Description

They're exotic, they pack a colour punch like nothing else, they're drought hardy, versatile, and nothing could be easier to grow…. Bougainvillea, the climber from the tropics that is now just as much at home in temperate, Australian gardens. Bougainvilleas are in full flower from early spring through summer and into autumn. They are very colourful climbers (actually scramblers with barbed hooks) that can be trained into lollipops, scramble over fences, trained over hot walls or used as a regular garden plant.

Pruning

After analysing the few years bougainvillea questions it is obvious many gardeners do have problems with this sensational flowering climber and ironically it generally relates to getting them to flower and how to prune. How you grow your bougainvillea dictates how you should prune it.

 When planted at say 2m intervals and encouraged to bushy growth you can establish a bougainvillea hedge in a few years. I recommend stringing wire taut between posts 3m apart. This aids the bougainvillea to develop a solid framework. The hedge needs to be clipped formally to keep its shape and retain flowering. Remove the long canes as they appear from the mass, cut back to the hedge framework. You will need to be diligent with your pruning after the flower period as growth surges into the stems but the 'wall' of flower colour in spring and summer will be worth it.

Feeding
It is agreed by professional and bougainvillea enthusiasts that over watering and over fertilizing, especially as the winter months pass, will encourage excessive leaf growth at the expense of flowers. Feed after flowering and again in autumn with Garden Gold and a light sprinkle with Organic Life, Dynamic Lifter or Sudden Impact pellets.

Growing Bougs in Pots
If you are growing bougainvilleas in containers you will need to re-pot every year. New, fresh potting mix should be used and the plants can be pruned by up to 50%. You can let them dry out a little during the months after summer flowering. All re-potting should be done in July. Using a bonsai raking tool or a bent, old kitchen fork, tease out and remove 5-6cm of old soil and roots. Cut the ragged roots cleanly with secateurs. The reduced root ball will quickly regrow in the new potting mix. Fertilise with a seaweed solution such as Maxicrop or Seasol with Powerfeed added, and water thoroughly for two months after pruning.

How to train a Lollipop Bougainvillea

Pot up your new bougainvillea into an attractive pot into a premium quality potting mix. Select one strong stem and remove the rest. Place a firm 2m stake into the root system and secure the stem to the stake with three ties, top, bottom and centre. Remove all growth from the main stem. Allow your plant to make new growth once the main stem reaches the top of the stake. Keep removing any shoots from the stem and allow all the energy to make top growth.

Varieties

The Bambino Dwarf range includes:
'Zuki' - variegated foliage with purple/pink bracts
'Bokay' - soft golden orange, ages to lilac/ pink
'Pedro' - strong red/orange
'Shaba' - orange fading to rosy-purple
'Majik' - white blushing pink/lilac
'Miski' - orange, ageing to lilac/ pink
'Krishna' - weeping habit, iridescent mauve

Other varieties

Barbara Karst - crimson pink

Lilac Cascade - lilac

Hawaiian Gold - coral

Texas Dawn - hot pink