▶ It’s not just the blooms that provide color
The floriferous nature of catmints, from early spring into autumn, is astonishing. The distinctive two-lipped, tubular flowers mark them as part of the mint family. Colorful calyces enhance the floral display even after the flowers have passed.
▶ There are two ways to propagate
You can propagate by spring division using a spade to slice off a section of an established clump. Each new division should have several young shoots and a substantial root system. Cuttings of catmint will root readily if taken from healthy shoots before flower buds form. Stick the cuttings in a moist medium, such as sand or a peat-perlite mix, and you can expect them to be rooted in several weeks.
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▶ There’s a reason it’s the cat’s meow
The leaves and stems contain an essential oil that triggers a variety of behavioral responses in cats. Rubbing, licking, or biting the leaves produces a short-lived high, while eating the leaves may act as a sedative. By all accounts, catnip (N. cataria*)—a type of catmint—is particularly intoxicating to cats. Unfortunately, there is not much you can do to deter cats from mauling (and sometimes squashing) your plants. Barriers may be your only option, although most plants will recover quickly from an assault.
▶ Watch out for too much water
Wet or soggy sites can be the kiss of death for most catmints, although Japanese catmints (N. subsessilis and cvs.) have a penchant for moist soils and don’t mind partial shade, either. Disease and pests rarely trouble catmints, which always make the list of deer-resistant plants.
▶ Don’t forget the foliage
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With so many flowers to draw the eye, it’s easy to overlook the leaves. The signature look for many catmints is fuzzy gray-green leaves, but a few species such as Siberian catmint (N. sibirica) have large green leaves instead. Having trouble identifying whether something is a catmint? Look for square stems—another telltale attribute of the mint family.
▶ Do forget about fertilizing
High fertility only encourages floppiness. When stems become floppy and flower production wanes, simply cut back the older stems by half or shear right down to the new leaves emerging from the crown. Sheared plants will recover within a few weeks and look like they were never cut back.
▶ Spring pruning is best
Even though it can be unsightly in winter, prune catmint in spring or once you know the growing season is truly over. Cutting it back even late in the season encourages it to resprout, and that new growth is susceptible to cold. Waiting until spring eliminates any potential winter damage.
Source: https://t-tees.com
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