Last updated on September 26th, 2022 at 10:52 am
Catnip is widely known for its vast uses from native Europe and Asia to Africa, northern America, and across. It’s easy to grow.
Although we often want to know when catnip flowers, our consciousness of when this herb will flower is probably because the flower attracts bees for pollination.
One can use the catnip flower to make herbal teas with relaxing properties. It also serves different medicinal purposes. For these uses, the catnip flower is often in popular demand.
Since this flower is of great importance, one may ask:
When Does Catnip Flower? Although there are a few factors that can affect the time this herb flowers, catnip generally flowers from late spring to the end of summer. It can even last until early fall or autumn. This flowering will cover months from April to September or August.
Does Catnip Bloom All Summer?
Blooms in your garden improve the atmosphere of your home by spreading positive energy and fragrance around the entire spot or area. The problem most people face is the lack of rain and extreme heat that dry out plants.
Despite this problem, some plants can still survive, maintaining a beautiful ambiance. Catnip blooms all summer. It blooms amongst other Plants like amaranth, sea Holly, zinnias, petunia, dahlia, and gaillardia. However, it’s a summer grower, catnip flowers heavily in June and attracts bees.
It then further goes onto sporadic flowering for the rest of the summer. It can also sow profusely. Most gardeners even suggest that it would bloom all summer and even last until the weather becomes cold.
It’s obvious this perennial herb blooms all summer because flowering occurs from late spring to early fall. However, it can bloom for about one to two months!
When Should I Trim Catnip?
After planting, it’s always good to take care of your plants. A catnip plant is not an exception, and trimming is one way to care for it. Generally, plants require trimming in spring or summer, when there’s sunlight and growth is active.
This trimming will promote the plant’s health and stimulate new growth. You’ll also promote flowering. In addition, catnip plants will need trimming to enable them to look tidy and keep growing.
Most people insist that there’s no specific time when you should prune your catnip. I’ll neither agree nor disagree. Instead, I’ll advise you to trim your catnip once the blooming starts slowing down or after the first round of blooming to encourage a beautiful flowering subsequently.
Use your shears to trim the plant back up to one-half. Trimming the back of the plant allows fresh flowers and foliage to grow.
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You could also trim your catnip towards the end of the growing season, deadhead summer-blooming plants like catnip, removing dead flower heads from the plant with a hedge shear.
Frequently trimming your catnip won’t be a bad idea. You can also decide to shear it anytime you feel it’s looking long or so untidy. It’s still okay.
No matter which way you decide to trim your catnip, be sure to do it before winter comes. It would help if you cut the stem to where it’s six inches above the ground.
Note that deadheading is very important. It would be best if you did not ignore this. You can even cut the flowers individually, while you can shear low-growing flowers to the ground. Your catnip should look shaped, tidy, and never unkempt!
How Do You Get Catnips To Bloom?
Most of us will surely want to plant out catnips and see them flower. It’s normal for a catnip plant to bloom. They’re some factors that may interrupt this normality.
Factors such as poor pollination, improper trimming, temperature, and some environmental issues could cause your catnip harm, preventing it from blooming.
Independent of these factors, here are some suggestions that would help you get your catnip blooming correctly.
1. Provide More Sunlight
One essential requirement for your catnip is direct sunlight. Direct sunlight for a couple of hours, like six hours a day or so.
This requirement doesn’t mean you should expose the catnip to extreme heat. Instead, provide it a little shade from the intense afternoon sun. This exposure to sunlight will increase its blooming chances.
2. Fertilize Your Catnip
To have more blooms (flowers), feed your catnip regularly during the growing season with a flowering fertilizer. This flowering fertilizer should have more phosphorus than nitrogen, as phosphorus will promote more flower buds.
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3. Deadhead More
Catnips will grow better with more blooms if you often get rid of faded blooming. When you remove them, the plant will direct its energy to form more flowers.
4. Improve Soil
A slightly rich soil could also get your catnip to bloom. Soils, loamy and rich in organic matter like compost, will provide nutrients to the plant. In addition, it encourages bacterial activity and promotes fertility.
5. Water More
Moderate watering would also help your catnip bloom even though it’s drought tolerant. Too much watering can lead to the absence of flowering, while an extreme lack of water could lead to plants dropping the flower buds.
So you’ll need to water moderately, avoiding both overwatering and underwatering. These tips are a sure guide to help your Catnip bloom and for much longer!
Conclusion
Catnip is an easy perennial to grow. Its flowering season is from late spring to early autumn or fall. It flowers for about one to two months or even three at most.
Like the sea Holly amid others, catnip blooms all summer. Even though some people may have mixed reactions and insist blooming will only last till mid-summer, it still stands. Don’t be tricked. Try it out!
Trimming your catnip is based on your choice. You could prune it regularly, after the first round of blooming or even when you feel it’s bushy or overgrown. I strongly advise you deadhead if you want flowers or blooms.
Factors such as poor pollination, improper trimming, and the rest could make your catnip not bloom. So I encourage you to deadhead, moderately water, fertilize and provide more sun to your catnip to ensure maximum blooming!
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