my sick bougainvillea
 

Hi there. I've had a rather nice bougainvillea with lots of purple
flowers on my balcony with a north/west view for the last year and
it's been very happy. I live in Los Angeles.

Just a month ago, it started dropping lots of flowers, but still
looked healthy - the nursery said that is ok. BUT just a week ago, it
started dropping many dry flowers and even a few leaves, and now the
bougainvillea doesn't look very healthy anymore. The flowers stilllook
ok, but there are a lot of empty branches. the branches do still seem
healthy for the most part, but everything is falling off! I did miss a
couple weeks between waterings (the last was a drenching), but from
what I understand these guys are very hearty and don't mind being a
little underwatered. I'm just wondering if he'll be ok! I don't want
to have to replace if I don't have to. Should I keep it moist most of
the time or drench/dry/drench/dry?

Thanks for helping me save my bougainvillea.

- JayDee

my sick bougainvillea
 

I presume this is in a pot.

They are naturally big plants and eventually use up
whatever is in the pot, could be that's what's happening,
have you added any nutrients, organic matter, etc in
the last year? I'm not an expert on just exactly what
would be best.

J.

"JayDee" wrote in message
...
Hi there. I've had a rather nice bougainvillea with lots of purple
flowers on my balcony with a north/west view for the last year and
it's been very happy. I live in Los Angeles.

Just a month ago, it started dropping lots of flowers, but still
looked healthy - the nursery said that is ok. BUT just a week ago, it
started dropping many dry flowers and even a few leaves, and now the
bougainvillea doesn't look very healthy anymore. The flowers stilllook
ok, but there are a lot of empty branches. the branches do still seem
healthy for the most part, but everything is falling off! I did miss a
couple weeks between waterings (the last was a drenching), but from
what I understand these guys are very hearty and don't mind being a
little underwatered. I'm just wondering if he'll be ok! I don't want
to have to replace if I don't have to. Should I keep it moist most of
the time or drench/dry/drench/dry?

Thanks for helping me save my bougainvillea.

- JayDee

my sick bougainvillea
 

On Aug 13, 11:19 am, JayDee wrote:

I did miss a couple weeks between waterings (the last was a drenching)

Bougainvillea are really touchy. It probably went into shock when it
didn't get watered. The drenching isn't the best to do either. Have
you gone back to your normal watering routine?

It may lose all foliage. Don't give up if it does. Keep to the normal
watering that worked for the last year and cross your fingers. It may
be OK. You can tell if the branch is still alive by scratching the
bark with your nail. If it's green underneath it's still OK.

Resist the urge to overwater. it may be time to ad a little more dirt
to the pot too.


Also, the red flower is really considered the leaf on bougainvilleas.
That's why it still has 'flowers'.

Good luck!

my sick bougainvillea
 

On Aug 14, 11:51*pm, Laura at theGardenPages
wrote:
On Aug 13, 11:19 am, JayDee wrote:

I did miss a couple weeks between waterings (the last was a drenching)

Bougainvillea are really touchy. *It probably went into shock when it
didn't get watered. *The drenching isn't the best to do either. Have
you gone back to your normal watering routine?

It may lose all foliage. *Don't give up if it does. Keep to the normal
watering that worked for the last year and cross your fingers. It may
be OK. *You can tell if the branch is still alive by scratching the
bark with your nail. If it's green underneath it's still OK.

Resist the urge to overwater. *it may be time to ad a little more dirt
to the pot too.

Also, the red flower is really considered the leaf on bougainvilleas.
That's why it still has 'flowers'.

Good luck!

hmm... I do the drench/dry thing with my ficus, creeping fig, and
grape vines and they all seem to be happy. They all get watered every
few days - along with a seaweed fertilzer. it did begin flowering
again (very quickly!) a few days ago after it got watered - so maybe
it was just that it dried out too much

thanks for the advise!

- j

my sick bougainvillea
 

On Sep 25, 9:06*pm, JayDee wrote:
On Aug 14, 11:51*pm, Laura at theGardenPages
wrote:



On Aug 13, 11:19 am, JayDee wrote:

I did miss a couple weeks between waterings (the last was a drenching)

Bougainvillea are really touchy. *It probably went into shock when it
didn't get watered. *The drenching isn't the best to do either. Have
you gone back to your normal watering routine?

It may lose all foliage. *Don't give up if it does. Keep to the normal
watering that worked for the last year and cross your fingers. It may
be OK. *You can tell if the branch is still alive by scratching the
bark with your nail. If it's green underneath it's still OK.

Resist the urge to overwater. *it may be time to ad a little more dirt
to the pot too.

Also, the red flower is really considered the leaf on bougainvilleas.
That's why it still has 'flowers'.

Good luck!

hmm... I do the drench/dry thing with my ficus, creeping fig, and
grape vines and they all seem to be happy. They all get watered every
few days - along with a seaweed fertilzer. it did begin flowering
again (very quickly!) a few days ago after it got watered - so maybe
it was just that it dried out too much

thanks for the advise!

- j

so unlike indoor ficus trees that like to get to the point of being
dry before re-watered, you're saying that bougainvillea like to be
damp at all times?