You can prune your Narrowleaf cattail any time you notice dead, diseased, or damaged leaves during the growing season. Once you notice such a leave, locate an unwanted leaf, then follow its stem all the way to the bottom of petiole. Removing dead stems will increase the light and ventilation of the plant and help it to grow. You can cut its stem just above the soil’s surface to remove it. Such pruning can take place as needed during spring and summer. Also, this plant can bloom any time between spring and fall, and some gardeners choose to remove flower buds before they have a chance to open. Removing unopened flower buds allows this plant to focus most of its growing energy on its beautiful leaves. However, pruning in this manner does not necessarily influence the plant’s overall health. Cutting back should be done late in the winter to early spring. Ideally, you should wait until you see new basal growth before you cut off the dead and dried winter parts, to about 6 inches from the ground.

Pruning the Narrowleaf cattail is as easy as waiting until you notice dead or damaged leaves on your plant. When you recognize these leaves, equip yourself with a pair of sharp and sterile hand pruning shears. Hand pruning shears will work best as larger tools like loppers will not be well suited to the precise cuts you need to make. Once you have a proper set of pruning tools, locate an unwanted leaf, then follow its stem all the way to the bottom of petiole. Removing dead stems will increase the light and ventilation of the plant and help it to grow. Cut the stem just above where it exits the soil to remove it entirely. If you wish to stop this plant from flowering, you can use the same pruning shears to remove any buds before they open. Finally, you may prefer to just trim off dead or damaged portions of the plant, including deadheading spent flowers, to keep it looking its best. This can be done at any time of year. Diseased or damaged stems should be cut right at the soil line and removed completely. Blooms should be cut off just below the flower head. Cutting back should be done late in the winter to early spring. Ideally, you should wait until you see new basal growth before you cut off the dead and dried winter parts to about 6 inches from the ground.

All that is required of you once you have pruned your Narrowleaf cattail is to clean up. Once you have pruned, deadheaded, or cut back your Narrowleaf cattail, gather the bits you have cut off and discard them. If there are any diseased parts of the plant that you have pruned away, do not discard them with the rest of the pruned pieces. Diseased foliage should be disposed of. When watering after pruning, be careful not to touch the wound to prevent fungus from infecting the plant through the fresh wound. Placing Narrowleaf cattail in a well-ventilated location will also help the wound to dry out and heal in time.

For your major pruning, use sharp pruning sheers that will make clean cuts to avoid damaging your plants. As you are pruning your Narrowleaf cattail, step back occasionally to check the appearance of the plant to make sure it has the shape you want and that you are pruning it symmetricaly. It is recommended that gloves and safety glasses be worn while pruning Narrowleaf cattail.

Pruning is an important part of plant care and maintenance. Different plants have different pruning requirements. Some plants may need little to no pruning, while others may require more specific attention. Most plants should be pruned to remove damaged or unhealthy foliage. Other plants may be pruned to control their shape and size. Pruning may even be done to remove the flower heads of plants and stop them from self-seeding. Although some gardeners may find pruning a tedious task, it is a necessary evil and is an essential part of keeping your plants happy and healthy.

Narrowleaf cattail requires about 6 hours of direct and continuous sunlight daily. These are desirable to help them grow healthily, and this will help them grow faster. You might also want to provide these species with supplemental light during the winter with the help of lamps. The species need several hours of unobstructed sunlight to have vibrant foliage, so you might want to place them in the brightest areas of your garden or indoor nursery.

They are suited to a full sun and don't tend to tolerate shady areas. It's best to have at least 8 inches of space for each plant especially if you’re planting a lot of them so each can get a lot of sunlight. Generally, the Narrowleaf cattail has a high demand for direct, full, and abundant sunlight. During summers, you can place them outside in the morning sun, so they will have enough light to grow. They don't do well with partial sunlight and don't tolerate filtered or part shade. They might also not grow well when a huge tree constantly provides shade, so plant them in areas without obstruction.

The Narrowleaf cattail should never avoid sun exposure because they seek and love the bright light. They love the sun so much that they require at least 6 hours of exposure regardless of the climate. Some areas, especially during the fall and spring, don't need protection because they require full sunlight. However, if you're located in a tropical climate or if the summer sun is too much, it's always possible to transfer the potted species inside until the temperature cools down again. Overall, you don't need to plant them near buildings, tall trees, and other structures because they need full sun for at least 6 hours.

If there's insufficient light, the Narrowleaf cattail will not thrive. This is going to result in poor growth. Fungi and bacteria can feed on the plants' tissues, which are generally common for the plants grown in shady areas. When the plants receive too little sunlight, they tend to become spindly. They will have weaker stems because they are constantly seeking to receive light, and this can result in wilting or brown leaves. You might want to see if there are insects present or a rhizome rot in Narrowleaf cattail as this can be another sign that they are not receiving enough sunlight. If this is the case, put them in another area where they will receive bright and direct light to see if it will make a difference.

During their growing phase, you need to expose the plants to the sun so that they don't have to stretch and grow upwards. You can avoid the process of etiolation and prevent the stems of Narrowleaf cattail from growing weak. This is generally prevalent for those that are receiving no sun or are in a partially shaded area when they are young. When they are already established and have matured, you also need to continuously expose them to a full sun because they need photosynthesis to grow more. When they are placed inside a greenhouse or a nursery for a very long time, and you decide to transfer them into a garden, you need to gradually introduce them to the bright lights. Still, you should never suddenly place them in direct heat, especially if it's mid-afternoon. They need a period to adapt and to become used to the intensity of sunlight in your area, so give them some much-needed time.

