Growing Catnip

Growing catnip (Nepeta Cataria) will definetly please your cat!

If you dry a good supply, you'll have enough to make plenty of catnip toys and catnip tea for yourself.

Nepeta is a genus of about 250 species of flowering plants in the Lamiaceae family.

The members of this group are known as catnip or catmint because of their effect on cats.

Nepeta pleasantly stimulates cats pheromonic recepters, typically resulting in temporary euphoria.

According to traditional herb medicine, catnip tends to have a sedative effect on humans.

Description

Catnip is a perennial that grows 2 to 3 feet tall in zones 3 to 9.

Flowers: It has spikes of pinkish purple or white flowers that bloom in midsummer.

Leaves: The leaves are opposite with toothed margins and heart-shaped bases, about 2 to 3 inches long. Both the stems and leaves are covered with downy soft hairs. The plant will die back during the winter months.

Flavor and fragrance: In teas, catnip has a flavor that is more mellow than peppermint and less sweet than spearmint. Its fragrance is spicy-minty.

How To Grow

When to plant: When growing catnip sow the seeds in the garden about two weeks before your last spring frost.

Where to plant: In the northern areas, plant in full sun. In the south, plant in partial shade or in moist soil in full sun.

Soil and fertility: Catnip prefers moist, well-drained soils of average fertility. Scratch about 1/2 inch of compost into the top few inches of soil before planting, and side-dress with compost every spring.

Plant spacing: Space the plants about 8 to 10 inches apart.

Pests: Catnip rarely suffer from insect pests, but cats may nibble on its leaves and can crush young plants.

Diseases: Anthracnose, rust, root rot

Harvesting

When to harvest: Snip the leaves anytime, gathering them in the morning when the dew is dry; the flavor is milder before the plant blooms. If harvesting for medicinal uses or for your cats, wait until the plant blooms.

How to harvest: Snip off the individual leaves. When harvesting to dry, cut the whole stems, complete with flowerstalks, about 2 inches from the soils surface.

Drying: Hang upside down to air dry, or strip the leaves and flowers from the stems and dry in a dehydrator.

Uses

Cooking: Catnip was once a common ingredient in salads. Snip in a few leaves to see if the taste appeals to you. Otherwise, make teas from fresh or dried leaves.

Medicinal: Try some tea made from the dried leaves and flowers of catnip as an after-dinner aid to digestion or a before-bedtime sleep inducer.

Crafts: Catnip toys are a favorite with cats.

Tips

When growing catnip, you can keep it safe from cats by enclosing it in a sturdy chicken-wire cage until it's well established.