Fertilising guide
How to fertilise Love-lies-bleeding (Amaranthus caudatus)— schedule & NPK
Also called love-lies-bleeding, tassel flower, velvet flower, pendant amaranth, quilete.
More about love-lies-bleeding
About Love-lies-bleeding
Amaranthus caudatus · also called love-lies-bleeding, tassel flower · flowering
Love-lies-bleeding is a dramatic warm-season annual grown for its long, pendulous, deep crimson flower tassels that drape from sturdy stems up to 1.5 m tall. Native to South America, it thrives in heat, full sun and well-drained soil. Its grain and leaves are edible in some cultures, but Amaranthus retroflexus (a close relative) is ASPCA-listed as toxic; treat ornamental Amaranthus with caution around pets.
Growth habit: Upright fast-growing warm-season annual with long pendulous flower tassels
Watch for — Lodging (stem collapse): In exposed, windy sites tall plants may topple — stake with bamboo canes tied loosely at stem nodes, or shelter from strong wind; avoid excess nitrogen which weakens stems.
What fertiliser love-lies-bleeding actually wants — and why
Love-lies-bleeding is an easy, light foliage feeder — a half-strength balanced liquid feed through the growing months keeps it green without forcing weak, sappy growth.
A balanced general houseplant feed (roughly even N-P-K) is exactly right — it is grown for foliage, so steady, moderate nitrogen for healthy leaves is the goal, not a bloom or root formula.
For the language behind the three numbers on the bottle — what nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium each do — see the NPK ratio explained entry. The short version for love-lies-bleeding: match the feed to the job the plant is doing right now, not to a generic “plant food” on the shelf.
How often to feed love-lies-bleeding, and which months
Feeding only earns its keep while the plant is in active growth and can use the nutrients — pour feed into a dormant or low-light plant and it simply builds up as root-burning salt. For love-lies-bleeding:
Apply a balanced granular fertiliser at planting. A monthly liquid feed with a balanced formulation during the growing season maintains healthy growth. Avoid high-nitrogen feeds, which produce excessive foliage and reduce stem strength. Treat that as monthly between spring through early autumn (roughly March to September); ease off in autumn and stop entirely in the low light of winter.
The dormant-season rule matters more than the exact interval: skip feeding entirely when love-lies-bleeding is resting. For the wider context on indoor feeding rhythms across the seasons, the houseplant fertiliser schedule walks through the year month by month.
What strength to mix for love-lies-bleeding
Half strength is the safe default for love-lies-bleeding — houseplant feeds are formulated strong, and the diluted dose is gentler on the roots while still ample for foliage.
Feeding always goes onto already-damp soil, never dry roots — water love-lies-bleeding first if the soil is dry, then apply the diluted feed. The companion question is when to water at all, covered in the love-lies-bleeding watering schedule.
Signs you are over-feeding love-lies-bleeding
Over-feeding is far more common — and more damaging — than under-feeding for most plants. The classic tells for love-lies-bleeding:
- Brown, crispy leaf tips and edges with no sign of underwatering.
- A white, crusty salt deposit on the soil surface or pot rim.
- Weak, pale, stretched new growth that flops.
- Lower leaves yellow and drop while the soil is correctly watered.
Signs you are under-feeding love-lies-bleeding
- Uniformly pale or yellow-green leaves, oldest first.
- Noticeably small new leaves and stalled growth in good light and season.
- A generally tired, lacklustre look despite correct watering and light.
If the symptoms point at watering, light or roots rather than nutrition, the full love-lies-bleeding care brief covers soil, humidity and the common problems for this species.
Flushing and leaching the salts
Flush the pot of love-lies-bleeding with plain water until it runs freely from the base every couple of months in the feeding season — it washes out the fertiliser salts that cause brown tips.
Organic vs synthetic feeds for love-lies-bleeding
Organic options
A diluted seaweed or worm-casting feed, or fish emulsion if you can tolerate the smell indoors. UK: Westland or Baby Bio Organic, dilute seaweed; US: Espoma Indoor! or Neptune's Harvest fish & seaweed. Slow, gentle and hard to overdo.
Synthetic / liquid feeds
A general-purpose houseplant liquid at half strength — UK: Baby Bio, Westland Houseplant Feed or Phostrogen; US: Miracle-Gro Indoor Plant Food or Schultz. Convenient and fast-acting; the only risk is overdoing it.
Brand names are examples, not endorsements, and UK and US ranges differ — check the label’s own NPK and dilution rate, since formulations change.
Fertilising love-lies-bleeding — frequently asked questions
What fertiliser does love-lies-bleeding need?
A balanced general houseplant feed (roughly even N-P-K) is exactly right — it is grown for foliage, so steady, moderate nitrogen for healthy leaves is the goal, not a bloom or root formula. Love-lies-bleeding is an easy, light foliage feeder — a half-strength balanced liquid feed through the growing months keeps it green without forcing weak, sappy growth.
How often should I feed love-lies-bleeding?
Apply a balanced granular fertiliser at planting. A monthly liquid feed with a balanced formulation during the growing season maintains healthy growth. Avoid high-nitrogen feeds, which produce excessive foliage and reduce stem strength. Apply a balanced granular fertiliser at planting. A monthly liquid feed with a balanced formulation during the growing season maintains healthy growth. Avoid high-nitrogen feeds, which produce excessive foliage and reduce stem strength. Treat that as monthly between spring through early autumn (roughly March to September); ease off in autumn and stop entirely in the low light of winter.
What strength of feed for love-lies-bleeding?
Half strength is the safe default for love-lies-bleeding — houseplant feeds are formulated strong, and the diluted dose is gentler on the roots while still ample for foliage.
What does over-feeding love-lies-bleeding look like?
Brown, crispy leaf tips and edges with no sign of underwatering. A white, crusty salt deposit on the soil surface or pot rim. Weak, pale, stretched new growth that flops. Lower leaves yellow and drop while the soil is correctly watered. Feeding love-lies-bleeding year-round on a fixed schedule, including dark winter months, is the most common mistake — it cannot use the nutrients in low light and the surplus simply burns the roots and crusts the soil.
Should I flush the soil of love-lies-bleeding?
Flush the pot of love-lies-bleeding with plain water until it runs freely from the base every couple of months in the feeding season — it washes out the fertiliser salts that cause brown tips.
Keep reading
- Love-lies-bleeding care — the full brief (light, soil, humidity, problems, pet safety)
- How often to water love-lies-bleeding — the watering schedule
- The houseplant fertiliser schedule — feeding through the year
- NPK ratio explained — what the three numbers on the bottle mean
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- All 6887 fertilising guides in the Growli library