I have a nice little bougainvillea Pink Pixie which is quite healthy and it flowers nicely. Have had it for about 8 years. It stays under lights through the winter and goes outdoors in our short (CNY) growing season, June - August.

Unfortunately I broke an important lower branch due to a botched wiring attempt - very brittle branches.

The good news is that I'm left with a 1 inch long stump there and it is budding with new leaves and in time I may have a good replacement branch. I will be very careful and allow it to grow out properly.

Question is - can grafting be used to add new branches - borrowing from the back to fill in a weak area? Any experienced people to give advice knowing that I live in the cold Northeast climate? Specifically - when is the best time of year to do this?, and would I want to remove any foliage from the donor branch? How long might the process take?