- ‘Walker’s Low’ plants are 30 inches tall and 36 inches wide, with lavender-blue flowers. As a side note, the name is not short because it derives from an Irish garden. It is actually almost as tall as the “Six Hills Giant.” Walker’s Low was chosen by the Perennial Plant Association as their Perennial of the Year for 2007.
Don’t restrict yourself to just these four options if you feel driven to hunt for catmint in your neighborhood garden centers. Numerous other top-notch cultivars are also readily available, including “Dropmore,” “Blue Wonder,” and “Junior Walker,” a scaled-down variety of “Walker’s Low” that stands 16 inches tall.
- Catmint tends to grow wider than tall, so give it lots of room.
- Even while catmint likes direct sunlight, it can also tolerate moderate afternoon shadow.
- Water new plants or transplants until they can survive on their own. Following that, established plants can withstand heat and drought.
- Never fertilize it again. Catmint prefers well-drained, somewhat fertile soil. In fact, a plant may flip over or split in half if the soil is excessively rich. In that case, trim the plant back to make it look neat. Compost added in the spring or fall will provide the plant the nutrients it needs to thrive.
- After the first blooming flush of the plants has finished, shear them back by a third or more. The plants will be more orderly, their size will be limited, and this will encourage a second rush of blossoms later in the summer. The plant will still bloom often and maintain its lovely appearance during the stifling summer months even without being sheared.
- Over the winter, keep any dead foliage in place to help protect the crown. Wait till the beginning of spring to trim it.
- Divide catmint every three to four years, preferably in the spring or early fall, to maintain it healthy. During the first growing season, until the plants take root, keep it well-watered.
- Catmint varieties can grow to be quite huge. Pinch the plant back in the spring after it has grown a few inches tall to encourage a bushier growth habit if you wish to limit the plant’s total size.
- Cut a vertical chunk off of an established clump of catmint in the spring to reproduce it. Make sure the division has a strong root system and a number of new shoots. Till the plant takes root, keep it well-watered.
- Cuttings can also be used to spread catmint. Before flower buds grow in the spring, clip healthy shoots at a length of three inches. The cuttings should be placed in a moist medium, such as sand or a peat-perlite mixture. Within two to three weeks, they should start to root.
- Catmint is typically unaffected by either pests or illnesses. The only issue that can occasionally arise is leaf spot. There is no consensus that the severity of this fungus illness justifies control measures.
- Experience has taught me that some cats are drawn to catmint. If you’re worried about this, cover newly planted or transplanted catmint with chicken wire to stop your cat from consuming it or rolling about in it.
- This plant attracts butterflies and bees like crazy. Additionally, hummingbirds adore it.
- You’ll adore this plant if your garden is plagued by four-legged animals other than cats. Deer, voles, and rabbits are deterred by the foliage’s minty aroma. THIS is a plant that pays for itself, at last!
Can you split the catmint in two?
From late spring until October, catmint blooms continuously, producing hundreds of tiny, tubular violet-blue flowers grouped at the tips of its branches. Catmint should be deadheaded in the summer to extend its blooming, according to the UC Master Gardener Program of Sonoma County. While it is possible to pluck the individual flower heads as they wilt, doing so with a prolific bloomer like catmint can be intimidating and time-consuming. After the first rush of blossoms dies back in the middle of the summer, another alternative is to trim the entire plant down by half.
The Ohio State University Extension advises making the cut far down the stem or at its base when deadheading individual flower stalks to prevent the clipped stem from standing out significantly above the surrounding foliage. Pruning can be done more quickly by cutting back the entire plant. Sharp pruning shears should be used to cut the entire plant down to half its height. Even though the second flush of blooms may not be as numerous as the first, they will nevertheless brighten up late-season beds more than none at all.
How well does catmint transplant?
Catmint can be planted anywhere in the spring once the risk of frost has passed once you’ve selected your location. You’ll have a better chance of experiencing a first-season bloom the earlier you plant them. Plants should be spaced 24 to 30 inches apart; they will grow!
