Getting it to bloom

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

Also called Walker's Low catmint, dwarf catmint (Nepeta racemosa 'Walker's Low').

More about walker's low catmint

About Walker's Low Catmint

Nepeta racemosa 'Walker's Low' · also called Walker's Low catmint, dwarf catmint · flowering

Despite its name, Walker's Low is a medium-sized catmint forming a dense mound of small grey-green leaves topped by clouds of lavender-blue flowers from late spring to autumn. A Perennial Plant of the Year winner, it is exceptionally floriferous, drought-hardy and bee-friendly. Shearing after the first flush keeps it tidy and triggers months of repeat bloom.

Plant type: flowering

Watch for — Mid-season flop and open centres: Even this tidy cultivar opens up after the first flush. Shear the entire plant back by a third to half to renew compact, dense regrowth and a fresh bloom flush.

The reasons walker's low catmint isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming walker's low 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 walker's low 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 walker's low catmint to flower

Maximise sun. Give walker's low 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 walker's low catmint and get the feeding right with the walker's low 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

Walker's Low 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 walker's low catmint care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

Walker's Low Catmint blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my walker's low catmint flower?

Walker's Low 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 walker's low catmint bloom?

Give walker's low 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 walker's low catmint normally bloom?