Question
Hi, I have a friend that has a couple of bougainvillias that she purchased at the beginning of this summer and now that it is wenter time she no longer wants them and has told me that I can have them. There is going to be a hard freeze tonight and I plan to go get them and bring them inside for the wenter. We have already had a slight frost and i am wondering if it is to late to propagate cuttings from them because i will have to trim them back before i bring them inside. Also i have a couple of Butterfly bushes that i planted this past spring and I want to thim them back. Should I wait until after we have a hard freeze? And I would like advice on propagating them as well so that next spring I can plant some more of them. I live in Athens, Alabama and we are in winter zones 7-10 I think. Thanks in advance for your help. Keith

Answer
Keith, you can certainly propagate now. This will give the plants a head start when they are transplanted next spring. Also, this is the perfect time for pruning. Just be sure to avoid pruning any flowering plants that have already set their buds for next spring.

Good luck, and please write again if I can ever be of assistance.

Regards,

Mike