Wondering how to grow catnip? For the past several years, we’ve grown catnip for our cats, drying the leaves for use in toys. It’s easy and fun; the plant takes very little work.
I always grow our catnip from seeds but you can also buy small catnip plants. I like buying the seeds since I know the plant hasn’t been treated with any kind of chemicals.
How to Grow Catnip from Seeds
One of the most important steps in growing catnip is to prepare the seeds.
To grow from seeds, you’ll want to first slightly scarify the seeds. John does this by spreading the seeds across a board and using another board to rub the seeds between the two boards (not grating, just rubbing).
When that’s done, we always soak the seeds overnight.
The next day, spread the seeds out to dry:
Catnip likes full sun although, since the sun here is hotter than hot, we always plant the catnip beside our well’s pumphouse.
This gives them morning and noon sun but lets the plants get a little break during the heat of the day.
Much of the commercial catnip that you purchase comes from the Pacific Northwest so, as you might imagine, it’s a plant that takes a lot of water and doesn’t really appreciate 100+ degree days like ours.
After planting, the seeds take between one and two weeks to germinate. After they grow to about two inches tall, you’ll need to spread the plants apart by about 20 inches (these plants GROW!)
How to Dry Catnip
When it comes time to dry the catnip, just cut it off and hang it upside down to dry.
Placing it upside down in a paper bag with holes punched in it will allow it to dry properly so you can then crush the catnip to a powder for use in toys and treats!
Where Should You Plant Catnip?
- the plants grow about 3 feet tall and should be placed about 18 inches apart
- catnip is a deer-resistant plant (a very good thing for here!)
- catnip is perennial so hopefully we’ll have catnip in years to come!
- to harvest, snip off the plant about eight inches above the soil
- in an average year, you should get three harvests
- once harvested, pull off the leaves and dry them by spreading them in a single layer in a dry place. After two or three weeks, the leaves will be dried and ready to crush and put in cat toys!
Did You Know?
- Catnip is a member of the mint family.
- Catnip is a perennial.
- Deer won’t eat catnip (and we can attest to this with our deer population!)
- Catnip is a natural mosquito repellent.
- Catnip tea is a natural sedative for humans.
- It’s NOT safe to ingest catnip during pregnancy.
- Not all cats react to catnip.
- Cats inherit their sensitivity to catnip from one of their parents.
Does Your Cat Like Catnip?
Our cats like catnip–but that’s not always the case. Some cats do–but others have a take-it-or-leave-it attitude toward the plant.
PetCareRx has released an infographic about catnip and cats.
Pin it to remember how to grow catnip for your cat!
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