As mentioned, the Narrowleaf cattail needs 6 to 7 hours of direct sunlight to do the process of photosynthesis. This helps them produce enough food to grow. You can make this easier for yourself when you group them together and plant them in the same spot in your garden. This way, they will get enough of their light requirements to produce flowers, grow sturdy stems, and produce the glucose that they need for their food.

As mentioned, the Narrowleaf cattail loves the sun, but sometimes too much can hurt it. However, too much harsh sunlight can actually burn the leaves in the summer. When planted in the ground, you might want to add to their watering schedule so they will have protection. Exposure to the blades can result in sunburn, especially when the day's sun is too strong. It's highly recommended to spray some water to cool down the leaves a bit.

You need to minimize transplanting shock, especially for the young and newly-planted Narrowleaf cattail. These species will need time to adjust to their new environment but make sure to choose a location where they will get the full sunlight they need. The amount of sunlight matters as well as the season. Water them during the hottest days to reduce stress, and you might want to cover the young ones when the temperatures are extremely high. Row covers and shade cloths might be applicable for the younger ones, but the mature plants might not need them, especially if they already have established roots and stems. When you see that the Narrowleaf cattail begins to lose its color, this might be because it is not receiving enough sunlight to do photosynthesis. There's not enough chlorophyll to depict a green color; if this is the case, you need to transfer it to an area receiving bright sunlight.

Narrowleaf cattail prefers cooler weather, and has a specific temperature range you can keep it within to maximize growth. For Narrowleaf cattail to be as healthy as it possible can, you could keep them between the temperatures 65~75℉(18~25℃). Narrowleaf cattail can handle higher and lower heat levels, but whenever possible, try to keep the area you grow them in within several degrees of 65~75℉(18~25℃). If you can’t keep Narrowleaf cattail precisely within that range, it doesn’t mean they will stop growing. Narrowleaf cattail can handle a higher and lower range before they begin to suffer damage or reduced growth. On the higher end, that temperature would that would fall between 75~85℉(25~30℃). On the lower end, Narrowleaf cattail can handle temperatures as low as 5℉(-15℃). The higher temperature range is the most important to observe, as Narrowleaf cattail prefers cooler environments. Letting temperatures get above the upper range may cause growth to slow, and having Narrowleaf cattail above 85℉(30℃) could result in the plant dying.

Too much heat early in the growing stages of Narrowleaf cattail may give it an unhealthy appearance, so it's important to keep your growing space between 65~75℉(18~25℃). You’ll want to stay in the colder part of this range as Narrowleaf cattail, but make sure not to go below -5℉(-20℃). Extremely cold temperatures can hinder growth at any stage for Narrowleaf cattail, though they aren’t nearly as damaging as extremely hot temperatures. If temperatures are kept high during the budding stage, Narrowleaf cattail may not flower at all.

Tip #1: Grow in the Coldest Room of Your Home If you plan to grow Narrowleaf cattail indoors, make sure to choose the coldest room of your home. This will usually be on the side of your house that doesn’t experience the harsh heat that the sun can produce in the middle of the day. At the same time, you’ll need to ensure the room does get a healthy amount of sunlight. While you’ll want to spare your plants from the brightest and hottest part of the day, zero sunlight can drastically reduce Narrowleaf cattail ability to grow. Tip #2: If Narrowleaf cattail Doesn’t Flower Properly, It May Be Too Hot The growing season for Narrowleaf cattail, spring and early summer, can occasionally come with high temperatures. These fluctuations can negatively affect the growing stage of Narrowleaf cattail, causing flowering buds to change into non-flowering buds. These buds will open partially, or in some cases not at all, causing Narrowleaf cattail to lose some of its aesthetic quality. It's important to stay in the range of 65~75℉(18~25℃), for that reason, so your Narrowleaf cattail can flower to its full potential. Tip #3: Avoid Frost While Narrowleaf cattail can tolerate lower temperatures, as low as -5℉(-20℃), it will not do well if it encounters significant frost. If left out in the colder temperatures of late fall or winter, Narrowleaf cattail will begin to show the signs of frost damage. To recognize the signs of frost damage, you’ll look for several key aesthetic changes. First, parts of Narrowleaf cattail will begin to wilt. Then, those sections will start to become discolored, eventually turning brown or black as they die. Any parts of Narrowleaf cattail that turn these colors cannot be saved, and will have to be pruned if you intend to keep the plant alive.

It's important to keep the temperature of your growing area steady regardless of season. If you live in an area with harsh winters or very hot summers, it may be best to put your plants inside. That way, you can keep them in a cool room where Narrowleaf cattail would be able to grow in the best possible conditions. If you do leave your plants outside, make sure to observe the temperature closely. If the summer’s get especially hot in your climate-zone, make sure that your plants aren’t exposed to temperatures above 85℉(30℃). This will dehydrate and damage Narrowleaf cattail quickly, and before long, they will begin to die.

If you intend to place Narrowleaf cattail outside, you’ll want to make sure that it has shade from the heat of the midday sun. While Narrowleaf cattail does need plentiful sunlight to grow to its full potential, direct sunlight can cause a rise in temperature and damage certain elements of the plant. Choose an area that has shade providing structures or tall trees that can shield Narrowleaf cattail from the hottest parts of the day. If your climate isn’t appropriate for Narrowleaf cattail or you don’t have the proper space in your garden, you can also plant them inside. Controlling the temperature is much easier indoors, and having proper fans, ventilation, or an A/C unit will allow you to stay within the optimum range of 65~75℉(18~25℃).