Beautiful flowers, my friend! Vibrantly coloured bracts of Bougainvillea brighten warm greenhouses and conservatory borders during the summer. These tropical climbers are suitable for large containers placed in the garden during summer but must be kept frost-free in winter.
Cultivation notes
Bougainvilleas need a bright sunny position, but protection from direct sunlight under glass and a minimum night temperature of 10°C (50°F). As large climbers they can be planted directly into a conservatory border or grown in large containers. These can be placed in the garden in summer but must be kept frost free in winter. Enrich border soil with well-rotted compost and a balanced granular fertiliser or controlled-release fertiliser such as Osmocote. Use loam-based compost like John Innes 3 for containers.
Pruning and training
Bougainvilleas require a trellis or pillar for support and can be trained as a standard and spur-pruned to restrict size. They flower on the current seasons growth so pruning in late winter or early spring, just before growth begins.
Early in the season, bend and tie in young strong-growing laterals to check the vigour and stimulate bract formation
After the bracts have fallen cut this long growth back by half to encourage a second flush of bracts in the late summer
Plants should respond to hard pruning but old plants are better replaced
Propagation
Propagate by semi-ripe cuttings taken with a heel in summer. Cuttings should root in 4-6 weeks or quicker with bottom heat of 15°C (50°F). Alternatively, take hardwood cuttings in deep pots in winter with bottom heat of 3-6°C (5-10°F) above the air temperature to encourage rooting. These late season cuttings may take three months to root.
Layering in late winter and early spring is usually more effective and new plants will flower in 2-3 years. Thank you @ctrl-alt-nwo
oh wow those are some massive bushes, especially the first one. It must have taken years to get it there...