How to prune bougainvillea

1. Pruning method

1. Short pruning: Cut off a section of the overly long branches. Cutting off half or 1/3 is considered a severe short pruning. This can stimulate buds and promote faster growth of new branches.

2. Thinning: Thinning out overly dense branches will help the growth of buds below the cut and increase internal light.

3. Pruning: Cutting off branches that have grown for many years can make old trees strong again.

2. Suitable cutting edge

When pruning bougainvillea, you cannot do it randomly, but need to cut it to the appropriate height and length. The direction and space of the cut buds determine the quality and growth of the new shoots. The appropriate cut can be a flat cut or an oblique cut, which can leave sufficient space for the growth of buds, but be careful not to make the cut too far away from the cut bud, leaving too many branches to consume nutrients, and the cut surface should not be too tilted.

3. Notes

During one flowering period, you can trim three forks. Carry out a severe pruning in spring from March to April; after about 20 days when the first batch of branches grow taller, carry out the second pruning; the third pruning should be carried out no later than mid-August.

The purpose of pruning branches is to cut them into layers so that all branches can receive light, so vertical downward branches and cross branches must be removed; parallel branches can remove weaker branches; after the flowering period, overcrowded branches, overgrown branches, and weak branches should be thinned out.