Growing lemon catnip at home

Lemon catnip, too often called catnip, is a fairly large (often its height reaches a meter) perennial herbaceous plant with a characteristic aroma and taste. Actually, it is precisely because of this smell that the plant is extremely attractive not only to domestic cats, but also to wild representatives of the cat family. In nature, the plant is found in the steppe and forest-steppe zones in meadows and garden plots, however growing catnip It is quite possible at home.

The easiest way to grow catnip is by sowing seeds. The seed is planted at the end of winter in large boxes in even rows, so that there is 4-5 centimeters of free space between them. Then the boxes are covered with film and sent to a warm place before the first shoots appear. When the first true leaves appear on the plants, they are picked into small pots, transferred for several days to a colder place (so that the plants do not stretch), and then placed again in warmth.

When three or four true leaves appear on the catnip, it must be transplant to a permanent place into small (one and a half to two liters in volume) pots, squeezing the roots well with soil and watering immediately. Further cultivation of catnip requires not only regular watering, but also pouring water into the trays in which the pots stand. Plant should be regularly shaped by cutting off side shoots and leaves, and also feed with a solution of any mineral fertilizer, taken in a proportion of 3-4 grams per liter of warm water.