Attempting Bougainvillea for thick stems

[dreem]

Hi. I'm trying to get some bougainvillea going and want to go to thick trunks and avoid waiting....

I've set up some branches for air layering... Waiting....

I've put 3 cuttings in ground to make roots. Buds are coming nicely.
Waiting....

Is it possible to fuse these 3 cuttings once they're bigger so there'll be one big trunk instead of three separate trees?

Edith

 

[Cadillactaste]

You are wanting to fuse the three small trees to make one. I think you will always know that they were fused. I've had this one since 2015...they don't thicken quickly.



When it arrived...


To be honest...I'm not discouraging you from your project. But I believe finding the bones of a bougainvillea that you are happy with...and work to develop it would be a more satisfying journey for what you are wanting. I can't tell a difference really for the trunk has changed significantly...over the time its resided on my bench. I've only developed a canopy and ramification.

I would suggest looking into clumps. You maybe more interested in doing that with your cuttings. When one takes mediocre material and groups it together...it makes a better composition.
An example...I took five chojubai cuttings a year ago...to make this cascade clump. Its still early in development mind you.


Which were these back in 2019. Assembling fall 2019.

 

[Bonsai Nut]

Welcome to the site!

Yes, fusing trunks could work, but what would work fastest would be to plant your bougie outdoors (if possible) and let it grow wildly for three years or more. Either that, or grow it in a large grow box for a while.

Trunk caliper is a function of the vascular demand of the tree. If you have a small tree with few branches and leaves, the tree is perfectly in balance with a thin trunk. The way you grow a big trunk is to dramatically increase your foliage mass - which will require more branches, more ramification, and which will increase the vascular demand - causing the trunk to thicken. If you keep the foliage mass fixed, the trunk will thicken very slowly...

 

[dreem]

You are wanting to fuse the three small trees to make one. I think you will always know that they were fused. I've had this one since 2015...they don't thicken quickly.

View attachment 347397

When it arrived...
View attachment 347398

To be honest...I'm not discouraging you from your project. But I believe finding the bones of a bougainvillea that you are happy with...and work to develop it would be a more satisfying journey for what you are wanting. I can't tell a difference really for the trunk has changed significantly...over the time its resided on my bench. I've only developed a canopy and ramification.

I would suggest looking into clumps. You maybe more interested in doing that with your cuttings. When one takes mediocre material and groups it together...it makes a better composition.
An example...I took five chojubai cuttings a year ago...to make this cascade clump. Its still early in development mind you.
View attachment 347399

Which were these back in 2019. Assembling fall 2019.
View attachment 347400

Thank you, that's more like what I was thinking of. My cuttings haven't sprouted much yet so I still have some time until spring to think about this.

 

[Cadillactaste]

Thank you, that's more like what I was thinking of. My cuttings haven't sprouted much yet so I still have some time until spring to think about this.

Plenty of time...People even change their minds and revamp their current bonsai on their benches. Wish you the best. Great hobby for sure.

 

[dreem]

View attachment 347399

With something like this is it possible to make the actual trunks fuse by touching their cambium and that sort of thing?

 

[sorce]

Where are you located?

Some folks have access to landscape ones, maybe that's the ticket to your quickest big trunk.

Welcome to Crazy!

Sorce

 

[dreem]

We have some in our garden but we'd like to keep them there. Hence the air layering.