How to Prune and Trim Bougainvillea for Maximum Bloom
Here’s how I prune and trim my bougainvillea for maximum bloom.
My Bougainvillea glabra is a flowering machine. It puts out a big show of magenta/purplish color off and on for 9 or 10 months out of the year. This bougainvillea grows up and over my garage which sits at the end of a long, narrow driveway. It gets a major “WOW” from anyone who sees it.
The pruning that I do in January is the big one that sets the shape that my bougainvillea will be for the rest of the year. I usually prune it all in 1 fell swoop, which takes about 5 hours.
But this year I didn’t start the pruning until the end of February, and because I was doing it in dribbles, I just finished it up this past weekend. By the time I finished the pruning, it was already flowering away like crazy!
Here’s how I prune my bougainvillea for maximum bloom:
The video is full of info but here’s a break down of what I do:
How to Prune and Trim Bougainvillea
First of all, I make sure my pruners are clean & sharp. For this job, I’ll use my Felco #2‘s, Fiskars Floral Snips & my Corona Long Reach Loppers. Oh, I use a 6′ step ladder too.
Thin out the plant by removing whole branches right back to the main trunk. When it’s semi-deciduous in January, it may seem like you’re removing a lot, but believe me, it grows back like crazy. I prune a lot away from the outside of the plant so I can get to the inside.
Remove half of the undergrowth which has gotten shaded & “wimpy”.
Remove the water shoots. These do nothing for the plant at all.
Shape it to how I want it to look. It goes up 1 side of the garage & then all the way across. I took an old metal trellis which was on the back of the house & had it attached to the middle of the garage just above the overhead door. Bougainvillea does not attach itself (unlike jasmine, trumpet vine, morning glory, etc) so I had to train & attach it.
Most of the branches that remain I take back by a half or tip prune, depending on their length. This is what brings the denseness of color to my bougie. You see, bougainvilleas bloom on new growth so the more you tip them, the more color you’ll get. Tip pruning, in case you don’t know, is the removal of the soft new growth by 1-6″. You can even do this with your fingernails if it’s easier.
I’ll do four additional lighter prunings throughout the warm season, ending in early December. My bougainvillea is a riot of color and yours can be too. Just remember, tip pruning (you’ll see the technique in the video) is one of the keys to this dense show of flowers. It’s my own floral fiesta!
YOU MAY ALSO ENJOY:
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- Bougainvillea Winter Care Tips
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Nell, the founder of Joy Us garden, was born into a gardening family and grew up in Connecticut’s countryside. After living in Boston, New York, San Francisco, & Santa Barbara, she now calls the Arizona desert home. She studied horticulture & garden design, working in the field all her life. Nell is a gardener, designer, blogger, Youtube creator, & author. She’s been gardening for a very long time & wants to share what she’s learned with you.
Thank you! I have almost NO gardening experience and have one bougainvillea that has survived my neglect but want to add some trellis to the house and work on pruning and shaping and training it. My dog dug up the companion one due to the bone meal I had added to the dirt it was in…hmmm…I look forward to more posts:-)
You’re very welcome Janis! I shaped & worked with my bougainvillea in Santa Barbara until they got to be beautiful. Now I’m working on my bougies here in Tucson. Yes, dogs & cats love bone & blood meal! Nell
Hi Nell,
Great article! I could use your help with a query:
I recently bought a few bougainvillea plants in pots. They are grown plants that were already blooming. One of them is shedding flowers like crazy – I haven’t really watered this one since I got it three days ago- mainly cause I can’t reach the soil because the plant is so big and covers the soil completely. It’s about 27 degrees and usually windy where I am at and the plant is on my balcony. Is shedding of flowers normal or am I doing something wrong? The plant has access to sunlight but I wonder if it’s in more shade now than it was used to. Thanks a lot for your help!
Thank you Shruti. I’m not sure if you mean Celsius or Fahrenheit but I’m assuming C because bougies are sensitive to the cold. It could be shedding because it’s too cold (if it’s F), adjusting to its new home, the wind, or too dry or too wet. They need a good amount of sunlight each day to put on a good bloom. Nell
Your really know your stuff!! Your Bougainvillea’s are gorgeous! I bought a house in August (6 months ago) in Central Florida (9b)with Bougainvillea’s being used a hedge. It looks like half of the plants has a disease, or a fungus.It also has some flowers, but not alot. I’m new to gardening, where do I start??? Thanks!
Hi MaryAnne – I’ve been around bougainvilleas a lot! You could have leaf spot or a fungus from the leaves staying damp due to the humidity & the fact it’s growing densely as a hedge. Best thing to do is thin it out & let the air in so it can circulate. The lack of flowers could be due to the fact the bougies have been constantly trimmed into a hedge, not allowing them to flower. Also, many varieties don’t flower much in the cooler months. Nell
Hello! My bougainvillea sits in the ground of a small sunroom. It was beautiful before I bought my home. Now it just takes over. I’ve considered taking it out. Can you suggest how to contain it, for maximum bloom?
Also, my mother has asked me to start a trimming for her. Should I just keep it in water? I’ve never had much luck with plants, so I am clueless. I’d appreciate any advice you have to offer.
Hi Rosa – Any pruning you do on a bougainvillea will stimulate new growth. They flower on new growth so that’s what we want. They grow back quite densely so thin it out a bit 1st & then take it back. Giving it a blunt cut will cause it to become a blob. You can continue to trim it throughout the summer to keep it in check. Take a softwood cutting about 3-6″ from the tip, dip it in rooting hormone & place in a light mix like propagation mix. Spray the cuttings to keep slightly moist but never too wet. Nell
I live in central Austin, Texas. Just moved from San Diego. My Bougies in SD thrived (planted in the ground). Here Austin they’re not doing well (planted in a pot). Could be because i placed the plant under a patio? IT gets some direct sunlight (1-2 hours), and the rest is filtered light. There’s some new leaves growing, but all the bright flowers it had when I bought it a month ago is gone.
Hi Alyson – I’m assuming you bought new bougainvilleas when you moved to Austin. Yes, bougainvillea need full sun, or at least 5 hours of it, to do well. The flower drop could be due to lower light levels, transplant shock or it’s just going through its normal bloom cycle. And, be sure to protect it from freezing temps. Nell