Pruning After Bougainvillea Blossoms
The editor is here to answer netizens' questions about the knowledge of woody flowers, such as pruning after bougainvillea blooms. Below, the editor will provide a detailed explanation for you.
Although everyone knows that pruning is necessary after bougainvillea blooms, many flower enthusiasts are still unsure about how to prune. So, how do we剪 (cut) after the bougainvillea flowers fade? In fact, it is very simple. First of all, we should not be dogmatic. We need to know that bougainvillea is very tolerant to pruning, and its flowers are only produced at the tips of new branches.
Simply put, after the bougainvillea blooms, it can be pruned back. For short branches, just cut off the flowering branches (there is no need to cut too much, just trim a little off the top). For long branches, cutting off 1/3 or 2/3 is acceptable, which can be combined with your shaping plan. You can prune after each flowering.
The purpose of our pruning is to retain nutrients, increase branching, and keep the tree compact. Therefore, after flowering, it is also appropriate to thin out branches, cut off withered, weak, and inner branches, and at the same time, cut all lateral branches short to promote the growth of new branches and form more flower buds.
There are many pruning methods for bougainvillea. The most basic ones are as follows:
I. Short Pruning
Short pruning involves cutting off a part of the one-year-old branches. If more is cut, it is called heavy short pruning (e.g., cutting off 1/2~1/3). If less is cut, it is called light short pruning (e.g., cutting off 1/3 or even less), and the moderate one is called medium short pruning. The characteristic of short pruning is that it strongly stimulates the buds below the cut, with the first bud below the cut (commonly referred to as the cut bud) being the most stimulated, resulting in the strongest growth of new shoots. The further away from the cut, the less the stimulation. After short pruning, the germination force of the branches increases, the branching force is enhanced, and the effect of medium short pruning is the best. Short pruning has a weakening effect on the thickening of the parent branch.
II. Thinning Pruning
Thinning pruning involves removing one-year-old or multi-year-old branches from the base. Thinning pruning weakens the growth momentum of the branches above the cut but promotes the germination, branching, and growth of the buds and branches below the cut. When thinning out weak branches, the above effect is not obvious at the pruning site, but it still promotes overall tree growth. Thinning pruning can reduce branch density, improve light conditions inside the tree canopy, and promote growth.
III. Reduction Pruning
Reduction pruning refers to the pruning of multi-year-old branches. The characteristic of reduction pruning is that it promotes the growth of branches and latent buds behind the cut while strongly weakening the parent branch. Reduction pruning is often used for the rejuvenation of old trees. The application of reduction pruning should also follow the principle of gradual progression. If the branch to be pruned is large, it should be pruned in several stages.
This article shares some small knowledge about pruning after bougainvillea blooms. I hope this article can be of some help to you!