Cat nip plants

[Em]

This is Charley in our catnip patch. When I planted it out, I put rocks around it so that it can't be rolled on completely. I think it was about 6 inches high when i planted it (I cheated and bought it from a garden centre) and it grew really well. The rocks mean it never gets squashed, they kind of have to creep up on it and lurk in the edge of the plant rather than lire right across it...

[Iluvcritters]

I planted seeds in the ground and kept them out of it until it was established. It grew fast and is very hardy.
This is Mischka in her favorite spot between the cat nip and the cat grass

[Gill (sneakiefeline)]

I reckon you will see them rolling and sleeping there 

[Angiew]

Good, I want to plant them on a little mount of grass that must be about 15foot square at the top of the garden.
I want to encourage the little darlings away from the front of the house and look forward to walking up the path and seeing a forest of fur rolling in the undergrowth!

[Gill (sneakiefeline)]

Yes they survive , mine have been out all winter and most have died now but some seem to have started shooting again.

I would not put new ones outside though until they were fairly big and the weather is warm, like around May if you were London, but know you are not LOL. Just depends on the weather.

I have never collected seeds cos i always take the flowers off to keep them shooting as long as possible but if you take folowers off some plants and leave on others then you should get loads of seeeds.

I have had my litle packet of seed for ages and just use a few...............150 seeds should bring you over 100 plants LOL............thats a lot. They grow quite big and you are gonna be one busy gardner 

[Angiew]

Once the plants are out do they actually manage to survive? I've read they can be quite aggressive growers but it sounds like they won't stand a chance.

Did you manage to collect seed or take cuttings?

[Gill (sneakiefeline)]

Yes I grew mine last year but did ion London too.

Actually still have some in a large flat pot outside kitchen window and they seem to be sprouting again!!

My mistake this time was letting the cats access before they were big enough cos Franta was demolishing the plantlings before they were big enough to resprout.

Good heavens you were studious, I keep my brushes for painting lol, just sprinkle seeds thinely into a seed tray and when big enough transfer them to bigger pots, about 4 to a pot and the let em grow bigger. If you nip off the end of the top shoot it will make more side shoots and then also nip off a few tops of other shoots and that will make them more bushy. When they are about 6 to 9 inches shove em in the ground and watch the cats from miles around be attracted by their perfume 

The cats will do the rest of the nipping LOL.

I dont find them hard to grow at all and when it is warmer out there will grow some new ones in the greenhouse and ban the cats till the plants are big enough 

I have some pots that are about 20-24 inches across and only stand about 9 inches high and thats where I put my plants for the cats, means I can move em around and rescue them if the cats get too rough 

[Sam (Fussy_Furball)]

I grew my own from see last year (also got the seeds of ebay).  I was nowhere near as "loving" about it as you however ... I just threw them all in a large outdoor pot with lots of potting compost and left them alone!   They were fine and developed into lovely little cat nip plants .... in fact they were that lovely that Zephyr discovered them when they were just little seedlings and promptly ate them all! LOL

I then went off to the garden centre and bought a large cat mint plant

Good luck and keep the little seedlings away from sharpe little teeth.

[JackSpratt]

I cheated and bought a small cat mint(very similiar to catnip) plant off of my local market for £2.50!(Bargain!)  The plant isn't looking too healthy at the moment due to the season, but in summer the thing's massive!

On the whole, these are pretty hardy plants, so you shouldn't have too much trouble growing them.

[Angiew]

Well, this week I finally got around to sowing the Catnip seeds I bought off Ebay.
I think I had about 150 of the seeds but they are to small to count so just had to guess how many I put in each cell on the seed tray (with a small artists brush).

Think its about the right time? They are sitting on my study window covered in a plastic bag to keep them humid. I've read they are quite difficult to germinate and cannot expect to see anything for the next 2-3 weeks.

If any of them do grow I'm going to plant a large area at the top of the garden in an attempt to enocurage them to spend more time there.

Anyone grown their own? Any tips?