Leave it dry and protected from cold and excess water. Once you see some new growth popping out, you can start watering. You can also trim back but you must INCREASE THE LIGHT. If you trim back and grow in the same conditions, it will continue to look the same at the end of next year. These will take full sun every day in So Cal. I've kept one alive through four Winters (see 'don't water while dormant', above by previous posters). A newly purchased plant bloomed this year and I am officially 'hooked'! I've been watching closely a Cactus & Succulent Guru who trims them down to stumps willy nilly and pots up as bonsai! I recently asked him about cutting my lanky bloomer back and his recommendation was to wait until spring and full growing season. I find with mine after winter dormancy is broken, plenty of water and some fertilizer will pop out those blooms! This adenium is four years old and has never been cut. It is in full sun all year, except for Winter (known as Rainy Season in SoCal) when I move it in and water about three times during it's indoor stay. (Still hasn't bloomed, but I only started working on that this year.) I am getting ready to 'raise' the plant so the fat root (caudex)is exposed, part of the allure to C&S growers for this plant. DISCLAIMER: None of the plants shown in the following are MY plants! They are examples of local-to-my-area C&S enthusiasts and their art. This plant, in 2008 took four men to lift up to the table. This pic was taken in 2006. The proud grower and plant in 2007.

The Bottom Line ⢠Vitamin B-1, aka thiamine, does not reduce transplant shock or stimulate new root growth on plants outside the laboratory ⢠A nitrogen fertilizer is adequate for transplanting landscape plants; avoid use of âÂÂtransplant fertilizersâ that contain phosphate ⢠Healthy plants will synthesize their own thiamine supply ⢠Healthy soils contain beneficial microbes that synthesize thiamine as well ⢠Difficult-to-transplant species may be aided by application of auxin-containing products in addition to nitrogen, but read the label and donâÂÂt add unnecessary and potentially harmful chemicals (this includes organics!) ⢠Adequate soil moisture is crucial for new root growth; be sure to irrigate new transplants frequently and use mulch to reduce evaporation Here is a link that might be useful: The Myth of Vitamin Stimulants

Bougainvilleas LOVE the sun! They tend to drop their blooms in shady areas and when they don't get enough water or too much water. Full sun and plenty of regular water. NEVER let your bougainvilleas dry out between watering. Don't drown them either. In other words keep the soil damp- not dry and not soaking wet. Consider the climate you live in...is it humid or is it an arid desert? In the arid Arizona desert you will need a watering system in place where they get water every day or you will need to water them by hand and keep checking the soil to make sure it's damp (my bougainvilleas are in large pots and drain well, so for me, I water them every other day in the warm months and every day in the scorching summer). Trim them periodically to keep their shape. Be patient and your bougainvilleas will reward you! I also prune mine twice a year and they come back abundant and gorgeous again. I like mine a certain size and shape. It's also important to give them proper fertilizer/plant food. Some plants like bougainvilleas are acid loving plants and others are not. You need to feed them the right amount of fertilizer periodically that is specific for acid loving plants. You can always get free advice from your local plant nursery on the right care for your specific plants.

Hey Amyta: Out of the 12 that I originally planted, one did the limp leaf thing like yours. It will not respond no matter what I do. I just bought some more at Wal Mart for 76 cents, and so far they are doing the best in dappled shade. I saw some big ones at another store, but so far none of my "shade" group have grown that big. One store even listed them as a full-sun plant, but most say partial shade. It is odd that they are often left out of gardening books and internet sites. The only yellow ones I have found were at Lowe's, all the rest have been salmon.