Bougainvillea...

Bonsaifreak

We had a rainy weekend here in S. Texas so I got busy catching up with potting and repotting. Got this tree in its first bonsai pot. This plant has been in training for about 2 years from a thick woody cutting. It will eventually have purple bracts so I figured tha black glazed pot would be a nice contrast. I choose a deep pot since I still expect some additional training/refining.
Critiques and suggestions are welcome.

Jorge

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boug.jpg (59.0 KB, 173 views)

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MoSinister

Some pictures of other sides would be good. The trunk thickness looks good, but from this angle, it looks to have some reverse taper that makes the nebari look weak to me. I can't decide if the right first branch bothers me being on the inside of the curve, but it certainly seems to be contributing to the inverse taper.

soltan

Id love to hear how and when you did this cutting.
Thanks

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Bonsaifreak

Mo: Not much in the way of nebari on this one (adequate rootage will take a long time to develop), what you see are rocks at the base to fool the eye into one. The angle of the picture does confirm a slight reverse taper which is not as apparent on the actual tree.

Soltan: If I remember correctly, this cutting was taken in early summer while pruning a large bouganvilea vine in my backyard. Not too many secrets. Just dipped it in root hormone and stuck it in potting soil (I like to anchor them to the pot with wire). The cutting had multiple thick branches, almost like multiple trunks. The largest one was at the front and you can still see part of the scar where I removed it at the upper third of the tree (treated with lime sulfur and acrylic paint to disguise it a bit). Constant pinching develops thick foliage in these species.

Cheers and thanks for the comments!

Jorge

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agraham

Hi Jorge,

I can never get those big ones to root like that.I usually end up resorting to airlayering.

I hope I don't insult you by suggesting the following.Just going by the picture posted,the reverse taper is pretty noticeable.I realise that in real life it may not be(as you said)...but I also realise that it won't take long to get rid of any hint of one by airlayering.The opposite low branches are also taken care of.

edited to add:

I should probably add that airlayering may not be the correct term....You could "groundlayer" with a lot less trouble.And...you could even keep that right low branch and it could become a second trunk....lots of possibilities there.Very nice material.


andy

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Jorge's bougie copy copy.jpg (63.1 KB, 72 views)

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Boat

I must Agree with Andy Air Layering just above the reverse taper here would definately do this tree more than a little justice

Bonsaifreak

Thanks Andy and Boat! Great suggestion! So, if I understand you correctly, that would involve burying it deeper in the container/pot and eliminating those two larger bottom branches, right?

Call it luck (since I don't have a green thumb) but I have great success with my bougie cuttings. The largest one I have is about 7-8 inches in diameter at the base (basically it was the trunk of a large uncollectable tree)

For some obscure reason, the variety in this picture (I believe it is called purple robe) does not flower as much as other varieties.

Take care,

Jorge

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"Always acknowledge a fault. This will throw those in authority off their guard and give you an opportunity to commit more."
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agraham

Jorge,

Don't bury it deeper in the current pot.Leave it as it is and place a small pot or screen filled with soil around the trunk.Obviously,you'd want to make your layer cut and apply rooting hormone first.

andy

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Bonsaifreak

Got it!

Jorge

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"Always acknowledge a fault. This will throw those in authority off their guard and give you an opportunity to commit more."
Mark Twain