Getting it to bloom

Why won't my Tuberous Catmint bloom? (and how to make it flower)

Also called Tuberous Catmint, Tuberous Catmint (Nepeta tuberosa).

More about tuberous catmint

About Tuberous Catmint

Nepeta tuberosa · also called Tuberous Catmint, Tuberous Catmint · flowering

Tuberous Catmint is a distinctive Mediterranean species with tuberous roots, producing tall spikes of deep violet-purple flowers with showy bracts from midsummer. Its drought-adapted tuberous root system makes it exceptionally heat- and drought-tolerant. Suitable for dry gardens, gravel plantings, and Mediterranean-style borders in full sun.

Plant type: flowering

Watch for — Failure to flower in too much shade or rich soil: Without full sun and lean soil, plants grow vegetatively with few or no flowers. Site exclusively in the sunniest, poorest-drained area of the garden.

The reasons tuberous catmint isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming tuberous catmint traces back to one of these, roughly in order of how common they are:

Too little sun — most of these need full sun (or very bright light) to flower well; shade gives leaves, not blooms.
Too much nitrogen feed, driving lush foliage at the expense of flowers (very common with general or lawn feeds).
The plant has not been deadheaded, so it stops flowering once it sets seed.
Irregular watering — drought or waterlogging at the budding stage makes buds abort.
It is still too young or was checked by a transplant and is rebuilding before flowering.

Feeding tuberous catmint a high-nitrogen general feed and growing it in too little sun — you get a big leafy plant and almost no flowers.

The fix — how to get tuberous catmint to flower

Maximise sun. Give tuberous catmint the sunniest spot you have — for most bedding and fruiting plants, more direct light directly means more flowers.
Switch the feed. Move off high-nitrogen feeds and use a higher-potassium "bloom" or tomato-type feed as it comes into flower.
Deadhead regularly. Remove spent flowers often to keep it producing more rather than stopping to set seed.
Water consistently. Keep moisture even through budding and flowering — drought-then-flood swings make buds drop.

Light and feeding do most of the heavy lifting here. Dial in the spot with the light guide for tuberous catmint and get the feeding right with the tuberous catmint fertilising schedule — the wrong feed (too much nitrogen) is one of the most common silent reasons a healthy plant makes leaves instead of flowers.

Bloom season and what to expect

Tuberous Catmint flowers across its growing season (mostly summer) and, kept fed and deadheaded, can bloom for many weeks or right up to frost.

Post-bloom care so it flowers again

Deadhead, keep feeding lightly, and many will rebloom; collect seed from the best plants at the end of the season if you want to grow them again.

For everything else this plant needs day to day, see the full tuberous catmint care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

Tuberous Catmint blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my tuberous catmint flower?

Tuberous Catmint blooms on the season's growth given enough sun, warmth and the right feed — there is no cold or photoperiod trick, just good growing conditions and a bloom-leaning feed. The most common reason it is not happening: Too little sun — most of these need full sun (or very bright light) to flower well; shade gives leaves, not blooms.

How do I make tuberous catmint bloom?

Give tuberous catmint the sunniest spot you have — for most bedding and fruiting plants, more direct light directly means more flowers. Move off high-nitrogen feeds and use a higher-potassium "bloom" or tomato-type feed as it comes into flower.

When does tuberous catmint normally bloom?