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catnip
Robyn hewson
Posts: 93
in Plants
I've got a catnip/cat mint plant and in just wondering if anyone has one to? advice on care if so. I was thinking about re potting into a bigger pot when its warmer on a more constant basis and leave it outside. cat seems to love it 
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I grow mine on the edge of my borders. When the flowers start to go tatty in midsummer, cut them back by half and they will come back with another show of flowers. Cut back again in late autumn and they will sprout new shoots around now, when you can cut off any dry stems. They have survived -10°C with no problems here.
Strangly, our cat shows no interest in them at all!
I had a splendid plant some years ago when there were very few cats round here. hey still decimated it though. It was, for me, quite an expensive buy so I haven't tried since and now there's many more cats I'm not likely to unfortunately.
I love it Robyn. Like others say, hardy and really easy to propogate. The flowers last ages too. I adore watching the cats have a good time on ours. Mine was a tiny plant when I got it. Plonked it into a border at the front and it grows to quite a size in summer. I cut it right back when it's done its thing. Bees also love it.
I've grown it for a few years, and it sometimes survives the winter outdoors, but not always. It also sometimes self seeds and grows again in the same patch, but not always, probably because cats love it too much and nibble it and roll all over it before it gets established and grows again.
I grow it in pots in the greenhouse, and plant out when its established, into an area of the garden where I'm happy for the cats to enjoy it. It over winters ok in the greenhouse and is ready for the garden in spring, as well as a fresh source of leaves for the cat in winter when there would be none still growing outdoors.
My seeds were originally Mr F's variety, Nepeta Cataria.
http://www.homebase.co.uk/en/homebaseuk/catmint-%28nepeta-cataria%29-267318
From what I've read, not all cats react to it, maybe around 2/3rds. Of those, some prefer it fresh and green and straight off the plant, others prefer it dried like it would be in cat toys.
It's a wonderful plant, both for cats and pollinating insects.
I think our cat really loves it. It's one of his favorite hang-out spots in summer.
Hmmm... no accounting for taste, I suppose, Verdun - though personally I dislike the smell.
My catmint was killed by over-enthusiastic chewing and rolling by a neighbour's cat, in spite of rose prunings stuck in it (the plant, not the cat. Perhaps that was where I went wrong?? 
NO REALLY it's a joke, I love cats and am currently sitting next to a sleeping one!)
Swiss Sue, I believe something like 15% of cats don't have the catnip-loving gene and can take it or leave it. I had 2 cats who were sisters, one of whom went nuts over catnip-filled toys; the other (the one asleep next to me) couldn't care less.
The plant cats love best is Nepeta cataria. But it's not as pretty as the ones you usually see in gardens (like 'Six Hills Giant').