Dig a hole twice the size of the pot around, loosen the dirt on the bottom, and backfill with one to two inches of compost to plant transplants in pots. Place the final plant in place, leveling the top of the root ball with the soil line, and then cover with dirt. Place gently and then deeply water. After its first season, catmint is quite drought-tolerant but still requires an inch of rain per week.
Should I reduce my fall catmint planting?
Catmint and I have a love-hate relationship. If you have a LOT of space for it to take over, it’s a terrific plant for providing cold tones to a space. Fortunately, catmint can be severely trimmed at any time of the year.
You can trim these back in the fall to just a few inches above the ground, but your garden will have a hole in it until they grow back flush in the spring.
If catmint is the cornerstone of your perennial border, regular summers pruning should be combined with more restrained trims of around half the plant’s height during the fall.
Can catmint be reduced in the summer?
reducing summer catmint use Taller plants have a tendency to fall over and become untidy after the first bloom. Shearing your plant now will trigger a second flush of blossoms. Create a neat mound with a pair of sterilized pruning shears, cutting the plant’s height in half if necessary.
How far back should catmint be cut?
Pruning catmint in the winter or late autumn offers many advantages. It will prevent catmint from toppling over onto nearby plants, eliminate areas where pests can overwinter, and maintain the garden bed’s orderly appearance until the arrival of new growth in the spring. The plant should be fully dormant at this point, which usually occurs after many harsh frosts have been applied to it. Catmint is not one of the many perennials whose seedpods serve as food for wildlife. According to the University of Vermont Department of Plant and Soil Science, since the seeds are useless to birds, the entire plant can be severely pruned.
For the winter months, the University of Maryland Cooperative Extension Service advises trimming perennials like catmint back to a height of 2 to 4 inches. Use strong pruning shears or hedge trimmers to remove the entire plant by cutting across it. When removing the stems, don’t worry about being careful; catmint tolerates vigorous handling. Instead of composting them, put all dead stems and seed pods in a green waste container. The plants’ surrounding dead, falling leaves and seed pods should also be raked up and thrown away.
How can catmint become more bushesy?
Basic catmint maintenance is simple. Catmint plants need constant watering until they get established. Mulch will aid in moisture retention and control weed growth. Pinch back plants after they reach a height of a few inches (8 cm) to encourage bushier growth.
Throughout the summer and fall, catmint blooms. Deadheading faded blossoms encourages new blossoming. It may also assist in avoiding reseeding. However, Nepeta x faassenii, often known as Faassen’s catmint, does not require deadheading because it is sterile. In the fall or after harvest, shear the plants back to half their original size.
How is catnip divided?
Several methods can be used to spread catnip. Catnip can be propagated naturally through the sowing of seeds, as well as through stem cuttings and division.
Seeds
Purchase seed or collect from dried flower stalks on an existing plant to propagate via seed. Plant seeds in a moderately rich, well-draining loam in the late fall or early spring. Soil over them just a little. When they reach the appropriate height, space them 12 to 18 inches (30 to 46 cm) apart. If there is still a danger of frost in your area, seedlings can be started indoors and then moved outdoors.
Division
Of course, root division is the simplest technique of propagation if you already have catnip herb plants. Sharp shears or a hori hori can be used to cut through the plant to divide it once it has been dug out and any extra dirt has been shaken off. Replant the various areas, and presto! You have successfully grown new catnip plants.
Cuttings
Taking a cutting of fresh growth early in the growing season is the final way of catnip propagation. Plant the cutting in sterile soil and care for it until new growth occurs by keeping it moist and under filtered light. Before planting the cutting, give it a growth hormone dip to hasten its growth.
Where to plant:
Although they will tolerate some afternoon shadow, most plants prefer full sun, especially when grown in warm areas. Catmint may thrive in almost any well-drained soil type. Root rot can develop on wet or rainy grounds.
