From my perspective as a plant, light is my food. I use it to create the energy necessary for everything: growing new leaves, strengthening my roots, and most importantly, creating offspring. If I am not placed in a location with enough bright, indirect light, I simply will not have the surplus energy required to produce stolons (those long shoots) and plantlets (the babies you want). My survival comes first; I will direct all my energy into maintaining my existing foliage if I am in a constant state of low-energy hunger. Think of it as me being too exhausted to start a family.
My pot is my entire world. The roots beneath the soil are my foundation and my means of absorbing water and nutrients. If I have been living in the same pot for too long, my roots become tightly packed and congested. This condition, which you call being "root-bound," is incredibly stressful. There is little room for new root growth, which means less access to water and nutrients. In this state of stress, my sole focus is on survival, not expansion. I cannot even consider the complex task of sending out runners and developing new plantlets when I am struggling to sustain myself.
While I am not a heavy feeder, I still require a balanced diet to thrive and reproduce. The soil I live in can become depleted of essential nutrients over time, especially if I am watered with filtered or distilled water. If I lack key nutrients like nitrogen for foliage growth and phosphorus for root and flower development, I will not have the building blocks needed to create babies. Conversely, too much fertilizer, particularly high-nitrogen formulas, can encourage me to put all my energy into producing lush green leaves at the expense of developing the reproductive stolons.
Producing offspring is a sign of my maturity and overall good health. I am simply not capable of this feat when I am very young. I must first reach a certain level of maturity, which typically occurs when I am over a year to eighteen months old. Furthermore, the process is seasonal. I am most inclined to grow babies during the longer, brighter days of spring and summer when conditions are optimal for my pups to establish themselves. During the shorter, darker days of fall and winter, I am in a state of rest and will rarely, if ever, attempt to reproduce.
My watering needs are specific. I prefer a cycle of thorough watering followed by a period where the soil is allowed to dry out somewhat. Consistent overwatering is a direct threat to my life, as it suffocates my roots and can lead to fatal root rot. A plant fighting for its life will not produce babies. On the other hand, if I am chronically underwatered and left wilted for long periods, I become weakened and stressed. In both extreme cases, my survival mechanisms take over, and all non-essential processes, including reproduction, are shut down until conditions improve.
