Question
We live about 30 miles south of Tampa, Florida.  The home we purchased has a bougainvillea that has been cut around the outside edges by the lawn care people and I have only seen two or three blooms.  How should I prune it to have a more natural-looking, blooming plant?  I will not allow the "landscaper" to cut the plant in the future.

Thank you for any help you can provide.

Answer
BGI -- the Bougainvillea experts -- generously posts a wealth of Bougainvillea instructions:

www.bgi-usa.com/kb/bougainvillea-care/

There is, they say, an art to pruning a Bougainvillea.  Do it well and your plant will be covered with blooms.  Most important lesson:  Keep in mind always that these plants bloom on NEW GROWTH.

BGI points out that correct pruning not only promotes flowering, but it shapes the plant and promotes stockier, stronger growth.  Standard pruning in Florida, they write, is for 'a hard cut at the first sign of summer, and keep on a regular trimming schedule all summer long to maintain size.'

For best results, you should also pinch regularly, either by hand or with a pruning shears. Wait until the end of a flowering cycle, writes BGI -- typically 4 to 6 weeks.

Given that you have inherited this yard, I might suggest a Soil test to help you identify any problems before they happen as well as to figure out the feeding schedule.  University of Florida will likely do this for you at a very reasonable price.  Thanks for writing,

THE LONG ISLAND GARDENER