All of this really depends on plant genetics and what you've got going on in the rhizosphere (where the root meets the soil\media). I assume you're growing in soil? What's in the potting mix (besides perlite)?
I'll tell you a secret about soil. Soil was designed to nourish plants, practically all by itself. One of the things that soil\potting mix does is retain nutrients. Soil outdoors generally has some clay and also some humus content. Clay particles tend to be very fine, smaller than silt and sand particles. Humus is formed as a result of the decay of plant materials and detritus by soil micro-organisms. Humus is thoroughly decomposed, it is essentially finished compost and very similar to earthworm castings (both of which are very nutrient rich). Clay\humus is important in soil for the retention of nutrients. Plant roots mostly take in (assimilate) mineral nutrients as ions, or charged particles. Cations are those ligands with a net positive charge. Many nutrients such as potassium (K+), calcium (Ca++), magnesium (Mg++), zinc (Zn++), manganese (Mn++) and sodium (Na++) are available as cations. Materials such as clay\humus and even coco coir and spagnum peat possess this ability (cation exchange capacity). The cations are attracted to and loosely bound by negatively charged "exchange sites", so they don't wash away but the plant roots still can absorb them.
Another thing about soil\potting mix with compost to consider is the microbes themselves. Various microbes live in healthy soil and these have evolved with plants, many have formed symbiotic relationships with plants. Some such as mycorrhizal fungi form quite intimate relationships with plant roots, and are able to seek out nutrients and water in exchange for carbon. Some bacteria\archaea like to live in association with plant roots and are able to "fix" plant available nitrogen from the atmosphere. Other microbes play myriad roles in the rhizosphere are serve to benefit the plant either directly or indirectly; mineralizing, releasing, or retaining nutrients, keeping pathogens at bay or producing important compounds. Plant roots actually 'exude' or secrete various substances (plant root exudates) including carbohydrates\simple sugars in order to attrack microbes to the rhizosphere or stimulate microbial activity.
If you look at it from this perspective you can see that depending on the circumstances, even an indoor container plant could potentially go quite a while without any fertilizer, or with minor exogenous nutrients.
