@jan @pfefferle I suspect this has something to do with Mastodon caching, though @pfefferle will know more about this than I do.
When you post on your instance your post is pushed to the instances where you have followers. Those instances cache the post, so they can display it to their users. Your post doesn't go to any instance where there are no followers. It might end on such an instance through intermediaries, because people who follow you share or reply, and they have followers elsewhere.