Everything you need to know about growing catnip
Growing catnip is a great way to make your own cat toys or create your own oil for aromatherapy. It’s pretty easy to grow catnip because the herb will grow in just about any soil. One of the most important things to remember when you’re growing catnip is that it will grow to be about three feet tall. This is why it may be difficult for some people to grow it indoors. Catnip has square stems and heart-shaped leaves that are covered with fine hair.
When you decide to start growing catnip, you should find a place in your yard that will be in full sunlight most of the time. Make sure the area of your yard drains well because catnip won’t grow in soggy soil. Your soil pH is less important with catnip than it is with other plants. Catnip will thrive in soil that’s anywhere between a 6.1 and 7.8 pH level. You will need to water your catnip plants regularly, but not so much that it drenches the soil.
It’s also important to realize when you’re growing catnip that it will take over any available space you have for it. This is why it’s very important to restrict your catnip to a certain part of your yard. In some parts of the country, catnip is a weed because of how quickly it spreads. You will need to pull up any extra catnip plants that take root in order to keep them from taking over your entire yard. You may also want to think about planting your catnip away from any social areas you have like patios or pools. This is because the smell of catnip is not pleasant to everyone.
Needless to say, keep your cat away from your catnip plants. You can put a mesh screen around your catnip plants if you have a lot of cats in your neighborhood. It may not be a bad idea just to put a mesh screen up because it’s easy for cats to hang around without being seen.
You may want to plant your catnip seeds in a pot indoors in the spring. This will keep the new plants from becoming waterlogged in all the spring rains. It will also help protect your plants, which will be very delicate when they first take root. After the plants are strong enough to be handled, plant them in your garden, about a foot apart. Don’t forget to thin out the catnip that will start growing in between plants. You don’t want the extra catnip plants to choke out the ones you originally planted.
Catnip does tend to have a problem with mildew, so it’s very important to make sure the soil around the plants drains properly. Also make sure you prune around the catnip plants and inside the plants to make sure air circulates freely through the plants. This will help prevent mildew. You may also want to use an insecticide that will kill whitefly and spider mites.