Has anybody had experience with Bougainvilla bonsai.
Just bought one (a poor neglected orphan from a supermarket) not yet bonsai, that was pretty well abused, but has come back wonderfully well. I understand they are easily pruned but can have problems with the roots when repotting. Want to take it out of it's black plastic tub and put it in a more suitable pot.
Any advice.
Bougainvilla Bonsai
I had a 6 yr old that I had removed because it was in a bad place to begin & had gotten too big. My maintenance guy butchered it getting it out, I had planned on tossing it, so he wasn't careful. 1/2 hour later after it lay in full sun, tap root hacked off, I thought darn! I should have saved it for Bonsai. So I cut the top off and stuck it in a bucket of water with some vitamin B1. I left it for a couple days and then potted it up. 3 weeks later I saw little green buds ☺ This pic shows it with a lot of the roots exposed and growing like crazy. In the Fall when it cools off I'll probably trim it up and get it in a shallow pot. So I would say go for it, their pretty tough.
Pretty standard bonsai care. Make sure you use a suitable soil. Your regular potting soil is a bad idea. You want to sift it yourself for both large and small particles. Nothing more than 1/4 inch (chicken wire), and nothing smaller than 1/32 inch (window screen). For bougenvilla i'd say 1 part organic to 3 parts inorganic (rock).
Thanx folks, for the advice, I kinda plan on leaving it in the current soil and just shift it to a new pot of about the same size. Hate to mess with the roots at this time of year. In the 90's now but in a short few months the possibility of -15 degrees. So in she will come, to spend the winter.
Lower inside humidity makes me want to shy away from adding any additonal stress.
Pix attached.
Looks like a great candidate!
Hi, Sorry for my late reply. Bougainvillea make great flowering bonsai. My tree is about 15 years old, I have had it for 8 years. Suggest you repot yours into a bonsai pot in the autumn once the growth has slowed down, and before you bring it indoors. I live in a region of Spain with a climate like So. California. so have no experience of indoor growing but would suggest an indoor location with plenty of bright light and mist the foliage regularly. Mine tolerate temperatures down to about 4oCelsius in winter.
Hey, no apology necessary. You have a great looking tree there, makes me a little envious. Really appreciate your advice - thank you.
My tree will have to spend the winter (and much of the late fall and early spring) inside. Here in the Black Hills of SD the Fall/Winter/Spring weather can be absolutely crazy. We are listed as zone 5b on the USDA charts - a little island surrounded by zone 4 - but the weather swings during those seasons can be significant. Changes from 22° C to -9° C overnite are not uncommon, even in February where they usually go in the opposite direction. Makes it tough on even the indigenous trees and plants. Summer temps can, and do, reach into the high 90's or low 100's F. Generally with really low humidities.
Again - Thanks for the advice.