How to Shape Bougainvillea

Bougainvillea vines are immensely popular in homes and gardens. These long, trailing vines sprout bright green leaves and brilliant, papery, flowerlike bracts of orange, pink, red or purple. Bougainvillea can be seen in almost any warm environment, climbing trees, trellises, walls and even the sides of buildings. Because it's such a vigorous plant, many people seek to train, shape and prune their bougainvillea vines to keep them attractive and under control.

Things You'll Need

• Pruning shears

Instructions

1. Keep your bougainvillea in ideal growing conditions for good growth. Bougainvillea requires at least 5 hours of full sun every day, warm temperatures and a well-balanced, consistent fertilizer. Maintaining good nutrition and light will encourage your bougainvillea to grow, bloom and climb, which will in turn give you many options and a lot of foliage to work with as you shape your bougainvillea.

2. Shape your bougainvillea at any time of year. The best method for shaping is "soft pinching," or pinching off new growth. This can be done with pruning shears or your fingernails. Pinch off the tips of new vines that are growing from the main branch. The vine will grow several new side shoots from the leaf bud closest to the pinch. Use this method to make your bougainvillea bushy and thick, or to train and shape it to grow in another direction.

3. Use a "hard pinch" when you're trying to rein in a bougainvillea that is out of control. To use a hard pinching method, cut off most of the branch or vine you want to get rid of. Maintain the main stem of the bougainvillea so you don't kill or damage the plant itself.

Tips & Warnings

• Grow bougainvillea from seed or bougainvillea cuttings.

• Prune bougainvillea vines before moving them indoors for the winter.

• Bougainvillea vines will not adapt to change.

• Frost and even temperatures below 50 degrees can damage bougainvillea.

References

• Plant-Care.com: Bougainvillea Plant Care
• Bougainvillea Information, Gordon Braswell