Just gave a slice of nip to the catman....it's only been growing for a month or so, and he almost tore my arm off.....heh heh I would think that'll come to full bloom/growth/etc. around end of July or so...but does anyone have any info on letting it go to seed so I can dry & replany next year or over the winter? Gotta keep the cat happy....heh heh...
I have Catnip in my garden in Central Jersey. It is perrenial, meening that it doesn't die over the winter. It is a mint. and like most mints, is extreamly hardy. In an extreamly cold winter, try mulching it. This will help the roots stay warmer and survive the frost. A mulch is something that gardeners put on top of the soil for various reasons. It retains moistuer. It keeps weeds down. It slowly decays and adds nutrients to the soil. It prevents erossion. It protects from extream weather, including cold. Sources of mulch include dead leaves, grass clippings, wood chips, manure, straw... be inventive. Also, I would suggest keeping a cage round the catnip until it is extreamly established and the cats are saturated with it. Cats will tear it apart sometimes.
yeah when planting mine i didn't think of the cage thing, and my cat ate it as soon as i went back inside! then spent ages psychotically chasing leaves...
Excellent....I've got the nip outside now...and I live on a busy street so the catman has been "jailed" in the house for some time now.....so I don't have to worry about him snacking on the crop, but I just never grew catnip to full seed... The funny thing is that I clipped another leaf off after I posted my original message and it was the same result...cat flying into the air trying to distatch(<--not really a word) my hand from my elbow area.. hahaha He's an f'n madman... Thanks for the advice & info! ------ Oh & David54...yeah man I've got some serious mulch here....I moved into a place that the previous tenants let the back area of the yard decay for...no exaggeration...50 years...Its the finest, mulchiest, richest, earthwormiest soil I've ever seen in my life...I almost want to eat it for breakfast...heh heh... nip - fu
Oh man, Last year my son bought our cats a catnip toy. All the other cats became hyper after messing with it. But our cat Rere sat there stoned as could be. He'd pass out for hours !! Was so funny. Finally we had to get rid of it because he pretty much slept 24/7 !!!
I've had mixed results with the toys....some of them they're hustling with dry nip...heh heh.... I think the fresh toys are the best or grow yourself & sew it up in a piece of cat proof cloth....they go nuts!
I used to grow catnip for my smoking mixtures. I always wound up cutting the crop before it seeded. /Shakes fist at self.
