Fertilising guide
How to fertilise Mona Lisa Lipstick Plant (Aeschynanthus radicans 'Mona Lisa')— schedule & NPK
Also called Mona Lisa Lipstick Plant, Lipstick Plant.
More about mona lisa lipstick plant
About Mona Lisa Lipstick Plant
Aeschynanthus radicans 'Mona Lisa' · also called Mona Lisa Lipstick Plant, Lipstick Plant · houseplant
Mona Lisa Lipstick Plant is arguably the most popular lipstick plant cultivar, prized for its prolific clusters of vivid red-orange tubular flowers emerging from dark maroon calyces and its glossy, dark-green trailing foliage. Pet-safe and rewarding to grow, it performs best with bright indirect light, warm temperatures, consistent moisture, and good humidity.
Growth habit: Trailing, semi-epiphytic vine with glossy, succulent-textured opposite leaves on cascading stems; produces flowers along stem tips rather than branch ends
Watch for — Failure to flower: The most common complaint with Mona Lisa. Usually caused by insufficient light, over-watering, or overly warm nights. Ensure bright indirect light, allow a slight seasonal drop in temperature in autumn (15–17°C nights), and keep slightly pot-bound. A phosphorus-rich fertiliser boost in late winter also helps.
What fertiliser mona lisa lipstick plant actually wants — and why
Mona Lisa Lipstick Plant 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 mona lisa lipstick plant: 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 mona lisa lipstick plant, 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 mona lisa lipstick plant:
Feed every 1–2 weeks during spring and summer with a balanced liquid fertiliser at half strength. A phosphorus-rich formula (e.g. 10-30-10) applied monthly can boost flowering. Reduce to monthly in autumn; cease in winter or when the plant shows no active growth. 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 mona lisa lipstick plant 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 mona lisa lipstick plant
Half strength is the safe default for mona lisa lipstick plant — 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 mona lisa lipstick plant first if the soil is dry, then apply the diluted feed. The companion question is when to water at all, covered in the mona lisa lipstick plant watering schedule.
Signs you are over-feeding mona lisa lipstick plant
Over-feeding is far more common — and more damaging — than under-feeding for most plants. The classic tells for mona lisa lipstick plant:
- 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 mona lisa lipstick plant
- 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 mona lisa lipstick plant care brief covers soil, humidity and the common problems for this species.
Flushing and leaching the salts
Flush the pot of mona lisa lipstick plant 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 mona lisa lipstick plant
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 mona lisa lipstick plant — frequently asked questions
What fertiliser does mona lisa lipstick plant 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. Mona Lisa Lipstick Plant 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 mona lisa lipstick plant?
Feed every 1–2 weeks during spring and summer with a balanced liquid fertiliser at half strength. A phosphorus-rich formula (e.g. 10-30-10) applied monthly can boost flowering. Reduce to monthly in autumn; cease in winter or when the plant shows no active growth. Feed every 1–2 weeks during spring and summer with a balanced liquid fertiliser at half strength. A phosphorus-rich formula (e.g. 10-30-10) applied monthly can boost flowering. Reduce to monthly in autumn; cease in winter or when the plant shows no active growth. 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 mona lisa lipstick plant?
Half strength is the safe default for mona lisa lipstick plant — houseplant feeds are formulated strong, and the diluted dose is gentler on the roots while still ample for foliage.
What does over-feeding mona lisa lipstick plant 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 mona lisa lipstick plant 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 mona lisa lipstick plant?
Flush the pot of mona lisa lipstick plant 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
- Mona Lisa Lipstick Plant care — the full brief (light, soil, humidity, problems, pet safety)
- How often to water mona lisa lipstick plant — the watering schedule
- The houseplant fertiliser schedule — feeding through the year
- NPK ratio explained — what the three numbers on the bottle mean
- How to fertilise royal flush split rock
- How to fertilise yellow baby toes
- How to fertilise wilmot's dinteranthus
- All 8452 fertilising guides in the Growli library