The best care is no care, ignore it, don't water it, don't feed it.

The fact that it looks really healthy and has many leaves now, is testament that you have paid too much attention to it. It should be blooming right now, instead of flushing growth.

I have two Bougainvilea in pots I want to plant in the ground, I have heard they do well with lots of sun, balanced fertilizer and a bit of neglect... very light on the trimming, since the color forms on the ends of the growing bracts. Mine have suffered for a couple years from an over-eager BIL with branch loppers, they are now in the "no clip" zone LOL.

Some of the most gorgeous specimens I've seen have been growing all on their own with very little care, but those plants were probably 10 or 20 years old.

Bogies bloom best when root bound. So,if they are still in pots, leave them there but cut the whole bottom off the pot. That will force them to bloom early and as they put on size the roots will anchor through the open bottom.

Otherwise you may have to wait until they get very large and root-bind themselves.

Mine do suffer from lack of water though they can take a long dry spell and recover.

Here's a pic. of mine blooming at Christmas, I trained this one as a tree, mine get morning sun, they need sun to bloom, I have 2 more out there under my holly tree, they rarely bloom,not enough sun, but I like the varigated leaves, and I prune often to keep a round bush shape, also I feed mine often with food for acid loving plants.

Here is a link that might be useful:

I have one here that gets absolutely no car and it's under an oak tree. Sure does grow tall up into that oak and will give my riding mower flat tires if I even look at it. I think it flowers once per year though.

There are certain times of the year you can trim to keep shaped and in bounds, so when they bloom they will be full.

Tropicalfreak

Tropicalfreak....what times of year can you trim to shape? I just bought a new one and planted it over the weekend.

I'm hoping to morph it into what Susieq07 has displayed in her pic. That is gorgeous!

Those folks who said just ignore it are right! The less water and fertilizer you give these guys the better. They do love to be in full sun, though.

Hi
I had them in the ground -no blooms. the leaves kept dropping!. I potted some of them up, water and fertilized them. They bloomed. I dont know if it is the water, fertilizer of the change of season that did it. All I can see is that those in pots bloomed and those in ground did not even though they got the same treatment and sun. The ones in the pot are going in ground-pots and all!

I heard they thrive on neglect which is how I treat mine; but lately it's lost it's leaves. Idk if I should trim it all the way down or just dig it up. It's looking pretty pathetic. :(

Here's some basic info from Floridata.com..

Here is a link that might be useful: Bougainvillea spp.

This post was edited by carolb_w_fl on Sat, Feb 8, 14 at 14:41

Everyone is right about the different ways to stress the plant so that it produces flowers. This will work. There are many plants that will produced flowers, or produce cones, like with cycads, when they are stressed, but I've never been a fan of stressing a plant to make them produce productive parts. I like to use different fertilizers as a tool to make my plants do what I want them to.
When you grow a good looking Bougainvillea , you water it and fertilize it with a higher Nitrogen fertilizer to help produce good growth and make it healthy. When you want it to produce flowers, you wait until the last fertilizer application wears off and then, at least I, would use Triple Super Phosphate (0-46-0). Almost guaranteed, new flowers start coming out in about 3 weeks. I've probably installed Bougainvilleas in 100 landscapes and every time a customer asked me this question, and they tried this trick, they would call me and let me know how happy they were that it worked.
This is also a really good trick with semi dwarf azaleas in late July and August. I'd use two applications in late summer and they would start flowering heavily from later in September all the way into May. I'd also supplement them again during the flowering season. Another good application is to get a second batch of daylillies in August and September, or cutting the seed pods off the crepe myrtles and getting a second batch of flowers in September.

Does anyone use coffee grounds at the base? I heard they are great for Bougainvilleas.

It's o.k. to do, but they don't need it. Honestly, they thrive on neglect. The one next door to me has been blooming all year long and she never even waters it.

Warm winter? My 3 small bougs have been planted for many years in different sun/shade conditions, with no blooming until this spring following a no winter winter when the two in sun burst forth. I did add Milorganite, for the first time, about that time. Also put it on about everything, and reaped blooming of many other non-blooming plants: allamanda, bush morning glory, vines (Petrea, bleeding heart, and butterfly vine recently, after 2 weeks of rain). I guess that in my yard, the warmer headstart really matters.

I cut mine back a little then water and fertilize and give it as much sun as possible. They bloom on new growth. It is really the leaves/bracts that turn color so push growth and they will "flower".

I need to dig one up and move it. It was real small a couple of months ago but with all this rain it is getting big!

I hope it survives the transplant!