This is the most common reason my leaves fall. I have a delicate relationship with water. My roots despise sitting in constantly soggy, waterlogged soil. It suffocates them, leading to root rot, which prevents me from taking up water and nutrients. The first sign of this distress is my leaves turning yellow and then dropping off. Conversely, if you forget to water me for too long, especially when I'm in a container or it's very hot, I become severely dehydrated. To conserve my remaining water, I will wilt and then shed my leaves to reduce moisture loss. The fix is to check my soil before watering. Stick your finger about an inch deep; water me thoroughly only when the top inch feels dry, and always ensure my pot has excellent drainage.
I am a sun-worshipper by nature, originating from warm, sunny climates. To produce my vibrant bracts and maintain my dense foliage, I require a minimum of 6 hours of direct, unfiltered sunlight each day. If you place me in a spot that is too shady, my internal energy systems slow down. I cannot produce enough food through photosynthesis to sustain all my leaves. As a result, I must make a difficult choice and will begin dropping them. The older, inner leaves are usually the first to go. To fix this, please move me to the sunniest location you have, such as a south-facing wall or patio. The more sun I get, the happier and leafier I will be.
If you recently brought me home from the nursery or repotted me into a new container, I might be experiencing transplant shock. My entire world—the light, temperature, humidity, and the texture of the soil around my roots—changed abruptly. This is a significant stressor. My reaction is to focus my energy on re-establishing my root system in this new environment, and I often sacrifice my leaves to do so. The fix is to place me in a stable, ideal location with the right amount of sun and to be very careful with watering while I adjust. Avoid fertilizing me immediately after repotting, as my tender roots can be burned.
I am a tender perennial, which means I am highly sensitive to cold. I thrive in warmth, and temperatures dipping below 40°F (4°C) are very dangerous for me. A sudden cold draft from a door, an air conditioning vent, or an overnight chill can cause me to go into survival mode. My leaves will often turn red or purple before they curl and drop. This is my way of jettisoning parts that are susceptible to frost damage. The fix is to keep me in a spot where temperatures remain consistently warm, above 50°F (10°C). If I am outdoors in a pot, I must be brought inside well before the first frost of the season.
While I am not a excessively heavy feeder, I do need specific nutrients, like phosphorus, to support my prolific blooming. If I have been in the same pot for a long time, the soil can become depleted of nutrients, leading to a general decline and leaf drop. On the other hand, over-fertilizing, especially with a high-nitrogen fertilizer, can cause a surge of weak, leafy growth at the expense of my beautiful bracts and can also chemically burn my roots. Both scenarios lead to stress and leaf loss. The fix is to feed me a balanced, slow-release fertilizer or one high in phosphorus (like a "bloom booster") every 4-6 weeks during my active growing season, and to repot me every few years with fresh soil.
