I am a child of the sun, thriving in its full, direct embrace. A common mistake you make is placing me in a spot with insufficient light. If I am grown in shade or even partial shade, I will respond by growing long, weak, leggy stems with very few, if any, of the vibrant bracts you desire. My energy goes into searching for light, not into producing a spectacular floral display. To see me at my best, I require a minimum of six hours of direct, unfiltered sunlight each day. Anything less, and I simply cannot perform the photosynthesis needed to support abundant blooming.
While I appreciate hydration, especially when newly planted, my roots are highly susceptible to rot. Overwatering is one of the fastest ways to harm me. You often treat me like a thirsty tropical plant that needs constantly moist soil, but I am drought-tolerant by nature. Soggy, waterlogged soil suffocates my root system, preventing oxygen uptake and leading to yellowing leaves, drooping, and a swift decline. Allow my soil to dry out thoroughly between waterings. When you do water, do so deeply, then let me be. In cooler months, I need even less water.
Your enthusiasm to help me grow often leads to another error: over-fertilization, particularly with high-nitrogen blends. Nitrogen encourages me to produce an abundance of lush, green foliage at the expense of my flowers. You get a beautiful green bush with very few bracts. To promote prolific blooming, I require a fertilizer high in phosphorus (the middle number on the package). Feed me with a balanced, slow-release fertilizer or a bloom-booster formula in the early spring as I begin my active growth cycle, and then sparingly throughout the summer. Too much food, or the wrong kind, does more harm than good.
Pruning is necessary to maintain my shape and encourage new growth, but timing is absolutely critical. I set my flower buds on new growth. If you prune me at the wrong time—typically in late autumn or winter—you will inadvertently cut off all the budding nodes destined to become next season's color. The ideal time to prune me is right after a flush of blooms has faded. This gives me ample time to produce new branches, which will then develop the next round of flower buds. Pruning me too harshly or at the wrong time results in a long period without my beautiful display.
While I can be grown successfully in containers, I do not like to be excessively root-bound. A common mistake is leaving me in the same small pot for too many years. When my roots become severely congested, they cannot effectively take up water and nutrients, leading to stunted growth, nutrient deficiencies, and increased susceptibility to stress. If you choose to keep me potted, please repot me into a slightly larger container with fresh, well-draining soil every few years to ensure I remain healthy and vibrant.
