Bougainvilleas can get rather large and become hard to manage . If you ’re wondering how to keep these plants small , we ’ve get the answer for you . We ’ve researched this picky subject , and here ’s what we find out .

To keep a bougainvillea small , you demand to :

Keep on reading for more tips on how to grow and keep a dwarf bougainvillea .   We ’ll also instruct you how to make this works bear more flowers and how to tame an overgrown bougainvillea . Let ’s get started !

Bougainvillea tree growing by the house in historic quarter of Colonia del Sacramento, How To Keep Bougainvillea Small

How to Grow A Dwarf Bougainvillea

Bougainvillea is eff to be a flowering machine . you could enjoy its beautiful blooms with volatile color all year around . Even in colder mood , these plant canbloomfor nine out of 12 months . Their vibrant colors range from livid to knock , purple , magenta , yellowed , orange , and Au .

However , their ontogeny can be difficult to control . Some variety can reach up to 30 feet high , as these plants can grow tight under direct sunlight .

At hulk heights and with such lush leave-taking and bloom , bougies can be rather in high spirits maintenance , especially when it come to sweeping the ground around them and pruning them to keep them in check .

Pink bougainvillea flower in a concrete pot. Bright light in the room.

region of their efflorescence fall to the ground , so you may be sweeping every day , if not twice a daylight , to avoid buildup on your lawn . Pruning their big branches can be a hassle due to thorns .

That ’s why some gardeners opt the small variety of bougainvillea known as the dwarf bougainvillea . With proper pruning and breeding , this type of bougainvillea can develop into a minor bush or shrub that is more manageable .

Here ’s aguideto growing a dwarf bougainvillea .

Pink bougainvillea flowers in black flower pot. background on green garden.

Plant Variety

You have to start with the veracious miscellanea of this plant .

Dwarf bougainvilleavarietiesinclude Helen Johnson , Sunvilleas , Raspberry Ice , and Oo - La - La. They can produce to heights between two and four foot and can be trimmed down if they become taller .

These salmagundi are also available in dissimilar colors . When you purchase from a greenhouse , be sure to tell them that you plan to grow a miniature bougainvillea so that they can assist you in choosing the proper type and color that you like .

Article image

With miniature or dwarf bougainvillea , you get the best of both worlds . Like their marvellous cousins , they also need full sunshine so that their adorable flowers will flower copiously despite their shorter branches . Since they are shorter , they do n’t make as much of a fix , so sustainment is easier .

Right Container

The container or pot should be large enough to fit the works ’s big roots . It should have a drain kettle of fish . Bougies have very sensitive roots , so it ’s not recommended that you move them to a bigger pot once they ’re already established .

Install a treillage early on so as not to damage the ancestor when they begin to grow . The trellis will help oneself underpin and school your plant .

chatter this liaison to discover these treillage on Amazon .

Article image

Good Soil

These plants are n’t choosy when it comes to land . They are hardy and resilient . you’re able to use regular potting soil that drains well . Do n’t put too much peat moss in because it can retain moisture and chair to root rot .

Watering Schedule

A newly plant bougainvillea needs to be watered oft . When the plant is established , you could lay low on water it . By this prison term , it prefers to be on the dry side .

Despite their smaller size , the plants are drouth - tolerant and need minimal watering . Deep watering every three hebdomad is sufficient or until the grunge is dry again . Do not overwater these plants , as they can be prone to root putrefaction and pest .

Use of Fertilizers

you may use fertilizers , particularly between spring and downfall . utilise a water - soluble fertilizer prepared concord to package instructions .

Apply it every two workweek . you may also employ a boring - liberation formula instead during outflow and summer . When winter comes , you’re able to write out back on the use of fertilizer and utilize it once a month .

turn back out this weewee - soluble fertiliser on Amazon .

Article image

Pruning

Pruning these miniature plants is intimately done in early spring to late summer when the plant is await to grow at a fast charge per unit compare to the remainder of the year . This is how you tame the plant to be the size that you want .

You should prune now after each flush flush . This is the stop when your bougainvillea is in full rosiness . Make your cuts just above the leaves , and do n’t worry if you note a declension in their blooms properly after pruning .

Bougies can make an outstanding riposte . Before you acknowledge it , they ’ll be back to showering you with their colorful bloom .

Article image

Pest Management

Of course , you do n’t want pest in your industrial plant ! Since their summit is manageable , you’re able to cull the pests off by hand — particularly the bougainvillea loopers — so that they wo n’t put out your lovely plant .

If you comment aphids , you may spray your bougainvillea with insecticidal Georgia home boy . check that you cover both sides of the leaves . Repeat once a workweek as necessitate .

Find this insecticidal soap on Amazon .

Article image

How Do I Make My Bougainvillea Bear More Flowers?

Bougies are far-famed for undimmed flowers that can light up your garden all twelvemonth round . They will bloom profusely with right care , no matter their sizing . We translate your concern if your bougainvillea seems to be bear few flowers . It ’s unusual in this kind of plant .

Expert gardeners say that the key here is simple : Put your bougainvillea where thesunis . This plant loves the sunlight and call for its warmth . It involve at least six hours of direct sunshine each 24-hour interval to be happy and healthy .

So , if your works is n’t bear more flowers , move it to the sunniest spot that you may find out in your garden . It ’ll surely thrive there .

Article image

Assuming that your bougainvillea is already set up , it is also recommended that you just irrigate it every three week . Bougainvillea is drought - tolerant and prefers to be dry most of the time .

When it ’s time to water your plant , make indisputable you reach all the way to the bottom of the container . It should have holes so that the water system will drain decently .

That ’s it ! You do n’t have to water it again for week . Some say that you could wait until the soil is dry , but this plant likes to stay dry for quite some metre . The more you irrigate it , the more susceptible it is to steady down bunk .

A row of colorful bougainvillea flowers blooming in black pot stand on the sidewalk near the road

The use of fertilizers is also encouraged , especially during the growing time of year . The slow - release chemical formula is recommend for bougainvillea that is plant right away on the filth , while it ’s best to employ water system - soluble fertilizers for bougainvillea turn in containers . checker the product recording label for proper app .

You should also continue topruneyour bougainvillea to further more growth and flowers . This is best done during tardy winter or other spring , decent when the bud are about to puff up and before they begin to bloom .

How Do you Tame An Overgrown Bougainvillea?

As mention earlier , a bougainvillea ’s outgrowth can sometimes be hard to control . The plant can become unmanageable to wangle , so you need to do something about it before it gets out of hand .

In cases like this , you would ask to do somehard snip . fatigue garden gloves for protection from thorn , and get out your pruning shear .

Check out these pruning shears on Amazon .

Bright pink magenta bougainvillea flowers as a floral background.

First , you have to get rid of suckers . These are stems that have grown next to the primary trunk . Cut off dead stem as well as those that are crossing subdivision already .

Then , decide on the tiptop that you require to retain . When you do hard pruning , you cut off all the excess stems outdoors of your desired top . But ensure you leave some bud spousal relationship to further new maturation for the plant .

Once you ’ve done this , you need to prune your bougainvillea regularly to preserve the right meridian and size of it . Pruning is the samara to taming this live plant .

Article image

Final Thoughts

With the proper diverseness and proper pruning , you’re able to keep a bougainvillea small-scale . This plant needs to be snip and educate so that you’re able to achieve the exact size and shape that will make your inwardness glad .

penetrate these link for some related reading regarding bougainvillea :

How To Graft Bougainvillea [ 3 method To Try ]

Article image

Does Bougainvillea Attract Bees ?

Bougainvillea tree growing by the house in historic quarter of Colonia del Sacramento