How to Trim Climbing Bougainvillea for Maximum Bloom

Bougainvillea flowers come on new growth.

Bougainvillea vines are grown for their fast growth and abundant, colorful flowers. They are tropical plants that thrive at temperatures between 75 and 95 degrees Fahrenheit with a minimum night temperature of 65 F. Bougainvillea flowers come on new growth, so regular pruning encourages flowering and healthy, bushy plants. Grow your bougainvillea in full sun and fertile, free-draining soil to encourage flower production.

Things You'll Need

• Pruning shears
• Balanced fertilizer enriched with micronutrients

Instructions

1. Pinch out the growing tips of your bougainvillea branches every time the flowers start to fade. Bougainvilleas grow in cycles with a period of a few weeks of leaf production followed by a few weeks of flowering. Higher temperatures and long days inhibit flowering. Pinching out the growing tips after flowering encourages new shoots and branching and increases the number of flowers on your vine in the long term.

2. Prune your bougainvillea back by about one-third at the end of the summer, cutting lateral branches back to within two or three buds of the main stem. Remove any branches that are weak or distort the overall shape of your plant and cut away any dead wood.

3. Remove any suckers growing up from ground level. These use nutrients that might otherwise be used to produce flowers. Ground suckers also bang into the main trunk during storms and can cause severe damage to its delicate bark.

Tips & Warnings

• Fertilize your bougainvillea twice during the warmer months of the year. Use a balanced fertilizer enriched with micronutrients at half the recommended dose. Never allow bougainvillea plants to dry out, but do not water them every day except during the hottest part of the summer.

• Too much water and fertilizer will produce large plants with few flowers.

• Many bougainvilleas have sharp thorns and should be grown well back from paths and swimming pools.

References

• University of Florida IFAS Extension; Right Plant, Right Place Florida Friendly Bougainvillea Has Everything; Angela Sachson; May 2007
• University of Hawai'i at Manoa; Bougainvillea; Kent Kobayashi, et al.; October 2007
• Clemson University Extension; Bougainvillea; Al Pertuit; March 1999
• Bougainvillea Growers International: Bougainvillea 101
• Floridata; Bougainvillea Spp.; Jack Scheper; March 2007