Raspberry Ice Bougainvillea

patmac

I recently purchased a 3inch tall Boug.
I wanted the satisfaction of knowing I shaped it from birth.
(If I don't kill it!)
I am very new to Bonsai but have always found it fascinating and
this tree is one of my favorites.
Information on training these guys seems fairly limited.
Can someone help me with the typical growth rate of these trees.
And common problems I should be on the look out for.



Photo of little fella

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Bart Thomas(deceased)

For openers, see the BCI Species Guide .

Right now, concentrate on getting it growing. You can cut it back hard as shoots take off towards the moon.

Bougiies are tough plants, but do not overwater.

jjeter

I like bougies too and have several. They are very tough plants. Bart has good advice, just concentrate on letting it grow. It will produce runners, sometimes several feet long. These can be pruned back if they get to long. I tend to let mine stay for several months to help thicken the branch and trunk. I don't do to much wiring, I tend to selectively prune to get branches where I want them to go. Good luck with yours. Let us know how it does.


Jeff

patmac

Thanks for the link Bart and thank you jjeter for the words of encouragement.
I will try to show some patience (not my strongest personality trait) and just let him grow now that I know he survived the repotting. I guess I'm a little over anxious now that I have one of these Bougs.

Bonsai is the most difficult Hobby I've ever tried to learn.

Most mistakes seem to be followed by death.

Joanie

We need to put that on a T-Shirt.

Ain't it the truth??

Joanie

Carl_Bergstrom

The same could be said of my previous hobby (see below.)

The missus much prefers that I stick with bonsai.

-Carl

Attached Images

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__________________
In love with trees

Bart Thomas(deceased)

This is probably a good time to note that it happens to even the best of the bonsai artists. All it takes is a sudden change in weather, particularly in the spring, when watering needs can vary widely from day to day.

dbz12fan

Even Kunio Kobayashi had a few dead pines at his garden when we visited . What was that old saying?..."You have to kill a thousand trees before you become a master."

__________________
"Success demands understanding"-Andy Rutledge

Charles Bevan
Vero Beach, Fl

malhomme

Ditto, but for me it was whitewater kayaking. In central Texas that pretty much amounts to paddling flood water. Crazy, ricocheting, log infested water! After making a very minor mistake on a drop and getting stuffed into some rocks underwater... finding myself pinned and only just barely making it out... she "asked" me to stop. My boat returned to the surface 20 minutes later.

Now, I still get to play with water, trees, and rocks. But the fam is much happier that I spend my days doing this instead.

Cheers,
Jim