Catnip is a mint-family herb with a superpower: its scent sends most cats into a state of blissful rolling, rubbing and purring. It is also a tough, drought-tolerant perennial that grows happily in poor soil — the only real challenge is protecting it from the cats it attracts.
Use the dried leaves in cat toys and scratchers, or brew a mild, minty tea for yourself. It is a fun plant for households with cats, and a useful one for the herb garden too. This crop is in the Lamiaceae family, needs full sun, and takes 70–90 days to reach maturity, so it pays to know what it wants before you sow. This guide covers it all: starting seeds, transplanting, soil and feeding, watering, sunlight, pests, companion plants, harvesting and the problems most likely to catch you out. If your cats destroy every plant, grow a second one inside a wire tomato cage — the cats can rub the leaves that poke through the bars without flattening the whole plant.
Catnip at a glance
| Growing factor | What catnip need |
|---|---|
| Sun | full sun |
| Soil pH | 6.0–7.0 |
| Days to germination | 7–14 |
| Days to maturity | 70–90 |
| Spacing | 12–18 inches |
| Water needs | low |
| Cold tolerance | hardy |
| Family | Lamiaceae |
Starting seeds
Catnip can be started indoors or sown direct. Indoors, sow in trays or cells and expect germination in 7–14 days; direct-sown seed goes into prepared soil once conditions are right. Starting indoors buys a few weeks of season, while direct sowing is simpler and avoids transplant shock.
Short-season gardens in Zones 3–5 gain the most from starting indoors, while Zones 8–10 can usually direct-sow with confidence. Our seed-starting calculator works out indoor sowing dates from your frost dates.
Catnip is easy from seed, germinating in 7–14 days, and it can be started indoors or sown direct. Give it room from the start — it spreads like its mint relatives.
Transplanting and planting out
Set young plants out once the soil is workable, or after the last frost where the plant is tender. Handle the root ball gently, plant at the same depth as in the pot, and water in well.
Space plants 12–18 inches apart — crowding is one of the commonest causes of small harvests. Our plant-spacing calculator works out how many plants fit your bed. Harden seedlings off for a week before planting out, and plant on a cloudy day or in the evening so they do not wilt in their first hours outdoors.
Soil and feeding
Herbs mostly want lean, free-draining soil rather than rich ground — too much fertiliser makes soft, leggy growth with weak flavour. Dig in a little compost for structure and make sure water drains away freely, especially in winter.
Aim for a soil pH of 6.0–7.0 — a simple soil test will tell you where you stand. Feed lightly and steadily rather than in one heavy dose: too much fast nitrogen late in the season pushes leafy growth at the expense of the part you eat. Our fertiliser calculator works out amounts for your bed size, and the raised-bed soil calculator tells you how much mix a new bed needs.
Watering
Water needs are low, so this crop is more forgiving of a missed watering than most. Water deeply but infrequently, letting the soil dry a little between waterings, and avoid keeping the foliage wet.
Herbs in pots dry out faster than herbs in the ground, so check pots daily in hot weather. In the ground, most herbs are happy with a deep watering when the soil dries out rather than a daily sprinkle.
Water at the base of the plant, in the morning, so the leaves dry quickly. Our watering calculator gives a starting point for your bed size, and the watering schedule generator can build a routine around it.
Sunlight and temperature
Give herbs the sunniest spot you have — a south-facing bed, or a pot on a sunny step. Full sun keeps growth compact and flavour concentrated; in shade, most herbs grow leggy and taste weak.
This crop is rated hardy for cold tolerance, so plan your season around that: hardy crops can be sown and harvested around frosts, while tender crops need warm soil and frost-free nights. Our sunlight calculator can check whether your spot gets enough sun, and the hardiness-zone finder will confirm your zone.
Pests and diseases
Catnip are not especially pest-prone when healthy and well placed, but a few pests turn up regularly. The ones listed for this crop in the growing data are aphids, spider mites, whiteflies.
- Aphids — Small sap-sucking insects that cluster on soft new shoots, weakening growth. A strong jet of water dislodges them, and ladybirds usually keep them in check.
- Spider Mites — Tiny mites that thrive in hot, dry conditions, leaving fine webbing and speckled, bronzed leaves. Keep plants watered and remove badly affected leaves.
- Whiteflies — Small white flies that gather on leaf undersides and fly up in a cloud when disturbed. Yellow sticky traps help monitor them, and good airflow keeps numbers down.
Inspect plants weekly, especially the undersides of leaves, and act early. If you need help identifying what you are seeing, our pest-identifier helper and plant-disease checker walk through the symptoms.
Companion plants
Companion planting puts together plants that help each other — sharing space well, attracting pollinators, or confusing pests. The companions listed for catnip in the growing data are a good starting point.
Good companions for catnip include:
- Tomatoes
- Peppers
- Marigolds
- Cabbage
Our companion-planting finder can suggest more pairings for your bed plan.
Harvesting
Cut stems just before flowering, when the aromatic oils are strongest, and hang them upside down to dry. Once dry, crumble the leaves and store them in a jar — dried catnip stays potent for months.
Expect the crop to be ready about 70–90 days after sowing, though weather and variety shift that window by a week or two either way. Our harvest-date calculator works out your expected harvest date from your sowing date, and the vegetable-yield estimator can estimate how much a bed should produce. Harvest in the morning, using a sharp knife or secateurs rather than tearing, which damages the plant.
Common problems and fixes
| Problem | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Cats flattening the plant | cats rolling on the foliage | protect young plants with a wire cage, or grow it in a hanging basket |
| Yellow, wilting leaves despite wet soil | overwatering — the roots are drowning | let the soil dry out between waterings and improve drainage |
| Aphids on the plants | aphids feeding on the crop | inspect weekly and act early — hand-pick, wash off, or use barriers |
Cats flattening the plant
Likely cause: cats rolling on the foliage. Cats are the main pest: neighbourhood cats will find your catnip, roll on it and sometimes dig it up. A small wire cloche over young plants, or growing it in a hanging basket out of reach, solves most of the problem.
Yellow, wilting leaves despite wet soil
Likely cause: overwatering — the roots are drowning. Low-water plants are killed by kindness more often than by drought. If leaves yellow and wilt while the soil is wet, the roots are rotting: stop watering and let the soil dry out.
Aphids on the plants
Likely cause: aphids feeding on the crop. Small sap-sucking insects that cluster on soft new shoots, weakening growth. A strong jet of water dislodges them, and ladybirds usually keep them in check.
Frequently asked questions
How long does catnip take to germinate?
7–14 days, in warm, moist conditions. Cool soil slows germination down, so wait for the soil to warm up and keep the seedbed evenly moist — not wet — until seedlings appear.
What soil pH does catnip need?
A soil pH of 6.0–7.0 suits catnip best. A simple soil test will tell you where your soil stands, and lime or sulfur can nudge pH up or down over a season.
When can I harvest catnip?
About 70–90 days after sowing, though weather and variety shift that by a week or two. For nursery-grown plants the wait is shorter than for seed.
Will catnip attract every cat in the neighbourhood?
Probably, yes — most cats respond to catnip, and they can smell it from a surprising distance. If that is a problem, grow it in a pot on a balcony or behind a fence, or protect young plants with a wire cage until they are big enough to take the attention.