Collected Bougainvillea

[ColinFraser]

I'm in the middle of harvesting an old Bougie hedge, one stump at a time,. The homeowner wants them gone, but fortunately there's no hurry. I took a break over the coldest part of the year and am getting back at it now. Here is the one I pulled this week.


It had some roots emerging above where I cut it, and these will root from truncheon cuttings anyway, so I have high hopes. While it gets established, I have time to debate about where to make the next big chop . . . down to the low branches on the left . . . or the higher ones on the right . . . ?

 

[Cadillactaste]

Lucky you! I would love for them to grow native here...I would be a hoarder of Bougies.

 

[misfit11]

Nice. I collected one like this back in 2007 or so. It had virtually no roots and I potted it up, crossing my fingers. To my amazement, it took off and absolutely flourished for the next few months. I had high hopes for it and figured it could be a really great tree someday. Unfortunately, I had no experience with bougainvillea and gave it no winter protection. I figured since it had been growing well in this climate (northbay SF) before then it should be fine after the collection, right?.... Wrong! It lost all its leaves after a frost and failed to ever come back the following spring. I think it would have been fine if I'd put it in an unheated garage over the winter. The lack of established roots and it not being in the ground were its downfall.

I now know that they do great as hardwood cuttings and you can collected the stumps with no roots and simply stick them in the dirt and they'll grow. They do not, however, like it if the temps get the slight bit chilly! Learn from my mistakes and develop this guy into a nice tree!

Cory

 

[ColinFraser]

It lost all its leaves after a frost and failed to ever come back the following spring. I think it would have been fine if I'd put it in an unheated garage over the winter. The lack of established roots and it not being in the ground were its downfall.

Yeah, I collected a couple of them late last year and was concerned, especially since they were unestablished. They seem to have pulled through January quite nicely and are sprouting all over (though it was an admittedly mild winter). I did put my smaller ones right up against the house to provide some protection from cold. I have some time to figure out what to do with the biggies next winter; it's not going to be easy. Here is the biggest monster, along with the irrigation line that it swallowed years ago:

 

[sorce]

Lucky dog!

If this is any measure of the rest. ...Damn!

Sorce

 

[M. Frary]

Cut it down to the branches on the left. Look at the taper you get right away.
Nice stumps! Fat and juicy!

 

[Bunjeh]

I am going to quit my job and come work for you.

 

[Vin]

I'd hate to think how much a decent pot for that one would cost!

 

[ColinFraser]

I'd hate to think how much a decent pot for that one would cost!

No kidding! I think the really giant one will end up (barely) in a half wine barrel as part of my landscape (but still trained similar to a bonsai). I'll need an engine hoist to repot it occasionally! Because It was near the top of the row and swallowed the irrigation line, it got most of the water. Those downstream from it are a much more manageable size fortunately (from a digging them up standpoint). At some point, the monster will get its own thread - the photo of me trying to cram it into a hatchback is pretty funny.

 

[Vin]

No kidding! I think the really giant one will end up (barely) in a half wine barrel as part of my landscape (but still trained similar to a bonsai). I'll need an engine hoist to repot it occasionally! Because It was near the top of the row and swallowed the irrigation line, it got most of the water. Those downstream from it are a much more manageable size fortunately (from a digging them up standpoint). At some point, the monster will get its own thread - the photo of me trying to cram it into a hatchback is pretty funny.

It actually looks like three different fused trees to me. Would it be worth separating them?

 

[ColinFraser]

It actually looks like three different fused trees to me. Would it be worth separating them?

I think maybe they are multiple vines/trunks from the same original plant. They are pretty well jammed together and share a root base that is rock solid. I'm not sure I could separate them if I wanted too. I think I will end up with more of these than I need, so I have little incentive to multiply them further! The size of this one is kind of a novelty, and lifting it was one of the hardest horticultural tasks I've ever undertaken. I want something impressive to point at for all that work!