Bougainvillea?

I have a bougainvillea indoors, it has bloomed exactly one time in 3 years. I have fertilized it, repotted it, water it very infrequently and still it will not bloom. In the winter I sit it in my office which has double pained windows but does get sun at least 3 hours daily. any suggestions?

Bougainvillea?
Bougainvillea thrive in hot sunny climates. I think you might need more than three hours of sunlight.
Reply:Bougainvillea needs HOT conditons and a lot of direct sun..it is unlikely to bloom much indoors. Think of where it thrives outside... deep south,,,hot ,,humid, lots of sun...afraid I can't offer any suggestions other than enjoy the foliage and be proud of getting it to survive indoors.
Reply:Bougainvillea require six or more hours of direct sunlight each day. Keep them on the moist to dry side with excellent drainage. Like most plants they also require a winter "rest" period from active growth---the winter months. Prune in mid to late spring and water 1-3 times per week allowing them to dry out to moist but not bone-dry. They bloom best on new wood so prune any leggy branches and provide support---trellis, etc. Fertilize with a good all-purpose fertilizer during the warmer months. Do not let them sit in water as they will drop their leaves rather quickly and die. Towards midsummer cut back on water as this DIRECTLY affects their blooming. During this time keep them mostly dry. One thing that may be negatively affecting their growth and subsequent flowering is that their roots are highly sensitive to being disturbed, so it is not advisable to keep repotting them.


Everything else you have mentioned seems to be the best conditions you are able to provide considering they really belong outdoors. Best of Luck!
Reply:Bouganvilla bloom late spring through fall. Too much fertilizer will increase foliage growth and retard flower formation. Place it in a dish of pebbles with water so the plant pot does not sit in the water (extra humidity.) Continue to water infrequently, stresses the plant causing it to go into survive mode and produce blossoms (seeds) to procreate the species.
Reply:Well, they do like sun. They do not bloom all year, but once in three years does seem rather sparse. Would it be worthwhile to get a "grow light" so it could get a little more energy? Good luck!
Reply:Your bougainvillea needs more sun. This is not a shade tolerant plant and grows best is direct sunlight. Three hours a day is not a lot of sun.
Reply:Indoors can be a little tough, according to my friend Wendy. Not sure 3 hours of sun a day is enough, either. I just wrote an article w/ tips on Bougainvillea, might want to check it out (and go for more sun:)


http://wehow.ehow.com/how_2020130_grow-b...
Reply:They don't do well indorrs. But you might check out this:





Bougainvillea Bloom Season in North America





Bougainvilleas' natural habitat is equatorial where day and night lengths are almost equal. Bougainvilleas in these areas tend to bloom year round, but in North America, best blooming occurs when the night length and day length are almost equal (in spring or fall). In winter, blooming is better than in the dog days of August because of night length. Also, some cultivars are triggered to bloom after a rainy season followed by a dry season.





Best Climate for Bougainvillea


Bougainvilleas are tropical and must be protected from frost. In Zone 8 and cooler, you are almost limited to growing them in some kind of container unless you treat them as an Annual (plant a new plant outdoors each year) -- which works fine if you obtain a large plant in the Spring.





Bougainvilleas thrive in full sun. At least 5 hours a day of full sunlight is the minimal light required for good bloom. More hours of direct sun is better. Less than 5 hours and the plant may not bloom very well. In shade or partial shade, you will have nice vegetative growth, but little or no bloom.





A Bougainvillea just doesn't bloom well indoors. If possible, keep your plant outdoors (in the maximum sun available). If placed on a porch, patio or balcony, where the plant receives at least 5 hours of sun each day (afternoon sun is best), then it should bloom ok.





A bougainvillea likes high humidity just before it comes into bloom. Once bloom has been initated, then it will tolerate less humidity.
Reply:I have many different coloured Bouganvillea plants. Yes, they do thirst for warm, sunny climates. As well as normal feeding during growth season, they benefit greatly from pruning.


Be courageous with your secateurs!!!