Beginner with bougainvillea bonsai

killervette666

Hi all!
I recently got a bougainvillea bonsai as a birthday present from 1 800 flowers. I have been doing a lot of reading but would like to see if i could get some opinions from a forum with experienced members.
I have read that generally mass produced bonsais do not last very long, i am wondering how i can check whether the soil it is planted in is organic or not and whether it is good or not.
Also, I noticed that some of the green leaves are curling inwards and display a discoloration at the tip (its yellow and softer than the rest) while the flowers are displaying some white growth on them, i cant tell whether its maybe mold or fungus, i will try to post pictures later.
The pot has one hole in it, is this enough?
I really want to try to keep this plant alive and well and hope to have it for many more years to come.
Thanks in advance, i understand its a lot of questions, but any answers right now will help.

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anttal63

hey killer what season are you in, is the plant indoors or out, too much water? a photo will be really helpful to help you.

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Antonio . . .
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Joanie

Yes, please tell us whether the bougie is indoors or outdoors, whether it is in full sun or partial shade, whether the water drains quickly through the soil or sort of sits on top.

Only water it when the top inch or two of soil is dry, and sticking your finger down into it you can still feel that the underneath soil is just damp. Bougies like to be dry, they don't like their roots to stay wet.

If the soil looks like little rocks, it's inorganic. If it looks like dirt, it's got organic in it. Most likely it has organic, because that's what keeps the tree moist enough during transit from the nursery and the florist.

IN MY OWN OPINION (strong disclaimer) and based on helping a lot of people, be very careful about repotting the tree this soon. It has had multiple shocks, and needs time to adjust. As long as you don't overwater it, the soil is probably okay to leave it in, you just have to be very careful. Let the tree adjust to your surroundings before giving it additional changes. It was very likely raised in a greenhouse, and possibly in an entirely different part of the country.
Bougies are very tough trees, they will take a lot of punishment, so as long as the bottom layer of soil isn't soaking wet all of the time you will be fine.

Bougies also like sun, but there are people who keep them in afternoon shade to keep the very hottest sun off of their leaves. They seem to be all right with that. Don't be alarmed when the colored bracts fall off easily, as one website says, they are very fragile once they have started their reproductive cycle. (Actually, that was info from the new
Tropical Bonsai magazine, which can be viewed online, and is all about bougies this issue... HTTP://WWW.GULFSTREAMBONSAI.ORG.)

Joanie

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"You can say any foolish thing to a dog, and the dog will give you a look that says,
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killervette666

thanks for the replies, it is currently indoors, i put it up high and by the window so it gets direct light and warmer temperatures, and also put a humidifier in my room, but its not on a windowsill so it wont get burned or experience big temperature changes.

When i water it the water seems to soak in pretty quick, a little bit rolls of the top though, the only thing that worries me is that i have not yet seen any water coming out the drainhole in the bottom, maybe that is because i have been carefull and didnt water it too much because i was afraid of overwatering.

Here is a picture of the white stuff on the flower bracts



Here is a picture of the tree, sorry if its a little blurry, let me know if i should take another



and here is a picture of one of the leaves that fell off



Let me know what you guys think

Also when the plant arrived there was a small little plant growing in the pot with it, i later found out it was liverwaurt i believe, i took it out, bit im wondering if theres anything else i should in regards to that.
Thanks everyone!!

Joanie

The best way to water is to water from above, until water runs out of the drainage holes in the pot. Then don't water again until you need to. By flushing fresh water all the way through the pot, you are bringing oxygen with the water, which the roots need. So water well, then wait until it needs water again as described in my earlier email.

Do you have a place to put the tree outside? Your indoor light, while adequate for your mammal eyes, may not be adequate for the tree. Outdoors is best, if you can do it. Somewhere with maybe morning sun and afternoon dappled shade?

Joanie

__________________
"You can say any foolish thing to a dog, and the dog will give you a look that says,
'Wow, you're right! I never would've thought of that!'" ~ Dave Barry

lagunamadre

Your tree is beautiful. I can't tell, but are the leaves varigated? If so it would be the raspberry variety. It seems to be a bit over potted, which in inself could lead to over watering, but I also would not repot in now. I wonder that if you water and it does not come out the bottom, maybe you didn' t give it enough. Make sure that when you water, you water completely. The trick isn't how much but how often you water. Let it dry on the surface between waterings. Bougys have multiple cycles thru the year, and if it drops leaves and is healthy, new ones will come soon. They grow wild around here, I just air-layered two in my back yard that have 1 1/4 inch trunks, and I've seen them grow as high as the telephone wires some places. You might want to keep it outside in the summer, they like lots of sun. Good luck

anttal63

yes killer its the indoors that kills many bonsai. to me its that why its suffering. introduce it slowly to the sun.

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Antonio . . .
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killervette666

Thanks for the tips, I am going to follow your guys advice on watering and let it be a little drier, also, can anyone guide as to what the white stuff on the flower leaves is? or why some of the green leaves are curling up? my gut tells me that they're drying up and theres not enough water, but at the same time I dont want to overwater, or is this due to not enough sun?
Thanks all

Joanie

Remember, your tree may have been in a completely different environment before. Even changes that it experienced during shipping may be showing themselves now. (Plants show changes more slowly than animals)

The curled edges of the leaves could be:
not enough water
too much water
too much sun
humidity too low

It may also shed all of its leaves and start with a new set... if it does, be very careful to keep it just damp, not soaking wet.

Don't know about the white stuff, please describe it more.

Joanie

__________________
"You can say any foolish thing to a dog, and the dog will give you a look that says,
'Wow, you're right! I never would've thought of that!'" ~ Dave Barry