How to plant:
Although it is possible to grow plants from seed, buying nursery-grown plants is simpler and more dependable because hybrids may not grow true to seed and certain kinds are sterile. Since many plants have a tendency to grow wider than tall, leave plenty of space between them.
What vegetation thrives in catmint?
Consider growing verbena, agastache, lavender, and tufted hairgrass alongside catmint as companion plants.
The blue catmint blossoms go perfectly with other perennials with the same growing conditions, like:
- Sage of Europe/Southernwood
- Salvia.
- The beard of Jupiter
- Yarrow.
- Pig’s Ear.
- Winecups and Poppy Mallow.
Does catmint draw felines?
Nepeta cataria, a plant native to Europe and a close relative of the mints, produces catnip (spearmint, peppermint, pennyroyal, etc). The plant or dried herb attracts a lot of cats, and the smell might cause odd behavior patterns. Licking, chewing, head shaking, chin and cheek stroking, rolling, and salivation are a few of these actions. The herb only has an effect on roughly two-thirds of domestic cats. Other cat species, such as lions, leopards, and jaguars, are also impacted. A common folk treatment for fevers, colds, cramps, and headaches is catnip.
Catnip offers therapeutic benefits for both humans and cats, in addition to having insecticidal characteristics. Nepetalactone is the substance in catnip that is active (a component of essential oil extracted from catnip). Nepatalactone is an insect repellent that was developed by Iowa State University researchers in the early 2000s for use against cockroaches, mosquitoes, mites, ticks, spiders, termites, and other pests. Since then, it hasn’t been included in insect repellents that are sold commercially.
Additionally promising for crop protection is catnip oil. In a study, collard greens intercropped with catnip (placed in alternate rows) decreased the prevalence of flea beetles, an insect that is extremely harmful to collards. It has also been demonstrated that catnip extracts can repel harmful insects and the adult and larval stages of the Colorado potato beetle. Caterpillars, moths, and butterflies cannot be harmed by catnip extracts.
Catnip is comparatively simple to cultivate, accepts a wide range of soil types, and if not controlled, has the potential to spread beyond your garden. There are numerous seed firms that sell seed. Since the seed is so tiny, it can be directly sown on garden soil that has been thoroughly prepared and covered with 1/8″ of dirt. As an alternative, it can be planted in a flat after it has five sets of leaves. If you have cats, you might need to keep them away from it until it is established and mature. Once planted, each plant should endure for a number of years. Cutting the root mass in half and replanting allows you to divide established plants. Grow the plants where they have enough room because they can grow rather huge (3 feet tall).
Prior to blossoming, trim stems to gather catnip (early to mid summer). Leaves should be taken off of stems. In a well-ventilated place away from direct sunshine, spread the leaves out on a screen or tray. To provide aeration, turn the leaves once per day. It ought to be dry enough to crumble into flakes after two to three weeks. Put dried flakes in a container with a tight lid or a plastic bag that can be sealed. A few catnip plants will give you a year-round supply if you adore cats.
While similar to catnip in appearance, catmint (Nepeta x faassenii) does not energize cats. It is a mounded shrub with lovely gray-green foliage that grows slowly. Early summer and again throughout the monsoon season are when its abundant blue flowers bloom. Once planted, it is tolerant to both heat and drought. It can self-seed and grow (almost to the point of becoming weedy). These hardy perennials can withstand USDA zone 4 conditions and do well in mountain gardens. The majority of herbivores, including deer, are not drawn to catmint. The majority of gardeners think it makes a fine perennial border plant.
Bees and other beneficial insects are attracted to catnip and catmint. Catnip typically only blooms once per season, but when it does, bees and other nectar-feeding insects are drawn to it. I saw solitary bees feasting on nectar in the early summer, honeybees utilizing it in the middle to late summer, and bee flies and hawk moths using it in the late summer due to catmint’s prolonged bloom time. I cultivate both catmint and catnip. Cats use the catnip that has been gathered. All summer long, the catmint offers beneficial insects both beauty and sustenance. Photos and links to more information are provided below.