Hi everybody,can anyone advice me on how and where to prune a bouganvillia shrub,I have quite a few in the garden mainly in pots as I havn.t got soil,I live on a rocky mountain :rolleyes:I also need to know when to prune,I'm a real novice at gardening but need to get my head around it, I have never really enjoyed gardening and often find myself looking at it not knowing were to start,I need serious help....mmmm maybe just employ someone

depends on the way you want it to grow & how large.

invest in a book on pruning techniques.

Jaz,
On the site, AllExperts,
(http://en.allexperts.com/q/Perennials-729/Bouganvilla.htm)
they state that bouganvillas, when used as a pot plant, should be pruned during the winter as pruning affects the next year's blooming. It also states that pruning is not necessary unless the plant has become messy. They don't state how to prune but, since they say to prune when it gets messy, I assume you only need to prune off enough to make the plant look neat again.

Hi RugbyHukr and thanks for your reply.
I have 2 that I would like to grow in width to cover a fence,1, that is already a ball shape and would like to keep it that way but,(doesn't look to good at the moment)the other 2 are tall and slim,would like them to stay this way also.
When I go back to the UK I will keep my eyes open for a good prunning book

MLM,thanks to you too,I think the link you sent is great

I can help a lil thats on a invisable plant now.......
anything dead,diseased& unproductive.
anything overly tangled/crossing
cut to direct growth or to reduce some growth.

when you trim the tips on your round shape it will help keep it full.watch for the thorns,they really do hurt& hurt worse than rose thorns.

Fence one.I guess you'd locate your longer branches and drape to cover the fence and the side stems that come off them you'd trim the tip so would flourish out.They like acidic soil.maybe try to mix some azealia potting mix in the existing pots.I don't grow mine in full sun,but they do get quiet a bit of sun in morning& evening.I cold GH mine,but they'll useually bloom all winter for me,but I trimmed them so no blooms this year,but mine will start up in May.I grow mine in hanging baskets.I'm a zone 8b and they are hardy to zone 9.I have wet winters....or I'd try growing them in ground.I keep mine on the dry side durring winter from Dec- Feb.

Sorry not much help.I had a good site bookmarked,but when got computer worked on I lost those good bookmarks.I will look for it a bit more.it had lots of good info included.

Thanks so much,the last 2days I have been out there doing what I think is right as far as prunning goes will have to wait and see what happens.I am worried about the one in a pot that WAS shaped in a lovely ball,it's now nothing but wood not sure weather to cut it back very hard as there is some fresh leaves at the very base what do you think?

... hi there Jaz... I've gots three of 'em (one yellow, one pinkish, one red) in pots... and cuz I live in zone 5 and have to grow them as house plants... and and and they are all blooming right now too. As far as my pruning of them goes, lol... I just wait until after they're done blooming and then I start whacking away at 'em... and they just seem to love it, lol... and hey, I still don't know exactly what I am doing, or what I am really going for in the looks department either, and you know... like bonsai or mounded or more tree like????... or what???... and so I am just sorta experimenting my way with them. and they sorta are like letting me know which way they want to go/grow... but I would just say, and if ya don't know for you... then do a little pruning here and there, and then just wait and see how the plant takes to it... and the neato keen thingie here is, is that bouganvillas are also quick to respond.