Many people have been spoiled into buying items at the store; items such as tomatoes, jalapanos, strawberries and catnip. Wait, catnip? That’s right, catnip. It is very simple to make and will make for one super treat of your fuzzy friend. Catnip also has a few health benefits for humans also if drunken as a tea. The items you will need to make catnip are as follows:
You will need potting soil, catnip seeds and as many small pots as you want plants. You can either buy seeds from the store or if you have some extra catnip lying around you can open it and inside you will find seed pods. Extract two for each pot you use so the success of the plants growing is multiplied. The plant height of fully grown catnip is three to four feet and should be spaced fifteen to eighteen inches apart. Fertilizer is not needed unless the soil you are using is of poor quality.
First, place your potting soil, catnip seeds, and small pots in front of you on a table or somewhere where a mess can be made. Soil will probably end up all over your designated area. This area needs to be big enough to where you can move your arms around without knocking other objects over.
Secondly, take a hand full of the soil out of the bag and fill each pot up about halfway full. This will ensure your roots to not grow out of the bottom of the pot. Pat the soil down so it will be more compact.
Thirdly, take your two seeds or seed pods and drop them into the center of your pot on top of your soil. Do this step to all pots to ensure the plants success. If you would like to plant more in each pot, feel free to do so now, just be careful on not to clutter the soil and pots.
Next, grab another hand full of soil from the bag and fill the pots to the top. Pack this soil down as well as you did before.
After that, if your pot doesn’t have a tray attached on the bottom to catch the excess water, you will need one. Place your pots on a plate or something that can get wet and ruined. This will come in handy for the water to have something to drain into after you water it. This prevents the plant from having too much water which can drown it.
For your sixth step it is acceptable to add fertilizer to your soil if the quality of your soil is low. Fertilizer can be found at just about any store that sells plants. Add water or fertilizer to your soil to start the growth of your seed pods. You will need the water your plants at least 4 times a day. Make sure to not over water your crop.
Then, place your pots next to a window so they can gain sunlight. You can also use a plant light. These can be bought at Wal-Mart for $4.97. Your catnip will need moderate sunlight to survive indoors. Full sunlight is greatly acceptable. The light would come in much handy for giving them full light.
After twelve to fifteen weeks, your catnip will be fully grown. When the process is complete, cute the plant down to the stem and hang it out to dry. Once your catnip is fully grown and died out completely, it is ready for use for your cat of for yourself.
Catnip is mainly for cats to use as a treat. They go nuts for it if it is grown correctly. Catnip also helps humans though. The most common use of this is to make tea out of the dried out parts to help for headaches. You can also use the herb for cuts. Grind up the catnip and dampen in water. You can use this by rubbing it on your lacerations. There are many uses for catnip but these are just a few. Have fun and be careful. Maybe you have a green thumb?
