Catnip is not particularly picky about outdoor sunlight, but indoors it must receive as much direct sunlight as possible, up to five hours a day of strong sunlight on a bright windowsill. Too little sunlight produces leggy and spindly growth.
How do you take care of indoor catnip?
Growing catnip: The dos
- Give your plant as much sunlight as possible.
- Pot in quick-draining soil to discourage root rot.
- Fertilize monthly.
- Propagate your catnip.
- Harvest leaves for your feline friend.
- Give your plants space.
- Try growing catnip outside.
- Bring home a plant with bugs.
How do you keep a catnip plant alive?
Catnip is a very drought-tolerant plant, and sitting in waterlogged soil can kill it. Keep the soil of seedlings lightly moist but not soggy. Mature plants likely won’t need watering unless you have a prolonged period of drought. If the foliage is wilting, give your catnip a deep watering.
Where should I put my catnip plant?
You’ll want to plant it in an area where your cats can roll in it without damaging neighboring plants. Space catnip plants 18 to 24 inches apart in a very sunny area with fertile, well-drained soil. Give your native soil some nutrient love by mixing in several inches of aged compost or other rich organic matter.
How long can a catnip plant live?
Catnip can live for years if transplanted into a larger pot when it becomes rootbound. Proper care would include routine watering, occasional feeding and plenty of sunlight.
Can catnip survive indoors?
Catnip grows well on a bright, sunny windowsill. Growing catnip indoors requires minimal care or effort, making it a great houseplant for even the most black-thumb beginning gardener. If you’re planning an indoor window herb garden, don’t forget the catnip plant.
Does catnip grow well indoors?
Catnip is not an especially difficult plant to grow indoors. It thrives on a sunny location in well-drained potting soil. If it goes into flower, snip off the flower buds to encourage stronger leaf growth.
Why is my potted catnip dying?
If your Catnip turned brown and is dying the culprit is root rot. Powdery mildew is a fungal infection that is commonly seen in Catnip plants. Catnip plants will also die if there’s a severe infestation of Spider mites or Thrips. Catnip plants are relatives of the mint plant.
How often do you water catnip?
Watering Catnip
Water young plants twice a week for the first two weeks, and reduce watering to every other week after plants become well established. The plant is drought tolerant and can resist heat as it grows older.
Why does my catnip plant keep dying?
If your catnip is exhibiting foliage problems, malformed twigs and stems, and even entire stems that rot out of the soil, you may be facing a fungal disease. Too much shade, excess water, crowded plants, overhead watering and clay soils are some of the conditions that promote disease spread of any type.
Does catnip do well in pots?
Catnip is easy to grow in pots and containers and makes a great addition to your patio garden. In fact, catnip is an invasive perennial and will quickly take over an in-ground garden. So containers are a pretty ideal way to grow your own.
Does catnip need sun or shade?
full sun
You may have to protect small catnip plants from maurauding cats to allow them to grow up. Catnip grows best in full sun and average, well-drained soil, but survives in partial shade and thrives in poor soils.
When should I repot my catnip?
Your plant’s new container should be slightly larger than the previous. Carefully remove your plant from the original container without damaging the roots, and place it into its new pot with fresh, well-draining soil. Likely, you will need to repot an indoor catnip plant every three years or so.
Can you grow catnip indoors year round?
Growing Catnip Indoors is possible, and with the help of these catnip plant care tips, you can grow it year-round in your home. Catnip is a mint family herb. It’s known for attracting cats like a magician.
Can I bring catnip inside for winter?
If you grow catnip in a container, you can simply bring it indoors for the winter. Give it a cooler spot without too much sun and water only occasionally. If, however, your catnip is growing in beds outdoors, you should prepare it for the winter months. In late fall, prep your catnip for winter by trimming it back.
How big does catnip plants get?
3′
Morphology: Catnip is an herbaceous perennial which can grow to 3′ in height and width. Leaves are heart-shaped and toothed and covered hairs. The foliage appears grayish-green in color.
Should you trim catnip?
Cutting back catnip will restore the plant. Prune after the first round of blooming to encourage a second flowering prior to winter. Then, after the first frost, you can cut the plants down to 3-4 inches (7.5-10 cm.) in height, which will encourage new growth in the spring.
Can you leave a cat alone on catnip?
The short answer is yes; catnip is safe for cats; this is especially true because they are typically just smelling it, which allows them to feel the effects. If your cat ingests too much of this plant, it may cause adverse reactions like an upset stomach and cause temporary nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea.
What conditions does catnip need?
Catnip plant needs a free-draining soil and grows best when given plenty of sun. Plant at the edge of a border, in a raised bed, or a large pot. Once established, catnip is tolerant of drought.
How many hours of light does catnip need?
Lighting. Catnip plants need full sun locations, preferring at least 6 hours of sun exposure every day but liking shade in the afternoon when grown outside in hot climates.
Do you deadhead catnip?
Catnip has a tendency to get tall and leggy and fall over. The flowers are white or lavender and bloom time is late spring through fall if you deadhead them. Apartment dwellers will be happy to hear that catnip can be grown indoors provided you have a sunny window that gets a minimum of 5 hours of sun each day.