i used to water my bougainvillea on the balcony (facing northwest on
my 2nd floor balcony) by letting it virtually dry out, then flooding
it with a couple gallons (like I water my indoor ficus) and it seemed
to be ok. I was told that a better way to take care of bougainvillea's
is to keep them damp as opposed to dry/drench and now it seems to have
lost many leaves *and* flowers. It's done this before, but seems like
one heck of a coincidence. admittedly it's getting a little colder
now, but since I'm in southern california, that doesn't mean all that
much!

so my question is, should I change the way I'm watering back to dry/
drench or keep the soil damp?

Also, I'm adding the same fish/seaweed fertilizer I add for my ficus -
is that a good idea?

thanks!!

- JayDee

On Oct 26, 3:59 am, JayDee wrote:
i used to water my bougainvillea on the balcony (facing northwest on
my 2nd floor balcony) by letting it virtually dry out, then flooding
it with a couple gallons

so my question is, should I change the way I'm watering back to dry/
drench or keep the soil damp?

I have a bougainvillea indoors and let it dry out between waterings.
Generally, when the leaves start to droop, it's time to water. The
vine is about 10 years old and about 10 feet long. Were you having
trouble keeping it alive?

On Nov 11, 3:36 pm, ljp other wrote:
On Oct 26, 3:59 am, JayDee wrote:

i used to water my bougainvilleao n the balcony (facing northwest on
my 2nd floor balcony) by letting it virtually dry out, then flooding
it with a couple gallons

so my question is, should I change the way I'm watering back to dry/
drench or keep the soil damp?

I have a bougainvillea indoors and let it dry out between waterings.
Generally, when the leaves start to droop, it's time to water. The
vine is about 10 years old and about 10 feet long. Were you having
trouble keeping it all

here's an update:

There are lots of leaves on the lower braches of the bougainvillea
that are behind the balcony and they become more sparse on the above
branches that reach over the balcony and therefore have more exposure
to the sun (NW) but this has never been an issue before.

There are still just about NO FLOWERS.

This used to be such a beautiful addition to my balcony - I hope
someone here can help me!

Thanks

- JayDee

On Nov 16, 9:34 am, JayDee wrote:
On Nov 11, 3:36 pm, ljp other wrote:

On Oct 26, 3:59 am, JayDee wrote:

i used to water my bougainvilleao n the balcony (facing northwest on
my 2nd floor balcony) by letting it virtually dry out, then flooding
it with a couple gallons

so my question is, should I change the way I'm watering back to dry/
drench or keep the soil damp?

I have a bougainvillea indoors and let it dry out between waterings.
Generally, when the leaves start to droop, it's time to water. The
vine is about 10 years old and about 10 feet long. Were you having
trouble keeping it all

here's an update:

There are lots of leaves on the lower braches of the bougainvillea
that are behind the balcony and they become more sparse on the above
branches that reach over the balcony and therefore have more exposure
to the sun (NW) but this has never been an issue before.

There are still just about NO FLOWERS.

This used to be such a beautiful addition to my balcony - I hope
someone here can help me!

Thanks

- JayDee

oh and I feed it, every two or three waterings, Neptune's organic fish
& seaweed fertilizer.

On 11/16/2008 9:36 AM, JayDee wrote:
On Nov 16, 9:34 am, JayDee wrote:
On Nov 11, 3:36 pm, ljp other wrote:

On Oct 26, 3:59 am, JayDee wrote:
i used to water my bougainvilleao n the balcony (facing northwest on
my 2nd floor balcony) by letting it virtually dry out, then flooding
it with a couple gallons
so my question is, should I change the way I'm watering back to dry/
drench or keep the soil damp?
I have a bougainvillea indoors and let it dry out between waterings.
Generally, when the leaves start to droop, it's time to water. The
vine is about 10 years old and about 10 feet long. Were you having
trouble keeping it all
here's an update:

There are lots of leaves on the lower braches of the bougainvillea
that are behind the balcony and they become more sparse on the above
branches that reach over the balcony and therefore have more exposure
to the sun (NW) but this has never been an issue before.

There are still just about NO FLOWERS.

This used to be such a beautiful addition to my balcony - I hope
someone here can help me!

Thanks

- JayDee

oh and I feed it, every two or three waterings, Neptune's organic fish
& seaweed fertilizer.

You might be killing it with kindness. Sunset indicates that it should
be fed only once at the beginning of the growing season and once again
in early summer.

