Catnip is a multi-purpose plant. The tea is very pleasant with a lemon-mint flavor and fragrance. Along with fresh catnip planted in containers indoors, catnip toys will provide your cats with hours of fun. But be warned; they may ignore you for a while! Catnip is very hardy and grows in almost any soil; self-sows readily.
~ planting ~
When to sow outside: RECOMMENDED. 1 to 2 weeks before average last frost. Successive sowing every 3 weeks until 4 weeks before first fall frost. Zone 8 and warmer, sow in fall for winter harvest. When to start inside: Not recommended; does not transplant well. Special germination instructions: Seed requires darkness to germinate. Sow at recommended depth of 1⁄2".
~ harvesting ~
You may harvest catnip leaves at any time in the growing season. However, the oils that so entrance cats reach their peak when the plant flowers. You can also harvest the flowers and use them like the leaves. Mid-morning or early afternoon is the best time of day to harvest. Cut entire stems at the base of the plant. This method will provide you with a collection of leaves and flowers to use or dry. Catnip grows quickly and will soon replace any removed plant matter. However, it will replace removed stems more quickly than randomly removed leaves. Early in the season you can pinch off the tips of shoots to encourage more bushy growth for later harvesting.
