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I have a bougainvillea I bought about 3 mo ago. I planted it in the garden in a partial shade and sunny spot.?

It has beautiful foliage and it continues to grow, but it hasn't bloomed. It has new growth all over it and I fertilize it with a monthly fertilizer for camellia and gardenia food. Have any ideas why it won't bloom.

Public Comments

1. Give it time. Transplanting is hard on a any plant and it may take a year or longer before it blooms. Careful with the fertilizer. You actually want this plant to concentrate on growing roots for now so it can support blooms when it is ready. Compost and mulch your plant and before you know it you'll be hacking it back.
2. It's in to happy of place. If you can stress it a little as in no water and let it wilt then water it back up it will bloom. I know everyone is going to thumbs down me but if it is growing that much it is past all transplant shock. So if it is real happy it will just grow from now on and maybe never bloom. If you can take the water off of it till it wilts it will seance it is going to die and must propagate so when you water it up it will put on blooms. http://www.ktrh.com/pages/gardenline-bougainvillea.html Try this link to see what you want to do read the part about the torture of a bougainvillea.
3. Bouganvilleas are subtropical/tropical plants..they do not have true flowers but actually a paper like bloom..They bloom the best when under stress.. They do not like alot of fertilizer and they bloom best when stressed out and not watering them..they prefer "dry feet"..let the soil dry out "completely" before watering..Read uned ferilization here..You are over fertilizing it for sure..and the watering less helps also.. http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/EP130 This paragraph came from the link below it..Fertilization is good..but as they mention..the best blooming ones bloom when not cared for as much.. Perhaps you have noticed too that the best-flowering bougainvillea are on vacated properties or at the end of a vista with minimal care. In these areas, they often receive only water and fertilizer that nature provides. They frequently ramble at will, and, as some might say, out of control. But this is what the plants like. When growers want to bring their bougainvillea into bloom, they do one thing -- withhold water. The plants won't dry up and shrivel but will be under some stress. This is what we have to do too. Give the plants a sunny location and normal care to get them established with roots growing out into the surrounding soil; then follow these tips to encourage flowers and then keep them in bloom. http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/features_gardening_blog/2007/03/benign_neglect_.html