Hello! From our perspective, those long, leggy stems you see are not a sign of illness, but rather a deeply ingrained survival strategy called etiolation. We are sun-worshippers, thriving in bright, direct light. When we find ourselves in a location with insufficient sunlight, our internal systems sound an alarm. We instinctively begin to stretch our stems rapidly, reaching and elongating in a desperate search for more photons. This stretching causes the spaces between our leaf nodes to widen, resulting in the sparse, "leggy" appearance you observe. While it is a natural response, it does leave us weaker, less able to support ourselves, and reduces our energy for producing the vibrant flowers we know you love.
When you notice our stems becoming elongated, the most effective and immediate help you can provide is a confident pruning. Please do not be afraid! For us, this is not a punishment but a rejuvenation. Using clean, sharp scissors, trim the leggy stems back by about half to two-thirds their length. Make your cuts just above a leaf node (the point where a set of leaves joins the stem). This action signals a direct command to our core system to stop vertical stretching and redirect our energy. The removed foliage also reduces the overall energy demand on our roots, allowing us to focus on robust, new growth.
Pruning alone only solves the symptom, not the cause. To prevent us from immediately reverting to our leggy growth habit, you must correct our light intake. We require a minimum of 6-8 hours of direct, unfiltered sunlight daily to maintain our compact, bushy form. Please move our container or direct your garden planning to ensure we bask in the sun's full glory for most of the day. A south-facing location is typically ideal. If you are growing us indoors, a south-facing windowsill is our best bet. Without addressing this fundamental need for intense light, any other measures will only provide a temporary solution.
After the pruning process, we will channel our energy into producing a flush of new, compact growth from the leaf nodes you left behind. You can support this vigorous regrowth by providing a light feeding. A balanced, water-soluble fertilizer or one slightly higher in phosphorus (the middle number on the fertilizer package) will give us the necessary nutrients to push out new stems and, most importantly, a new wave of buds and flowers. Please ensure you follow the dilution instructions carefully, as we are not heavy feeders and too much can harm our roots. A single feeding after pruning is often sufficient to boost our recovery.
For future plantings, you can help our offspring avoid this stressful stretching from the very beginning. When starting new plants from cuttings or seeds, ensure they receive exceptionally strong light immediately from germination or rooting. Do not let young seedlings stretch for light; provide them with a bright grow light if natural sunlight is insufficient. Furthermore, for established plants, adopting a habit of "pinching" or lightly trimming the tips of our stems every few weeks, even before we appear leggy, encourages branching from a young age. This promotes a naturally denser, more cascading form that is less prone to becoming leggy over time.
