My bougainvilleas got hit by 3 nights of below-freezing temperatures. I want to share what to do when your Bougainvillea get hits by a freeze.
What determines if a bougainvillea can survive a freeze is how many consecutive nights it was hit & if the ground freezes.
The sweet spot for bougainvillea is above 32F. Anything below that will cause light or extensive damage.
Some things you can do to help with surviving freeze is: don’t prune too late or too severely in fall, apply a good layer of mulch (2-4in) over the roots & wait until evenings have warmed to prune them in winter/spring.
When pruning after a freeze wait until the evenings have warmed above 40F.
How you prune your bougainvillea(s) is up to you. It depends on the type of bougie you have and the form you want it to be.
Conclusion:
Be sure to exercise patience and not to prune a bougie too early after a freeze in case another freeze might be coming.