Reasons to Grow Catnip – Nepeta cataria!
Everyone knows that most cats love catnip, but fewer realize that catnip is not just for cats. In fact, growing catnip is a good idea, even if you don’t have cats!
Catnip is for people too, from mosquitoes to stress relief, pest deterrent to pet luxuriant, herbal remedies to culinary seasoning… catnip is a wholesome and powerful little herb.
Catnip, Nepeta cataria, is a delightful, soothing and medicinally beneficial herb for humans too! So if you’re thinking about growing catnip—or perhaps you already are—there’s more benefit than happy cats!
Nibble it, drink it, rub it on your body… catnip is a nifty and useful herb that’s easy to grow, and here we cover some of the reasons you’ll want to.
There’s more to growing catnip than happy cats!
~GardensAll.com
Catnip is a Natural Mosquito Repellent
“Researchers report that nepetalactone, the essential oil in catnip that gives the plant its characteristic odor, is about ten times more effective at repelling mosquitoes than DEET — the compound used in most commercial insect repellents.”[1]https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2001/08/010828075659.htm[2]https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15962779/
One study found that catnip is ten times more effective at repelling mosquitoes than DEET!
Growing Catnip
A recent article here on Gardens All about having a pet-friendly garden generated interest in how to grow catnip, and what it might be used for besides making our cats act like they’re kittens again. Well, it turns out that growing catnip is very easy, and the benefits of this fragrant herb make it a great addition to your garden.
Catnip (Nepeta cataria) is in the mint family. Like its minty relatives, you can expect catnip to be an herbaceous perennial with square shaped stems and blossoms that are not showy. The leaves are gray-green in color and can have a slight velvety feel. Catnip will happily grow and spread in a variety of soil conditions, and may even grow in areas that other garden plants find difficult to adapt to.
Tips for Growing Catnip
First, if you don’t want your—or your neighbor’s—cats to tear up your catnip, you’ll need to keep a portion of it out of their reach, such as via a hanging pot like the one pictured here.
In this photo two cat thwarting measures are implemented: sticks and height. The height makes it unlikely the cat will be able to jump up and the sticks create a barrier, should he try.
The sticks can also help keep the cat from laying on standing pots, so if you don’t want to hang it, you could try that first.
Catnip Origin
Catnip originates from Europe and Asia and was brought the North America by European settlers to use as a food and medicine source. Catnip is such a hardy, resilient plant that it readily naturalized here, and can still be found growing wild in certain regions of the U.S. It’s also widely cultivated today, primarily for use in cat treats and toys.
Here’s the basic scoop on growing catnip:
How to Grow Catnip:
- Propagation: seeds, stem cuttings, root ball division
- Growing Media: soil, containers, hydroponics
- USDA Hardiness: perennial in zones 3-9
- Germination: 7-10 days from seed
- Spacing: Plant 18 inches apart
- Height: about 2-4 feet
- Width: about 2 feet, spreading habit
- Soil: tolerant of many soil types, well draining preferred
- Light Needs: high, full sun to partial sun
- Water: Keep well watered until established, then weekly watering should suffice
- Pests/Diseases: Whiteflies and spider mites may bother it, but not much else.
You can start your catnip indoors about a month before last frost, and then transplant them outside. Alternatively, you can direct sow the seeds into the soil in early spring or late fall. Cover lightly with soil. Keep the soil watered, but not soggy. When the sprouts reach about 5 inches in height, thin them to a spacing of 18 inches.
Need pollinators in your garden? Catnip attracts bees!
Catnip blooms from midsummer to early fall. The fragrant flowers are usually white and not very showy. They will, however, attract pollinating bees to the garden. This plant self-sows readily, if not aggressively, so deadhead often if you don’t want catnip plants popping up all over your garden next season. Don’t toss the blooms! Dry them instead. I’ll get to what you can do with them in just a bit.
First, some notes on landscaping and companion planting.
Catnip: Companion Planting and Landscaping
As a landscaping plant, catnip’s hoary, gray green foliage and dense, clumping growth habit make it a grounding plant in the garden, backdropping well with plants that have showier blooms. It does well in rock gardens, and in cottage gardens at the mid-range tier, due to medium height. Catnip is also a nice plant to have near walkways, where people can enjoy its fragrant leaves and blooms. Deer do not usually eat it.
As a companion plant, you can grow it as a border to help deter a lot of vegetable garden pests, including flea beetles, aphids, Japanese beetles, squash bugs, mice and rats. Many of your vegetables such as tomatoes, squash, beets, potatoes and brassicas like kale or collards, will all appreciate being near catnip.
Catnip Deters Garden Pests
- Flea beetles
- Aphids
- Japanese beetles
- Squash bugs
- Mice
- Rats
Caution: Keep in mind that catnip likes to spread, and it’s attractive to cats, especially if you live in an area with a lot of them.
