If you want leaves, fertilize and water.. It of you want flowers, forget about fertilizing and water only when very dry. If you tend to pamper your plants, this is not the plant for you.

I agree, they thrive on neglect, heat and strong sun.

If you want leaves, fertilize and water.. It of you want flowers, forget about fertilizing and water only when very dry. If you tend to pamper your plants, this is not the plant for you.>>>

I totally agree..but these were the instructions coming straight from Logees Nursery. Perhaps you can assist me when I have to bring them indoors to a south window approaching Fall. I recall years ago, upon doing so, all the leaves dropped and it never recovered.

Here's how I learned about the 'care' of these plants, and it was not from Logees' instructions. In the summer, mine is outside with the other tropicals. I don't feed it but it gets rained on, so stays fairly moist, and green. I really try hard to ignore it, but it never flowers in Summer. Around the time of the first frost (early November here), I will bring the plant to work. Yes, leaves will drop initially but others grow, and I rarely water it. It sits in a big, sunny east window all winter. It gets covered with flowers by January! Coworkers are stunned and assume it must be a high maintenance exotic. Leave it for dead in a sunny window and it'll flower its head off! Weird, but true.

I don't understand some suggestions that I read here. I already have "flowers'. Some say to ignore, don't water, hot sun let it be stressed. In my 6" pots, my leaves start to wilt in a period of a few days, so to me its being stressed, so I water...the soil is definitely dry. others say here that they don't water for weeks or even a month or so. I can't imagine them not wilting. I would say mine wilts at least every 4 or 5 days if I do not water. Perhaps does that don't water for weeks or so, may have in a large pot.

If they are wilting, water. Yes, this does depend on pot size, smaller pots dry out faster. This is also Summer, higher temps mean faster drying. If it goes out of bloom, stressing it a bit by reducing watering IS helpful. Also, they are not heavy feeders and resent overly rich soils. Again, less is more with this plant. Am I correct in guessing you are growing them indoors?

Am I correct in guessing you are growing them indoors?>>>

No and yes, eventually. Outside now during the summer and almost 6 hours of sun, then indoors as Fall approaches. I think that those that mention they sometimes don't need to water for a month or so are talking about Bogies that are growing in the ground, and they should make that clear when giving advice. , I don't care how big a pot, I can't imagine them not wilting in a week or so at least.