Herb gardens are popular , easy to grow , and incredibly various . One herbaceous plant you may not have considered is nepeta , which includes both catnip and catmint . Nepeta is soothing and relaxing , and it ’s great in herbal afternoon tea . bee and hummingbird get it on this plant as well , make it an excellent addition to pollinator garden . If you need to add thisherb to your garden , here ’s how .
Planting nepeta
Step 1 : Choose the right assortment .
Catmint and catnip are both useful herb in the genus Nepeta family , but they are n’t exactly the same . Catnip has a secure prayer to quat , while catmint has large , lovelier flowers .
Step 2 : Plant it in full Lord’s Day , with promiscuous good afternoon shade if you live in a hot clime .
measure 3 : Plant it in well - draining dirt .
Step 4 : Add compost to the soilbefore planting .
Step 5 : Water it on a regular basis until it ’s institute .
Nepeta is quite drouth resistant once plant , but it still needs regular tearing directly after being embed .
Caring for your catmint
After planting your genus Nepeta , here ’s how to care for it :
Step 1 : Increase watering during red-hot , wry weather , especially if your nepeta is in full sun .
Nepeta can hold out droughts , but supernumerary urine will assist it go along growing and blooming .
Step 2 : tally a bed of mulch around the base of the flora to help it retain water .
Step 3 : take out dead or dying flowersby hand or with scissors hold .
This encourage the plant life to keep blooming . It also prevents the plant from reseeding , which will keep the industrial plant under restraint .
Troubleshooting common problems
The two common problem genus Nepeta can face are fungal infections and cats . Felines are less likely to bother catmint than catnip , but you may still see legal injury from cats chewing or rolling on young nepeta plants . Unless your vicinity has a prominent universe of free - roaming CT , you are n’t probable to see significant damage .
Fungal disease cause stanch to rot , staunch and leaf to organize incorrectly , and scrawny growth . you could regale this byremoving diseased development , repot potted genus Nepeta in juiceless soil , and implement a fungicide . However , it ’s dear to prevent them entirely . Here ’s how :
stride 1 : annul planting your nepeta in full shade .
Step 2 : Water them only when the stain is dry .
Step 3 : Avoid cause the leaves wet when watering .
Step 4 : go out way between your plants for airflow .
Harvesting and storing nepeta
If you desire to use your nepeta , here ’s what to do :
Step 1 : Begin harvesting when the industrial plant is at least 6 in tall and is in full bloom .
footfall 2 : edit several column inch off the top of the plant with scissors or shears .
Step 3 : Use stems fresh or hang them upside down in a warm , dry , and darkspace to dry .
stone’s throw 4 : Store dried nepeta in airtight containers .
African tea , bees , and hummingbird love genus Nepeta and you will , too ! Add it to your herbal teatime blends , use it to flavour baked goods , or just look up to the blooms . No matter how you use it , you ca n’t go haywire with this beautiful and relaxing herbaceous plant .
