How to Grow and Care for Catmint

Catmint Care

Catmint is one of those plants that thrives on neglect. All it needs is a location in full sun with well-draining soil. New plants only require watering until they are established; after that, they are drought-tolerant. The plants look their best in cooler summer weather. Extreme heat and high humidity take their toll on the plant but it usually bounces back again.

Planting

The ideal planting time for catmint is in the spring, as this gives it the whole growing season to get established. Early fall is also a good time for planting.

Space the plants 1 to 3 feet apart, depending on the mature size of the variety, there is considerable variation in how much catmint spreads.

Light

Plant your catmint in full sun to get the best flowering. However, the plants will also grow well in partial shade.

Soil

Humus-rich, well-draining soil is ideal. Many species grow easily in a wide range of soil types, including dry clay and sandy or rocky soil. Catmint is not fussy about soil pH, growing well in a wide range (5.0 to 8.0).

Water

Water a newly planted catmint frequently, 2 to 3 times per week in the first week, then about 1 inch of water per week for at least one more month in the absence of rain. Once established, catmints are drought-tolerant and don’t need watering.

Temperature and Humidity

Catmints like cool temperatures. In warm climates, they benefit from afternoon shade and often don’t tolerate high heat and humidity well.

Fertilizer

Catmint is not a heavy feeder. In the first year after planting, a handful of compost, scattered around the base of the plant in the early spring, is sufficient. In subsequent years, the plant needs no further fertilization.

Types of Catmint

• Faassen’s catmint (Nepeta x faassenii) is a sterile hybrid so it won’t spread via seeds. There are many different varieties, ranging from tall to dwarf. Popular ones include ‘Walker’s Low’ (2 feet tall), ‘Junior Walker’ (14 to 16 inches tall), and ‘Six Hills Giant’ (3 feet tall).
• Short-stalked catmint (Nepeta subsessilis) grows in a mound reaching 2 to 3 feet in height. The flowers are bell-shaped. A popular cultivar is ‘Sweet Dreams’ with pink flowers and burgundy bracts.
• Eastern catmint (Nepeta racemosa) is a dwarf catmint species native to the Caucasus, Turkey, and northern Iran with violet or lilac-blue flowers. It is just as long-blooming as taller catmint species but does not grow taller than 12 inches. Popular cultivars are ‘Little Titch’ and ‘Blue Wonder’.

Pruning

Most catmints will repeat-bloom if they are sheared back after their initial flowering. Some varieties won’t provide much of a second show, but shearing refreshes and tidies up their foliage.

Skip pruning catmint as part of the fall cleanup; instead, wait until mid-winter or early spring. Pruning catmint too early when the plant is not yet fully dormant will encourage new growth, which is susceptible to cold damage.

Propagating Catmint

Catmint is commonly propagated by division or from cuttings.

Divide the plant in the spring. Find a section of the plant with undeveloped shoots and a good root system. Slice it vertically with a spade. If the plant is very large, divide it into smaller sections and replant them in soil amended with compost, at the same depth as the original plant. Water well and keep the plant well-watered until it shows new growth.

To propagate catmint from cuttings. in the late spring to early summer, take a 4- to 6-inch stem cutting, Remove the leaves from the lower half of the stem.  Insert the stem in a small container filled with damp potting soil. Keep the cutting in a location with bright light but away from direct sunlight. Water regularly to keep the soil evenly moist. Once the new plant has developed some vigor, transplant it into the garden or a larger pot.

Growing Catmint From Seeds

To grow catmint from seed, make sure it’s from a non-hybrid variety (many of the newer varieties of Nepeta are sterile hybrids that produce no viable seeds) or purchase the seed from a reputable seed company.

Start the seeds indoors six to eight weeks before the last spring frost in seed flats or small pots filled with potting soil mix. Press the seeds into the potting soil mix and only cover them very lightly with soil because they need light to germinate. Plant the seedlings outdoors after there is no more danger of a spring frost.

Potting and Repotting Catmint

Many gardeners prefer to grow catmint in a container because it prevents the plant from spreading. Use a pot at least 12 inches in diameter with large drainage holes and fill it with quality potting mix, Like all container plants, catmint needs regular watering to keep the soil moist, even though it’s drought-tolerant when planted in garden beds. Repot the plant when roots grow out of the drainage holes or the plant becomes root-bound, Either transplant it to a larger pot or divide it and replant a section in a same-size container with fresh potting mix.

Overwintering 

Catmint is a hardy plant up to USDA cold hardiness zone 4 and winterization is only required when you grow it in containers in cool climates because the roots are not sufficiently insulated against freezing temperatures. Overwinter the container in an unheated garage or shed, bury it in the ground, or build an insulating silo.

Common Pests & Plant Diseases

Catmint is rarely bothered by any pests and diseases.

How to Get Catmint to Bloom

Bloom Months

Depending on your climate, catmint starts blooming between April and June with repeat blooms throughout the growing season.

What Do Catmint Flowers Look and Smell Like?

The small, two-lipped flowers grow in loose spike-like clusters at the end of the stems. The flowers are white, pink, or lavender-blue. Their scent is rather faint compared to the strong fragrance of the leaves.

How to Encourage More Blooms

Planting catmint in full sun and backing off on the fertilizer is key to a prolific bloom. Lean soil and somewhat dry growing conditions will encourage both more flowers and a stronger foliage scent. Too much fertilizer will only make the plant grow lots of flimsy foliage instead of flowers.

Shearing the whole plant to half its height in the early summer after the first bloom encourages a second flush of blooms.