First, you must understand that I am not a fleeting annual; I am a perennial plant with a deliberate life cycle. If you sowed my seeds this spring or even planted me as a young nursery start last year, please be patient. I am still a teenager, investing all my energy into building a strong root system and lush foliage. This is my foundation. Flowering is an energetically expensive process, and I simply cannot do it until I have established myself properly. It may take me a full year, or even two, before I feel mature and secure enough in my environment to direct resources toward producing my magnificent flower spires.
My aspirations are grand, and to achieve them, I require a rich banquet of nutrients. I am a heavy feeder. If you planted me in poor, sandy, or nutrient-deficient soil, I am struggling to find the basic sustenance just to survive, let alone bloom. I crave rich, well-draining, fertile soil amended with plenty of organic matter like compost or well-rotted manure. Furthermore, I need a consistent supply of fertilizer. A balanced, slow-release fertilizer applied in early spring as I break dormancy is crucial. Then, a fertilizer higher in phosphorus (the middle number on the package) as I begin to form flower spikes can encourage prolific blooming. Without this nutritional support, I simply lack the strength to flower.
My roots are shallow yet demanding. I crave consistent moisture, especially during the heat of the growing season. If you allow my soil to dry out completely, I become stressed. My leaves may wilt and my growth stalls as I enter survival mode. Under this kind of stress, aborting flower bud development is one of the first things my system does to conserve water and energy. Conversely, the intense afternoon sun in many parts of the US can be too much for me. While I need at least 6-8 hours of sun to flower, I greatly appreciate some afternoon shade, particularly in hotter zones (USDA 7 and above). The scorching sun can bake my roots and cause overall stress, hindering my flowering potential.
Many gardeners enjoy my early summer show and then forget about me. But if you desire an encore, you must help me. After my first flowers fade, you must cut the entire spent flower spike back to its base, just above the nearest set of healthy leaves. This action tells me not to waste energy producing seed and instead directs my efforts toward generating a second, smaller flush of blooms later in the season. If you leave the old flower spikes in place, my biological imperative is to set seed, and my show is over for the year.
Finally, you should know that while I am a perennial, I am not immortal. Individual plants often begin to decline after 2-3 years. As I age, my central crown can become woody and less productive. Furthermore, if I have been happily growing in the same spot for several years, my root system has likely become immensely crowded. This competition for space and resources between my own roots leads to weaker growth and significantly reduced flowering. To combat this, I should be divided every 2-3 years in early spring. This rejuvenates me, giving my roots new space to grow and access to fresh soil nutrients, which directly translates into more vigorous growth and better flowering.
