From our perspective, light is our primary energy source, but we are understory beings. We thrive in the dappled, filtered light found beneath taller tree companions. If we are planted in deep, heavy shade, we simply cannot gather enough photosynthetic energy to produce the immense number of buds required for a grand floral display. Conversely, if we are subjected to the harsh, full afternoon sun, our leaves can become scorched and stressed. This stress forces us to divert all our energy into mere survival, leaving nothing in reserve for the luxurious process of flowering. The ideal is bright, indirect light or morning sun with afternoon shade, mimicking our native woodland floor habitat.
Our feeding requirements are specific. A high-nitrogen fertilizer, often designed for lawns, encourages us to produce an abundance of lush, green foliage at the expense of flowers. It tells our system to focus on vegetative growth. What we truly need is a fertilizer that is acidic in nature and balanced for our unique needs, often with a formulation like what is marketed for "acid-loving plants." More crucially, timing is everything. We must be fed *after* we bloom, as this is when we begin the internal process of setting next year's flower buds. Fertilizing us too late in the season (after early summer) can promote tender new growth that is vulnerable to winter damage, again disrupting our cycle.
This is perhaps the most common reason for our silence. Our flower buds for the next spring are formed on the growth we produce in the current summer. If you prune us in late summer, fall, or even very early spring, you are quite literally cutting off our potential for bloom. You are removing the very structures that hold our future flowers. The safe window for pruning is immediately *after* our spring bloom has concluded. This gives us ample time through the summer to produce new growth and, most importantly, set a new array of buds for the following year without having them accidentally removed.
We are sensitive to our surroundings. Extreme weather conditions, such as a late spring frost after our buds have begun to swell, can kill the delicate embryonic flowers inside. A winter with little snow cover and bitter winds can desiccate and damage these same buds. Furthermore, if our roots are struggling due to poorly draining, soggy soil, we cannot uptake the water and nutrients needed to support blooming. Similarly, drought stress will cause us to abort flowers to conserve resources. Lastly, if we are battling pests like lace bugs or diseases such as root rot, our vitality is compromised. A stressed plant is in survival mode, not reproduction mode.
Our root systems absolutely require acidic soil to properly access nutrients, especially iron. When the soil pH is too high (alkaline), we suffer from chlorosis (yellowing leaves with green veins) because we cannot uptake iron. This nutrient deficiency weakens us significantly and inhibits our ability to perform the complex biochemistry required to create flowers. If the soil pH is incorrect, even perfect fertilization is useless, as we are locked out from using those nutrients. Maintaining a soil pH between 4.5 and 6.0 is fundamental to our overall health and our capacity to flower.
