From my perspective, light is my primary source of energy. It is the fuel that powers the entire process of photosynthesis, which in turn allows me to grow strong and produce the resources needed for blooming. If I am placed in a spot that is too shady, I simply cannot generate enough energy. I will focus all my efforts on stretching my stems towards any available light source, becoming leggy and weak, with no surplus energy to create flower buds. To encourage me to bloom, please provide me with at least 6 hours of direct sunlight daily. Without it, my internal signals will always prioritize survival over reproduction.
Your intentions are good when you fertilize me, but the type of food you give me matters immensely. If you feed me a fertilizer with high nitrogen content (the first number on the package), you are essentially telling my system to focus exclusively on vegetative growth. I will respond by producing an abundance of lush, green leaves at the expense of flowers. To trigger my blooming cycle, I need a fertilizer that is higher in phosphorus (the middle number). Phosphorus is the nutrient that directly supports the development of strong roots, and most importantly, the formation of buds and flowers. It shifts my internal priorities from just growing leaves to beginning reproduction.
I am often sold in a pot that is already too small for my root system. When my roots have no room to expand, they become pot-bound, circling tightly and becoming stressed. A root-bound plant is a stressed plant, and a stressed plant focuses on survival, not flowering. Furthermore, this congestion makes it difficult for me to uptake the water and nutrients I need, even if you provide them. If you see roots growing out of the drainage holes or circling the top of the soil, it is a clear sign I need a new home. Repotting me into a slightly larger container with fresh, well-draining soil gives my roots the space and environment they need to support healthy top growth and flowering.
My water needs are a delicate balance. Underwatering causes immense stress. When I am too dry, my leaves wilt and my systems start to shut down to conserve moisture; creating flowers is the last thing on my mind. Conversely, overwatering is equally damaging. Soggy, waterlogged soil suffocates my roots, preventing them from absorbing oxygen and leading to root rot. A plant with rotting roots cannot absorb any water or nutrients at all, leading to a decline in health and a complete absence of blooms. Consistent moisture is key—water me deeply when the top inch of soil feels dry, and always ensure I am in a pot with excellent drainage.
This may seem counterintuitive, but to make me bloom more later, you must remove some of my early growth. This practice, called pinching, is a direct instruction from you that shapes my growth. If you allow me to grow tall and spindly in the spring and early summer, I will only set buds at the very tips of my stems, resulting in a sparse display. By pinching back the top inch or two of my stems until mid-summer, you are encouraging me to branch out and become bushier. Each one of these new branches will then produce its own terminal bud, resulting in a much denser, more spectacular explosion of flowers when the shorter days of late summer and fall arrive.