--
David E. Ross
Climate: California Mediterranean
Sunset Zone: 21 -- interior Santa Monica Mountains with some ocean
influence (USDA 10a, very close to Sunset Zone 19)
Gardening pages at http://www.rossde.com/garden/

On Nov 16, 1:59 pm, "David E. Ross" wrote:
On 11/16/2008 9:36 AM, JayDee wrote:



On Nov 16, 9:34 am, JayDee wrote:
On Nov 11, 3:36 pm, ljp other wrote:

On Oct 26, 3:59 am, JayDee wrote:
i used to water my bougainvilleao n the balcony (facing northwest on
my 2nd floor balcony) by letting it virtually dry out, then flooding
it with a couple gallons
so my question is, should I change the way I'm watering back to dry/
drench or keep the soil damp?
I have a bougainvillea indoors and let it dry out between waterings.
Generally, when the leaves start to droop, it's time to water. The
vine is about 10 years old and about 10 feet long. Were you having
trouble keeping it all
here's an update:

There are lots of leaves on the lower braches of the bougainvillea
that are behind the balcony and they become more sparse on the above
branches that reach over the balcony and therefore have more exposure
to the sun (NW) but this has never been an issue before.

There are still just about NO FLOWERS.

This used to be such a beautiful addition to my balcony - I hope
someone here can help me!

Thanks

- JayDee

oh and I feed it, every two or three waterings, Neptune's organic fish
& seaweed fertilizer.

You might be killing it with kindness. Sunset indicates that it should
be fed only once at the beginning of the growing season and once again
in early summer.

--
David E. Ross
Climate: California Mediterranean
Sunset Zone: 21 -- interior Santa Monica Mountains with some ocean
influence (USDA 10a, very close to Sunset Zone 19)
Gardening pages at http://www.rossde.com/garden/

oh no! I've been feeding my creeping fig, ficus (same family) as well
as grapevines and they're very happy about it but if Boug doesn't like
it, can you give me some ideas as to what I should do (if anything) to
nurse it back?

THANKS!

- JayDee

On 11/16/2008 10:39 PM, JayDee wrote:
On Nov 16, 1:59 pm, "David E. Ross" wrote:
On 11/16/2008 9:36 AM, JayDee wrote:



On Nov 16, 9:34 am, JayDee wrote:
On Nov 11, 3:36 pm, ljp other wrote:
On Oct 26, 3:59 am, JayDee wrote:
i used to water my bougainvilleao n the balcony (facing northwest on
my 2nd floor balcony) by letting it virtually dry out, then flooding
it with a couple gallons
so my question is, should I change the way I'm watering back to dry/
drench or keep the soil damp?
I have a bougainvillea indoors and let it dry out between waterings.
Generally, when the leaves start to droop, it's time to water. The
vine is about 10 years old and about 10 feet long. Were you having
trouble keeping it all
here's an update:
There are lots of leaves on the lower braches of the bougainvillea
that are behind the balcony and they become more sparse on the above
branches that reach over the balcony and therefore have more exposure
to the sun (NW) but this has never been an issue before.
There are still just about NO FLOWERS.
This used to be such a beautiful addition to my balcony - I hope
someone here can help me!
Thanks
- JayDee
oh and I feed it, every two or three waterings, Neptune's organic fish
& seaweed fertilizer.
You might be killing it with kindness. Sunset indicates that it should
be fed only once at the beginning of the growing season and once again
in early summer.


oh no! I've been feeding my creeping fig, ficus (same family) as well
as grapevines and they're very happy about it but if Boug doesn't like
it, can you give me some ideas as to what I should do (if anything) to
nurse it back?

THANKS!

- JayDee

Since Bougainvillea can take a moist soil (at least for a while), I
suggest flushing the nutrients out of the soil. Just make sure the
container has a drain hole for the excess water to exit.

Also, make sure that the drain hole actually drains. I had a dwarf
kumquat that committed suicide. Its roots plugged the drain hole (about
1/2 inch in diameter) at the bottom of the pot. The bush then drowned.

--
David E. Ross
Climate: California Mediterranean
Sunset Zone: 21 -- interior Santa Monica Mountains with some ocean
influence (USDA 10a, very close to Sunset Zone 19)
Gardening pages at http://www.rossde.com/garden/

On Nov 17, 9:45 am, "David E. Ross" wrote:
On 11/16/2008 10:39 PM, JayDee wrote:



On Nov 16, 1:59 pm, "David E. Ross" wrote:
On 11/16/2008 9:36 AM, JayDee wrote:

