Cat Nip Seeds

Posts Tagged ‘drying catnip’

• Where To Buy Catnip Plants

  Date: 2010.02.02 | Category: cheap catnip seeds | Response: 0

  
  

  Catnip
  Kitties love it. They can’t get enough of it. Pet owners howl with laughter after kitty gets a whiff of the stuff. What is this magical feline elixir? Nepeta Cataria, otherwise known as “catnip”. Catnip is a perennial of the mint family that has dark green foliage and grows to approximately 4 feet. It is indigenous to Europe and has been naturalized for growth in North America.

  Where To Buy Catnip Plants
  Catnip is grown from seed. So, the first place to look for catnip seeds would naturally be in a local garden center where herbs are sold. Catnip is considered an herb because it has an aromatic scent which is more pronounced after the downy leaves have been dried. There are also many seed catalogues where catnip seeds can be purchased. It generally takes 8 to 10 days for the shipment to arrive. Then, there are online herbalists and pet emporiums that sell catnip. This is also a good source for live catnip plants. One other possibility might be a local florist who can custom order a live catnip plant. Since catnip is part of the mint family, live plantings might also be sold in regular department, hardware or speciality stores.

  Catnip Plants
  While it’s a good idea to start a catnip plant indoors, it isn’t the only way for kitty to enjoy catnip year round. In most warmer climates, catnip can easily flourish in a small patch of garden. Although, it’s likely an outdoor catnip planting will attract more than just a handful of neighborhood felines. Catnip plants require minimal watering and care. They look pretty on a winter windowsill and have fluttery branches and terminal racemes. Look for pale purple flowers as they begin to bloom. Allow the catnip plant to go to seed so that a new generation of plants can be started.

  Windowsill Catnip
  Choose a fairly sunny windowsill for catnip. Just choose a windowsill kitty cannot access easily. Feline sense of smell can pick up a live catnip plant faster than a human. Be aware that your cat may choose to eat the leaves and not wait for you to arrange a formal catnip sachet. The problem with this is that the catnip plant may not grow if top leaves have been removed. Too much catnip ingested may also cause digestion problems as with an excess of any food. Place the windowsill catnip planting out of your cat’s reach for the best growing results.

  Drying Catnip Plants
  When you select leaves from live catnip plant to use for your cat’s enjoyment, choose leaves from the bottom rather than the top. The reason for this is that the larger leaves grow about an inch above the base of the stem. By choosing these leaves, the plant continues to grow until it blooms or goes to seed. The larger leaves are a continuous supply of catnip. Place the leaves in a brown paper bag in a dry place until the leaves turn a brownish-green hue.