Grow Bougainville Bonsai Easily – Try your own. Bougainville is a thorny plant bearing very attractive flowers. The colourful part is the modification of leaves into a structure called bracts. The white flowers are surrounded by bracts in different colours. The most fascinating thing about the plant is that it is classified as vine, bush or tree.
The Bougainville plant is a native of South America. Though the plant is frost – sensitive, it survives in almost all climatic conditions. Also the plants are favourites of garden designers.
What makes Bougainville plants most suitable for making bonsai.
Due to woody stem and beautiful bright blooms, Bougainville plants are ideal for making bonsai. Moreover, it is very easy to train the plants to styles such as upright, Cascade, semi cascade etc. Indeed, Bougainville glabra, a species with bright blooms is the one commonly used for making bonsai. Always keep in mind that proper caring is the most important part for growing a Bougainville bonsai.Let us see how to grow Bougainville bonsai easily.
1. Propagation:
Always use stem cuttings for propagation. For this collect stem cuttings of about four inches length from mature plants. Also you can buy saplings directly from a seller.
2. Potting: Grow Bougainvillea Bonsai Easily.
Make a potting mixture with garden soil, river sand manure and bonemeal in the ratio 3:2:2:1. Use well dried and powdered cow dung or any other organic manure.Then carefully plant the cutting in a training pot filled with this mixture. Keep the pot in shade for a few days and water regularly. Always ensure proper drainage to prevent rotting of the plant. Once the roots are fixed and new leaves begin to appear, move the pot gradually to direct sunlight. An average of 60% sunlight is ideal for Bougainville plants.Water your Bougainville bonsai regularly during summer. Observe the top soil to check moisture, and add water as and when required.
3. Pruning:
Truly, pruning is the most essential part for styling your bonsai. You can do pruning the Bougainville bonsai at any time. Use sharp concave pruning scissors for this. Remove all unnecessary branches. Also apply some fungicides on the wounds to prevent any kind of infection.
4. Wiring.
Indeed wiring is the most important stage that transforms your bonsai into an art form. Use soft and flexible copper or aluminum wires for this. Then gently bend the branches to the required directions, and wind the wire to it. Always remember to do wiring before the stem becomes harder, as it has the tendency to turn brittle.
You can transfer your Bougainville bonsai into an original bonsai pot after one year. Usually the plant begins to bloom within six to eight months if you care it properly.
5.Repotting. Grow Bougainville Bonsai Easily.
Repot your Bougainville bonsai, once in two years, to keep it healthy and beautiful. First take the plant out of the pot along with soil. Then remove one third of the roots using a sharp scissors. Replace the bonsai in the pot filled with medium of the same combination as stated in step 2.
Care your Bougainville bonsai properly to keep it healthy. Usually this plant is resistant to any kind of infection or attack from pests. Hence you can grow a Bougainville bonsai easily when compared to other flowering bonsai plants.Try to grow your own Bougainville bonsai, make your life more colourful as well as your garden.
