A catnip plant is a type of mint plant standardized tocatmintthat is love for its strong scent and its effect on cats . It has sonant , fuzzy unripened leave of absence and small-scale , blanched bloom . The leaves and stems of the plant can be dry out and used to make catmint toys , or they can be steeped to make tea . The plant also comprise an oil colour called nepetalactone which has a sedative upshot on cats and can stimulate them to play . It ’s a popular industrial plant grow among cat owners or citizenry who just enjoy the catnip industrial plant for other reasons . But when is it meter to harvest catmint and how much can you harvest at a clip ?
Why prune catnip?
Cutting back catnip is important for two reason . First , it encourages new growth , which helps keep the plant healthy and vibrant . Second , it helps prevent the plant from becoming too turgid and unruly . cut the plant also assist it to bring out more of the flavorful oils that make catnip so attractive to cats . Catnip works typically reach a height of up to three foundation , with a spread of about one ft . Pruning back your catnip can serve prevent it from getting too large and crowding out other plants .
When to harvest catnip
Catnip is broadly speaking ready to glean in late summertime or early fall when the leave-taking and blossom are in full bloom and the root word are wry and brown , but belittled sections of the plant can be harvest throughout the spring up season . In the dip , sheer the intact industrial plant down to the ground , leaving a few in of stem . Hang the plants upside down in a well - ventilated arena until the folio and flowers are completely wry . Once dry , disinvest the folio and flowers from the stems and store them in an airtight container . The amount of Nepeta cataria you’re able to reap from a single plant varies depending on the sizing of the plant and how long it has been produce . you’re able to expect to get anywhere from a few tablespoons to several cups of dried Nepeta cataria .
How to harvest catnip
harvest home Nepeta cataria can be a hard cognitive operation depending on the size of the garden and the variety show of catnip being grow . The most difficult part of harvest home Nepeta cataria is timing when to glean the plant . Catnip is better harvested when the bloom have just set about to blossom , but before they have amply open up . If the bloom are allowed to open and dry out , the essential oilsin the plant will be lost and the authority of the catnip will be reduced .
Additionally , harvesting catnip requires careful handling ; it is crucial to debar bruising the leaves and stems of the plant as this can also reduce the potency of the catnip .
