Transplanting Outdoors

• 1). Prepare the new bed prior to transplanting. Spread a 2-inch layer of compost over a well-drained bed that receives at least six hours of sunlight a day. Work the compost into the top 12 inches of soil to add additional drainage and nutrients to the site.
  
  
• 2). Prune the bougainvillea plant, removing up to half its height. Bougainvilleas tolerate severe pruning. Trimming prior to moving helps limit the amount of shock to the plant.
  
  
• 3). Dig around the bougainvillea root ball, 16 inches away from the stem of the plant. Dig down to below the roots, then slide the spade under the roots and lift the plant out of the soil.
  
  
• 4). Dig the planting hole so it is as deep as the root ball but two times as wide. Set the bougainvillea into the hole, spreading the roots gently.
  
  
• 5). Adjust the bougainvillea until its depth is the same as that at which it was planted in its nursery pot or previous location. Fill in around the roots with soil then water thoroughly.
  
  
• 6). Install a 5-foot stake on either side of the bougainvillea plant. Tie the stem to each stake with two plant ties. Leave the stakes in place for the first year after transplanting, as wind can easily uproot or damage a newly transplanted bougainvillea.
  
  

Repotting Indoor Plants

• 1). Water the soil in the pot until the excess drains freely from the bottom.
  
  
• 2). Grasp the bougainvillea around the stem near where it emerges from the soil. Turn the pot upside down and thump the bottom until the plant slides out.
  
  
• 3). Slice 1 inch off the side and another 1 inch off the bottom of the root ball. Use a sharp clean knife so the roots cut cleanly and don't tear.
  
  
• 4). Set the bougainvillea back into the original pot. Fill in around the roots with fresh soil as needed so the bougainvillea is planted at its previous depth. Water thoroughly after repotting.