How to Trim a Bougainvillea
- 1). Pinch back soft tips of a young bougainvillea's plant stems to trigger fuller growth, using either fingertips or shears. Use a "soft" pinch again on all the plant's stem tips after four weeks.
- 2). Pinch regularly to promote more branching and blooming, primarily after each round of flowering. Repeat until the plant has filled out.
- 3). Trim using a "hard" pinch or prune. Remove most of a branch from the bougainvillea plant, if stems have grown out of hand, as the season progresses. Once the plant is bushy, prune for shape.
- 4). Do another "hard" prune in spring before the bougainvillea plant has regrown, shaping it for size.
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