in the ground in South Florida. Is this a real problem?

 

[kauaibonsai]

It’s not a huge issue for me because about 3/4 of our year it is single digit humidity.

lucky you

 

[nuttiest]

It has been almost a year, the top produced a new leader that became almost the same size as the trunk that was cut, and no healing to speak of on the wound.
There was damage to branches on top, so I cut it back for photo, it needs a new chop site. The bottom wound did not close much, more on one side, so I need to scrape that.
I will save that basal shoot in case the chop does the same thing as the last time.

The dwarf seems more difficult to style. We will see long term.

 

[nuttiest]

I went to cut back to the first upper branch but there was discoloration inside, so I cut lower and lower, wiping the pruners with sterilizer between cuts until no more staining, then then put fungicide on and waited a bit, then cut another inch.
Put the stems in regular trash because some spores can last several years.
I wonder if these tiny roots off the side are a sign of disease, so I will pull them off after doing a soil drench with something that may help roots.
So I am left with this. I think it needs to go in the ground in the front yard if I keep it.

 

[nuttiest]

Another 5 months and still not healing. The lowest branch is now the leader and the roots look awkward, kind of like a wishbone tap root. I will have to take apart and see what they look like, and raise the roots or layer some roots between the twin formation. Or something drastic, but just showing an update it is getting vigor back and soon to be reworked.

 

[milehigh_7]

Yeah, bougs don't heal; they rot. The "wood" is basically sponge. Wounds don't roll over like they do and other species for the most part. I kind of like the way Adam Lavigne does it and carves it out, then burns it with a torch. If your rot is at ground level, you are almost better off to cut the whole thing off and plant it as a cutting. You can try regular 5:1 water/peroxide waterings like once a week or so. This should at least kill any existing fungus. Can I get a close-up of exactly where the issue is?

 

[nuttiest]

If your rot is at ground level, you are almost better off to cut the whole thing off and plant it as a cutting. You can try regular 5:1 water/peroxide waterings like once a week or so. This should at least kill any existing fungus. Can I get a close-up of exactly where the issue is?

I bare rooted it and found a serious tangle at the bottom and extreme knee bend, I may try to keep the knee, so it gets exposed for now. Laying down as in trying new bridge fashion.
New roots were growing on only the new leader side so it worked out.

 

[nuttiest]

I meant to respond to the fungus question yesterday. In October, I went to cut the main trunk to the right uppermost branch. When I did, I saw brown streaks so I just kept pruning until no more discoloration. Then I went another inch.
Two things here indicated stem canker and I missed it - the more vigorous growth of the sacrifice branch on left, and the dimple in the stem that I thought was a healed dead twig or something. (it was, but there were germs left!) It was getting ready to eat the whole plant. But still nothing can be done with this until it shows extreme healing or dies.
I need to spend some time today looking at which are rolling edges on wounds. This is a reminder why I need multiples of everything, I feel helpless without something to compare it to when something goes wrong.
finally, here is a close up of where the canker started... see that dimple in the trunk above the big wound?