How to Trim Climbing Bougainvillea for Maximum Bloom

Pinch out the growing tips of your bougainvillea branches every time the flowers start to fade. Bougainvilleas grow in cycles with a period of a few weeks of leaf production followed by a few weeks of flowering. Higher temperatures and long days inhibit flowering. Pinching out the growing tips after flowering encourages new shoots and branching and increases the number of flowers on your vine in the long term.

Prune your bougainvillea back by about one-third at the end of the summer, cutting lateral branches back to within two or three buds of the main stem. Remove any branches that are weak or distort the overall shape of your plant and cut away any dead wood.

Remove any suckers growing up from ground level. These use nutrients that might otherwise be used to produce flowers. Ground suckers also bang into the main trunk during storms and can cause severe damage to its delicate bark.