Question
QUESTION: if possible,it would be great to "winter" our beautiful fushia colored bogenvelia which did wonderfully on our deck in a 10 inch planter all summer in PA (40 miles north of Phila.).  I brought it inside before the frost, and the leaves & flowers are beginning to fall off now.  what is the best way to "keep it going"until next spring?  Next are a couple tree/shrub issues:  our 10 foot kousa dogwood tree has been in a partially shaded area (northwest exposure) of our backyard in southeastern PA for about 3 years & produces only moderate number of flowers & very little red fruit this fall(in fact, i don't recall any fruit this year unless the birds got to the few right away), and a pyracantha planted in mostly sunny north eastern exposure that is very healthy green leafed in multiple branches about 5 foot height & 3 foot width, but not one orange berry last fall/ winter, and there looks to be no berry production again this year.  what would you recommend doing to encourage fruit/berry production in each of these plant specimens?
thank you ever so much!
sincerely yours,
margaret bimson

ANSWER: Hi Margaret,
Thanx for your question.  Many people overwinter bougainvillea indoors successfully.  I've done it before with varied success.  These plants will go semi-dormant during the winter and have a tendency to lose their leaves and stop blooming.  They shouldn't lose all of their leaves though.  Keep them in a place that isn't too warm or cold.  Keep it in a sunny window or patio door.  Water once a week just enough to keep the plant from drying out completely.  Don't feed the plant.  In the spring, after the last frost and when nights are 50F or above, put the plant back outdoors, first in the shade for 7 days and then out in direct sunlight.  Start to feed the plant a fertilizer higher in phosphorus and potassium than in nitrogen, otherwise all you're going to get is green growth.  Water regularly and the plant should recover quickly and begin blooming again.

For your dogwood, use camelia or rhododendron food or a 0-10-10 fertilizer.  Put mulched 2-3 inche deep in a radius of 8 feet around the the tree.  Make sure the soil drains well.  It sounds to me like the kousa may be too shaded if it's got a northwest exposure, perhaps as it gets bigger and older it will produce more flowers and fruit.  The pyracantha needs some fertilizer like the 0-10-10 and that should help it flower and fruit better.  I hope this helps.
Tom

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: hi tom, again thank you for your expert advice on the above original Q&A.
follow-up question for the bougainvillea:  i am doing as you instructed for the wintering & it is doing fine,but the branches are quite long (18 to 24 inches) and there are, as you described, only a few leaves, mostly on the tips of these branches; the remainder of the branch is bare. question: should i (is it ok) to prune/cut back the branches?  if yes, how much should i cut off?
thank you very much & have a great weekend!
with much gratitude for your expertise, margaret

Answer
Hi Margaret,
Thank you for your kind words.  The best time to prune bougainvillea is in the winter as it goes dormant.  You can prune it back to your heart's content but I wouldn't prune it too severely.  I would cut off (within reason) whatever is dead or dying, unkempt, unruly growth but just enough to shape it and keep it orderly.  It should leaf out fine next year but bear in mind, it may skip a year in blooming.  I hope this helps.
Tom