This is another view of the one above.
Bougainvillea infomation page
This one has salmon colored bracts that fade to a light salmon.
With my digital camera, I can never capture the true magenta color of this one's bracts.
hazel, is the first one "california Gold"? Love them all but especially that one.
I'd like to add to Hazel's information. Nurseries that carry organic products will carry corn gluten meal. When you apply it also depends on what weeds you want to control. There is an organic nursery in Bastrop with some very knowledgeable owners. I have learned a lot from them.
Many of the spring blooming weeds and wildflowers germinate in the fall, spending the winter as small rosettes lying close to the ground, so the optimum time to use corn gluten meal is in September if used as a germination inhibitor. Also the effects can last up to a year so don't use if you plan to seed. It can be expensive if used as a fertilizer only since it's only 10% nitrogen. I've been meaning to try it, but by the time I do, September has come and gone. Has anyone tried it at other times of the year? My other problem is that I don't have much in the way of a garden. The house I'm living in now, and the past 4 years, is not the one I want to develop. I don't want to put too much into the ground because I will either have to move it or automate it later. I do have some roses, fruit trees and a few shrubs in the ground. The lawn is mostly common Bermuda with tons of weeds and wildflowers. My favorites are the winecups, Drummond phlox and Herbertia. The corn gluten meal shouldn't hurt the bulbs and perennials, but I would hate to see my annual wildflowers disappear.
vissner, it is 'California Gold'. In the fall, the bract colors intensify with a lot more bronzish colors and there are more splotches of pink in them. I can't make up my mind which one I like best. The one pictured below is 'Coconut Ice'. Even though it was in my greenhouse all winter, it has not started to put on new growth yet; thus, it is not blooming.as of now. Sone varieties take longer to spring back to life. It appears to be just beginning to have new growth.
Veronica, I didn't realize that corn gluten can be effective for up to a year. thanks for the information. I have only used it for controlling fungi around certain plants in only one are of my yard. It would be terrible to lose your wikdflowers because of it. I have never seen Herbertia growing in my area. The blooms are really nice. I bet you will be happy when you are able to move into the other house.
Ooh, Hazel, I love the California Gold and the Coconut Ice. The one I bought is Helen Johnson. I really ought to consider hanging baskets like yours, as my full sun spaces are so limited now, but hanging from the eaves of my house would be prime sun territory.
The 'Coconut Ice' is really, really. really beutiful with its variegated foliage and different colored bracts. The leaves are longer than the ones on my other bougainvilleas.and it tends to need more water. I have it in its original hanging basket and potting soil so I may need to change it into a hanging basket with the type of potting soil I use that retins moisture better. It is my "new kid on the block" ... I bought it last August when it was starting to get soooo hot. I am anxious to see how well it does this year. Below is a photo of its foliage. My hanging baskets are all along the eaves in front of my garage this time of year. They receive a lot of sun until the sun starts moving northward. I then have to move them to the backyard all along my back fence and space them farther apart because they grow so fast. I am going to check out the cultivar you bought. 'Helen Johson' is a dwarf variety and a very pretty one at that. It is not dwarfed by hormone applicaton. It is the only "true" dwarf bougainvillea according to this link. A good choice, Maggie. I would love to have one of these.
http://www.bgi-usa.com/product_dwarf.htm
This message was edited Apr 14, 2006 9:25 AM
Thanks for that link, Hazel. It's pure luck that I found a bouganvilla that will work well in my small garden. Those variegated leaves on your Coconut Ice are wonderful (I love just about anything variegated, but those are really special.) Now you have me looking for another bouganvilla, lol.
You are quite welcome. Right now the leaves on the "Coconut Ice' are very light colored ... sort of anemic looking compared to what they looked like in the summer. I don't know if this is the way they are supposed to look at this time of year. I have fertilized it, but the leaves are still not dark. I'll have to wait to see if hey green up more. I had told my husband that we don't need anymore bougauivilleas; however, after you found a true dwarf, you have me looking for 'Helen Johnson' now. :o)
Hazel, I think he probably didn't believe you when you told him you didn't need another bouganvilla. My DH knows that when I say I don't need another plant, that only means until I find one I can't live without. Which, thanks to DG, happens quite often.:)
Mary Lee
Hazel, I found that @ Lowes. The one gal container was $7 something.
here are two pics of my hanging basket bouganvillea. Cannot remember the name. It looked pitiful a month ago, in fact, I thought I'd lost it. and here 'tis today. The color is true, but I cannot remember the variety, will have to ck my journal. I sprayed it with Messenger, wonder if that helped it....
here is pic #2
Maggie, I'll have to check out the Lowe's stores here. Thanks for the info.
vossner, that is a lovely color. I don't think I have ever seen one like that before. It sure is taking off now.I have never used Messenger. It is supposed to help with plant growth, right? I don't know much about it.
Htop, that is why I bought that bougie--the pale lavender color.
ck http://www.edenbioscience.com for more info on Messenger and Mighty Plant. There was a coop recently for these products, but not to worry, won't be the last. These are the hottest products around.
I broke my promise to DH that I was going to use all the miracle products/potions I have in the garage before buying another thing. He forgave me though, lol.