On Nov 16, 9:34 am, JayDee wrote:
On Nov 11, 3:36 pm, ljp other wrote:
On Oct 26, 3:59 am, JayDee wrote:
i used to water my bougainvilleao n the balcony (facing northwest on
my 2nd floor balcony) by letting it virtually dry out, then flooding
it with a couple gallons
so my question is, should I change the way I'm watering back to dry/
drench or keep the soil damp?
I have a bougainvillea indoors and let it dry out between waterings.
Generally, when the leaves start to droop, it's time to water. The
vine is about 10 years old and about 10 feet long. Were you having
trouble keeping it all
here's an update:
There are lots of leaves on the lower braches of the bougainvillea
that are behind the balcony and they become more sparse on the above
branches that reach over the balcony and therefore have more exposure
to the sun (NW) but this has never been an issue before.
There are still just about NO FLOWERS.
This used to be such a beautiful addition to my balcony - I hope
someone here can help me!
Thanks
- JayDee
oh and I feed it, every two or three waterings, Neptune's organic fish
& seaweed fertilizer.
You might be killing it with kindness. Sunset indicates that it should
be fed only once at the beginning of the growing season and once again
in early summer.

oh no! I've been feeding my creeping fig, ficus (same family) as well
as grapevines and they're very happy about it but if Boug doesn't like
it, can you give me some ideas as to what I should do (if anything) to
nurse it back?

THANKS!

- JayDee

Since Bougainvillea can take a moist soil (at least for a while), I
suggest flushing the nutrients out of the soil. Just make sure the
container has a drain hole for the excess water to exit.

Also, make sure that the drain hole actually drains. I had a dwarf
kumquat that committed suicide. Its roots plugged the drain hole (about
1/2 inch in diameter) at the bottom of the pot. The bush then drowned.

--
David E. Ross
Climate: California Mediterranean
Sunset Zone: 21 -- interior Santa Monica Mountains with some ocean
influence (USDA 10a, very close to Sunset Zone 19)
Gardening pages at http://www.rossde.com/garden/

Hi David. When you say that it can "take a most soil (at least for a
while)" does that mean I should water it similarly to the way I've
been watering my indoor ficus? Let the soil dry out, then water it
heavily. Please tell me exactly how you think I should do this. I'm in
So Cal but more inland than you near Griffith Park.

Thanks again.

- JayDee

On 11/18/2008 12:49 AM, JayDee wrote:
--

David E. Ross
http://www.rossde.com/

Q: What's a President Bush cocktail?
A: Business on the rocks. On Nov 17, 9:45 am, "David E. Ross"
wrote:
On 11/16/2008 10:39 PM, JayDee wrote:



On Nov 16, 1:59 pm, "David E. Ross" wrote:
On 11/16/2008 9:36 AM, JayDee wrote:
On Nov 16, 9:34 am, JayDee wrote:
On Nov 11, 3:36 pm, ljp other wrote:
On Oct 26, 3:59 am, JayDee wrote:
i used to water my bougainvilleao n the balcony (facing northwest on
my 2nd floor balcony) by letting it virtually dry out, then flooding
it with a couple gallons
so my question is, should I change the way I'm watering back to dry/
drench or keep the soil damp?
I have a bougainvillea indoors and let it dry out between waterings.
Generally, when the leaves start to droop, it's time to water. The
vine is about 10 years old and about 10 feet long. Were you having
trouble keeping it all
here's an update:
There are lots of leaves on the lower braches of the bougainvillea
that are behind the balcony and they become more sparse on the above
branches that reach over the balcony and therefore have more exposure
to the sun (NW) but this has never been an issue before.
There are still just about NO FLOWERS.
This used to be such a beautiful addition to my balcony - I hope
someone here can help me!
Thanks
- JayDee
oh and I feed it, every two or three waterings, Neptune's organic fish
& seaweed fertilizer.
You might be killing it with kindness. Sunset indicates that it should
be fed only once at the beginning of the growing season and once again
in early summer.
oh no! I've been feeding my creeping fig, ficus (same family) as well
as grapevines and they're very happy about it but if Boug doesn't like
it, can you give me some ideas as to what I should do (if anything) to
nurse it back?
THANKS!
- JayDee
Since Bougainvillea can take a moist soil (at least for a while), I
suggest flushing the nutrients out of the soil. Just make sure the
container has a drain hole for the excess water to exit.

Also, make sure that the drain hole actually drains. I had a dwarf
kumquat that committed suicide. Its roots plugged the drain hole (about
1/2 inch in diameter) at the bottom of the pot. The bush then drowned.


Hi David. When you say that it can "take a most soil (at least for a
while)" does that mean I should water it similarly to the way I've
been watering my indoor ficus? Let the soil dry out, then water it
heavily. Please tell me exactly how you think I should do this. I'm in
So Cal but more inland than you near Griffith Park.

Thanks again.

- JayDee

According to Sunset, do indeed water it the way you water your ficus.
Just give it some extra water in the early spring.

However, if the potting mix drains well and the pot itself drains, you
can overwater once or twice to leach away excess nutrients resulting
from over-feeding. Just make sure that the pot does not sit in the
resulting "run out".

A large number of leaves under the branches of bougainvillea the back of the balcony, they become more sparse the branches up to the balcony, so you have more contacts to the sun (net weight), but this has never been a problem before.