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Plant catnip plant outside in Spring or Autumn?

BenHaywardBenHayward Posts: 20
in Problem solving

Hello everyone!

I started growing my catnip plant a bit late, but it's grown OK (see below). A few of the plants weren't quite so happy, but some have turned out alright. 

My question is; should I wait until Spring to plant them out in the garden, or put them outside in late Autumn? 

Will they survive the winter if they're outside?

http://i.imgur.com/16UBsqW.jpg

Thanks in advance for your help! image

btw, they have not flowered yet

Posts

  • Busy-LizzieBusy-Lizzie Posts: 24,013

    By catnip do you mean Nepeta Cataria, the true catnip, a herb, or do you mean the more commonly grown catmint Nepeta Mussinii or the bigger Fassinii? I haven't grown the Cataria, but I have the other two which are perfectly hardy. It looks big enough to plant out, leaving the foliage to die in the winter and cutting it off in spring.

    Dordogne and Norfolk. Clay in Dordogne, sandy in Norfolk.
  • TootlesTootles Posts: 1,469

    It's pretty tough stuff so if you get it out now it's probs still warm enough for it to bed in. It dies down over winter anyway. I cut mine right back to the ground and it makes for a stunning display in late spring and summer. Really really easy to propagate so you could take a cutting from your plant just incase.

  • BenHaywardBenHayward Posts: 20

    Thank you all for your replies! It is indeed Nepeta Cataria. I live down in the South East, so it should be slightly warmer. I was going to hold out until mid-late October before planting any outside. 

    I was going to keep the big one (front, right of the image) in the pot (still outside) so that I can take it inside if it snows.  I wanted to make sure this one doesn't die as it's definitely the best!

    The other ones are a bit smaller than that big one, and I was going to allow them to grow a bit more until late autumn and then plant them outside.

    I presume, due to the fact they're hardy, that it won't really matter whether they're in a pot or in the ground for now? 

  • GardenGrower11GardenGrower11 Posts: 312

    Try and let at least one plant flower, and collect the seeds for starting again next year. It doesn't always survive over winter or self-seed in the garden the following year. It does tend to survive and even continue growing slowly over winter if you can put the pots in a green house or similar.

    My plants also have those white spots on the leaves, anyone know what they are?

     

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