I potted mine up in a hanging basket Saturday, but when I took the little stick out that it was tied to, it stayed straight and tall. Will it eventully "fall" a little? If I hang it under the eaves of my roof, it will need to be coming over the sides in order to be seen. I'll take a picture when I get home.
vossner, I am sure glad that your husband forgave you for buying more miracle products before using up the ones you already have. :o) The link won't connect, but I'll do a search.
Maggie, I am fairly certain that the stems will elongate and fall over.
This message was edited Apr 18, 2006 7:32 AM
We had a BV planted outside our kitchen window, very near a breezeway, it was a Jack.........????? A beautiful peach/coral color bloom. I sure can't remember anything after Jack... It was a very rapid grower, that is the vines anyway, hardly ever produced more than 3 or four bracts during the summer. My son and I thought we dug it all up a couple of years ago,not so, it grew so fast and so large, grew over lattice at breezeway, always pruning, well nothing stopped it , it just takes off ! We decided we would once again try to dig it up, chose a Chinese fringe tree ( plum delight ) to take its place. My husband said no problem I will dig it out, ( ha-ha ) he ended up getting the chain saw and had to cut it out, and I am still pretty sure it still will grow back!. Information I have received is that if you are to plant a BV in the ground, leave it in its pot/container,(which we did not do) otherwise it will not produce any blooms. Anyone hear of such a thing ? Mine was healthy and very green, just never produced many bracts so maybe this is true... I have replanted what I think is most of it in a very large planter just sitting on our lawn, hope to see many bracts soon.
zachasa, the first one I planted in the ground did the same thing as yours. I did not contain the roots and I also dug it up. Mine now are all in containers. But, I did learn later about containing the roots. I assisted my neighbor when he planted his. I saw him take it out of the container and ran over to tell him to put it back in the container and then plant it container and all. He planted 3 of them this way and they all have ben doing great for 3 years are so. I don't know if the plastic container will eventually disintegrate. If I were to plant bougaivilleas i the ground again, I would first pot them up in al concrete container into which that I have drilled large extra drain holes. I have a 'Plum Delight' Chinese fringe also. I love it.
htop...... No more room for BV's in the ground, I will stick to container planting. Do you have any RAZZLEBERRY- chinese fringe ???? I have 2, and they seem to sprawl out a lot more than Plum delight, seem stronger also.......thanks for BV info, sure wish I had this information years ago ! It hurt to see this BV clump ( about 2 1/2 feet in diameter )slaughtered !
I have my B. Karst planted inground, trying to grow as a standard. I just did that 2 weeks ago. Do you think I should pull out, plant in a pot to contain roots, then plant inground?
Hazel, I guess you suggested concrete containers so the roots don't crack the pot. But wouldn't they crack concrete too?
zachas, I have the RAZZLEBERRY- chinese fringe also. It is much larget growing. In fact, I didn't know it would grow so tall and wide. I love it too, but I have had to prune it one time. I know how you feel ... I slaughtered my first one too.
vossner, I would dig it carefully, pot it and replant it. Because you planted it only 2 weeks ago, I don't thik it will hurt it. Just be sure that you don't break any roots off.
silverfluter, it eventually may crack the concrete too; but, at least it will take a much longer time. You can also sink cinder blocks (2 high) into the ground to surround the roots so they the meet resistance when attempting to grow lateral roots.
What about planting it inside a chimney tile. I've seen those for sale at the Antique Rose Emporium I think. I've heard of planting invasive things in those.
Mary Lee, that's a great idea. I had never thought to do that with a bougainvillea.
hazel, do you really think I have to take such precautions if I am training to grow as a standard?
I got that idea in some gardening book for safely planting invasive things. You could create a really interesting garden that way.
vossner, I just am afraid that you will be having to prune and prune and prune some more after it has been trained to the height that you want it to be.which would cause you to have no blooms. My first one that was in the ground grew way over the top of my house in one season and was about about 8 to 10 feet or more wide I can't remember how long each brach was; but, they were very, very long. I think I only had 3 bract clusters appear. I obviously, did not conatain the roots and overwatered as well as overfed it.
Mary Lee, I had head of and seen photos of them used as containers, but never thought about using them to "contain" invasive plants.
This message was edited Apr 23, 2006 11:41 PM
ok, ladies. I will take out, put in pot and sink pot inground. I have already used messenger on it, so I better do this ASAP before bougie eats my house. thanks for your help.
nitey nite.
Maybe the others have them planted in pots inground also, you just can't see the pot?
This is such good information!
Hazel, where did you get your Coconut Ice?
Is it possible to know how big they'll get if you put them in the ground? I don't know if mine is Barbara Karst or not, but it's like Hazel's. Way above the house, or will be by June. If I dig it up and plant it in a chimney tile, would it still get so big?
silver, I have seen them planted inground, and they are a dramatic (code for: can eat your house if you don't watch it).
The only standards I have ever seen are at the nursery, have never seen a "real life" one. But I am definitely convinced that I will pot and then sink pot inground.
Edited to add: Done!
This message was edited Apr 24, 2006 7:37 PM