----- Original Message -----
From: "Tlsrider"
To:
Sent: Tuesday, September 28, 2004 5:29 PM
Subject: [IBC] Bougainvillea winter care


Hello,

My name is Rick and I live in New England. (USA, zone 5). In my part of the
land we are at the time where you bring all your tropicals indoors and
prepare your hardy trees for the winter ahead. I have a Bougainvillea that
I purchased last winter. It was bought from a nursery where it was kept in
a heated greenhouse with other tropicals. At the time it had flowers. Once
spring came around I brought it outside where it continued to grow but lost
all its flowers and never flowered again.

---
Hi,

I live in Ottawa. I bring mine indoors during the nights where the temps go
below 10 deg. C and then put them out during the day. I do this until the
day temperatures are too cold and then bring them in for the winter. I keep
them either under grow lights or on a south facing window sill. They need
lots of light to bloom, but will survive in moderate bright light. You also
need to see the leaves go limp once in a while during the summer to stress
them a bit to initiate flowering. I usually feel the leaves to determine if
it needs water. If it is soft it is time to water, if it is rough and
stiff, let it dry down some more. A peat based mix works better than the
usual gravel bonsai soil. I have both and the peat mix produces more
growth. It should be light and drain well though. Flowers are produced at
the tips of the branches. Mine are usually about 2-3 ft long by the end of
the summer. When you chop them back they readily resprout, so go back to
1-2 leaves per branch. I usually have to cut them back a couple times
during the winter as they get too large for my space. I think too much
fertilizer may reduce the blooms. Mine work best with benign neglect.

My plants have a few blooms during the winter months. After they go outside
in the spring they stop blooming for a couple months and then come on full
force.

Regards,

Gordon Williams

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