Pruning Bougainvillea

[Roy and Katie]

We have a few bougainvilleas in our garden. Some flower well and others are patchy. We looked at a house in CSV last year which had a beautiful specimen. The owner said that he pruned it right back as hard as he could. Is this the secret to a good display?

Before we hack into them, does anyone have any advice please?

 

[frito]

Friends who have great examples in their gardens do cut back as far as they can.
Some friends had a gardener in to "sort out" a wild garden. He used a chain-saw on an example at the bottom of the garden. It is flourishing!

I hope this is useful.

Frito

 

[Belladonna]

For the first time EVER my one has stayed with a little colour on this year! I usually lose one every year and have to replace it. Obviously its global warming, but I too am not sure whether to cut right back now or wait until the colour has completely dropped off. It is under a high awning which keeps a little warmth in and I have been advised to keep it slightly damp all through the winter, but what about the pruning!!!?? The worry is that the frost will come soon and then its too late to prune at all.

 

[Roy and Katie]

Thanks Frito. we are hacking into it this morning.

Bellafonna - ours flowers all through the winter but not so much in Jan and Feb, so we will prune it now. No trouble with frosts over here. We have geraniums out all year long, flowering too