Million bells
Plant it out only once nights are reliably mild, and start feeding as soon as it is growing: the first three weeks set the pattern for the whole season.
Care
Full sun — flowering drops away sharply in shade.
Medium — keep evenly moist in a basket, but never waterlogged; it dislikes both extremes.
Peat-free container compost with good drainage. It prefers a slightly acid compost, which is why hard tap water eventually yellows the leaves.
No deadheading is needed — the flowers drop cleanly. Trim the whole plant back by a third if it goes bare in the middle, and it will refill within two or three weeks.
Feed weekly with a high-potash liquid feed for the whole display, without exception. In a basket this is not optional maintenance: an unfed calibrachoa yellows and stops flowering within a fortnight.
Softwood cuttings in late summer, overwintered frost-free and in good light, though most plants sold are patented cultivars raised commercially from cuttings. Buying fresh plants each spring is the normal and honest approach.
Month by month
Months change with the climate: in southern Italy tomatoes go out two months earlier than in England.
- MayPlant up baskets and containers once the frost risk has passed.
- JuneStart the weekly high-potash feed as soon as it is growing away. how ›
- JulyTrim back by a third if the centre goes bare, then feed. how ›
- OctoberCompost the plants after the first frosts unless you have taken cuttings. how ›
Months based on climate: UK. Your choice stays on this device.
- AprilPlant up baskets and containers once the frost risk has passed.
- JuneStart the weekly high-potash feed as soon as it is growing away. how ›
- JulyTrim back by a third if the centre goes bare, then feed. how ›
- OctoberCompost the plants after the first frosts unless you have taken cuttings. how ›
Months based on climate: Northern Italy. Your choice stays on this device.
- AprilPlant up baskets and containers once the frost risk has passed.
- JuneStart the weekly high-potash feed as soon as it is growing away. how ›
- JulyTrim back by a third if the centre goes bare, then feed. how ›
- OctoberCompost the plants after the first frosts unless you have taken cuttings. how ›
Months based on climate: Central Italy. Your choice stays on this device.
- MarchPlant up baskets and containers once the frost risk has passed.
- JuneStart the weekly high-potash feed as soon as it is growing away. how ›
- JulyTrim back by a third if the centre goes bare, then feed. how ›
- NovemberCompost the plants after the first frosts unless you have taken cuttings. how ›
Months based on climate: Southern Italy and islands. Your choice stays on this device.
Common problems
How to spot it. Pale foliage with green veins, typically by midsummer.
What to do. Usually iron deficiency from hard water or exhausted compost — use a feed for acid-loving plants and rainwater where possible.
How to spot it. The plant keeps growing but produces few flowers.
What to do. Almost always underfeeding; resume a weekly high-potash feed.
How to spot it. Collapse after a spell of wet weather in a basket without drainage.
What to do. Ensure baskets drain freely; never leave one standing in water.
Questions
Million bells: is it hardy?
H2: Tender. It survives down to 1 °C.
Can it grow in a pot?
Yes — this is essentially a container plant, best in a basket or the edge of a large pot.
Million bells: when do you prune it?
No deadheading is needed — the flowers drop cleanly. In the calendar for UK, pruning falls in July.
Million bells: when does it flower?
In the climate of UK it flowers in May–October.
When do you feed it?
Feed weekly with a high-potash liquid feed for the whole display, without exception. In a basket this is not optional maintenance: an unfed calibrachoa yellows and stops flowering within a fortnight. Feeding months, UK: May–September.