How To Grow Catnip

Catnip is a common name used for Nepeta cataria which is a hardy perennial herb of the mint family. It is highly attractive and exciting for cats because of its pungent fragrance.

Catnips usually, grow up to a height of three to four feet. It appears as light green foliage which has got small lavender flowers grown on its spikes up to five inches long. Catnip can grow almost in every soil but it grows best in moderately rich loam which is well-draining. It can grow acceptably in sun or shade.

HOW TO GROW CATNIP FROM SEEDS?

Catnip can be propagated very easily using seeds, stem cutting, or rootball division. But if you want to grow catnip by using its seeds, then it must be sown in rows late in fall or early in the spring. It must also be lightly covered.

When the seed is sown in fall, then the crops that are grown are usually denser. There must be a gap of about 15 to 18 inches between the two seeds. There are also other factors that we need to take care of while growing catnip. These factors are as below.

Height of plant: The usual height of a catnip plant is from 3 to 4 feet.
Spacing between plants: Catnip seeds must be separated from each other by 15 to 18 inches.
Preferred pH range: Catnip can grow in a wide range of pH level which is from 6.1 (mildly acidic) to 7.8 (mildly alkaline).
Period of seed germination: The seed of Catnip starts germination in the soil in approximately 7 to 10 days. But if possible then it can also germinate in as few as 5 to 6 days in dedicated propagation media such as rapid rooters, oasis root cubes, or Grodan Stonewool.
Number of seeds per gram: Depending upon the varieties of catnip seeds, there are approximately 1000 to 1250 catnip seeds per gram.
Requirement of soil: Catnip grows really well in well-drained and average soils.
Requirement of sunlight: Catnip grows well in full sunshine but it can tolerate some shade as well.

HOW TO GROW CATNIP INDOORS?

There are a lot of hurdles that you can face while growing catnip indoors such as low light levels, lack of consistent watering, and cold air. However, your cat just like other cats absolutely loves catnip, so for their sake, you might be looking for ways in which how you can grow catnip indoors. Keep on reading to get some idea of how you can grow catnip inside your house.

Outdoors, it has got a lot of space to spread out easily. But if you want to grow it indoors, it can be grown successfully on a sunny windowsill, providing that you give it enough water. Also, you should always remember to pinch out the flowers in order to promote leaf growth. You can usually start pinching off leaves as soon as the plant attains a height of 6 to 8 inches.

There are some conditions that you must take care of if you are planning to grow catnip indoors. Scroll down below to have a check on these conditions.

CONDITIONS FOR GROWING CATNIP INDOORS

Light: If you have planted catnip in your outdoor area, then you probably need not worry about the sunlight it receives. But when you plant it indoors, make sure that it gets as much as light possible, even up to 5 hours of strong sunlight is needed in a day which you can get on a bright windowsill. Too little amount of light will result in leggy growth.
Water: Catnip requires a very good supply of water but good drainage is also must for its growth. The plant tends to recover quickly from the wilt, so it will be best to err on the drier side rather than the wet one. This will encourage root rot.
Soil: Any soil can be used to grow catnip but the one that has good drainage will be helpful in growing denser catnip.
Fertilizer: You can also try to feed the catnip with a weak liquid fertilizer throughout its growing season for its better growth.

TIPS FOR GROWING CATNIP INDOORS

Catnip can be a difficult plant to grow indoors. It thrives on sunny ledges, requires regular and ample of water, and also very good drainage is needed. If your plant grows some flowers, then snip off that flowers buds in order to encourage better and stronger leaf growth. However, indoor catnip will not have the same potency as outdoor catnip, but you catty can still enjoy it.