Let's Talk Catmint (Nepeta) 💜 Garden Guru Sean at The Gardener's Center

Sean, the horticulture expert at The Gardener's Center in Darien, CT, provides pro tips for selecting and caring for Nepeta, or, as it’s more commonly called, Catmint.
Nepeta comes in tall-to-compact varieties, are beautiful, long-bloomers, drought tolerant and adored by pollinators like bees, butterflies and hummingbirds. Who doesn’t love ‘em? Deer, rabbits and woodchucks, that’s who.
Sean has pro tips for selection, placement, care and easy maintenance for keeping them tidy and getting them to re-bloom.
NEPETA VARIETIES
Walker's Low • Grows 24-30" tall x 36" wide
Junior Walker • Grows 15-18" tall x 36" wide
Little Titch • Grows 12" tall x 24" wide
Felix • Grows 12" tall x 24" wide
RECOMMENDED PLANT FOOD: Espoma Plant-Tone
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The Gardener's Center
1396 Post Road, Darien, CT
(203)-655-2549
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[@amazingdany]

I witnessed a really cute, friendly cat-shaped visitor chewing mine to the ground!!! 😡 So that was my mysterious nepeta killer, zero bug or slug involved! Fortunately, I saw new leaves growing so I cut a water bottle’s bottom and covered the pitiful stump. Let’s hope it regrows healthily until fall frost!🤞

[@bethmoore9161]

You answered every question I came searching for. Thank you so much! ☺️💜

[@TheGardenersCenter]

Glad to hear it, Beth...thank you for watching!

[@jacquiheath9321]

Resistant to wildlife but will attract the neighbourhood cats like a magnet. Mine was mostly chewed to pieces the day after I planted it and the rest of it was not enjoying being a happy cat bed. Quite a tough cookie though; it sprang back and the novelty wore off enough for it to flower again.

[@adrabruzzese7610]

I had the same problem, they roll on them and kill them, I went through hoops to keep just one alive. It's sad because I love them but I had to put an upside down hanging planter pot, the kind you have to line over the plant, I laid down cat scat, a hard plastic track around the plant and then a tiny fence in front of it and the cats still seem to get at it. If not for that my garden would be filled with them. I even tried putting them in hanging baskets and the cats were jumping in them!

[@akrossmann1631]

Yes ...My dream neighbor and I agreed that she could plant 3 catmint plants in her yard. That way her cats have their very own plants. Maybe your neighbors would do the same, the power of suggestion was at play. Namaste

[@RokiMowntinHi]

@@adrabruzzese7610 - I heard one person put a dome of chicken wire around theirs, so the cats could trim off anything outside the wire, but the plant was left intact.

[@jodylancaster8706]

I have two Walker's Low in my garden. This was so informative, especially the cutting back and feeding part. Now I know what to do. Thanks!

[@TheGardenersCenter]

Glad it was helpful!

[@porchswingdesignsmarilou7323]

Thank you for this information. I planted a Catmint several years ago and have been cutting them back when they finish their first bloom with great success. I love this perennial.

[@epiasta5976]

I have the Walkers Low variety! Beautiful purple flowers, bees love them. Low water plants for full sun too!

[@TheGardenersCenter]

The bees love Nepeta! Thanks for watching!

[@DanSme1]

Being from Connecticut, one feature you missed was Nepeta is cold hardy. We live in Colorado at an altitude of 7,640’ and occasional winter temperatures of -30F. We’ve never lost a plant. We also have water restrictions and herds of deer. So it’s perfect!

[@judyingram-kh1vm]

Awesome to know , thank you❤

[@Orblinkluv]

Thank you for sharing! Super great for me to know as a Chicago native. These northern winters are rough! Want to know who/what else can survive up here like us 😂

[@Jay__EL]

The first thing he said was it is "super hardy" 😊

[@maureenmckenna5220]

Have a few varieties here in Williamsburg, VA and I am in love. Big or small, nothing eats them. Nothing. It looks good blooming. It looks good not blooming. If I cut it back a little, it looks very neat and may bloom again, a little. I often don’t have the time and just leave it. It fades and holds its form. Have cat’s pajamas and it stays pretty small but, has the same habit and is care free. I have mostly Walker’s Low, and love it’s size and ability to fill in a space about 3 x 3. Have four of them in various spots. Great plant.

[@my-cx7xm]

This was so helpful, especially on how to cut back the catmint. This was new to me, so thank you!

[@TheGardenersCenter]

You're so welcome!

[@jumprope04]

Great video - thank you! Last yr we planted a catmint container. AM sun, PM shade. It thrived! On hot afternoons a dear old neighborhood cat would curl up in it and nap. When hot temps were extreme my husband picked up the container- cat and all - and brought it into the kitchen. Sweet! This yr we’re growing another container just for the cat. ❤

[@TheGardenersCenter]

Thanks for sharing and for watching!

[@thegrynne]

I've grown catmint next to my roses for the last 5-6 years now, and they do fabulously. Need to be pruned heavily at least twice over the blooming season, but I stagger the pruning so that there's always a couple with flowers intact for the pollinators. Every 2 years, I dig them up and divide them, and that keeps them strong and healthy.

[@TheGardenersCenter]

They're truly great perennials. Very smart to divide them every 2 years, they're notorious for suffering from the "donut effect" much faster than most other perennials. Thanks for watching.

[@teresafraher7595]

Lots of great information. Thank you!

[@hobbitlady7568]

Another great informative video. Thanks!

[@eleanormarcellus8676]

fantastic info !

[@harriettpavonrosado5175]

Thank you. Enjoyed your presentation. I am trying nepeta this year.

[@nildaweiss4287]

You answered all my questions. Truly helpful. Thank you so much👏👏

[@TheGardenersCenter]

Glad it was helpful!

[@prof.cecilycogsworth3204]

Thanks!

[@judyingram-kh1vm]

Great information, thank you❤

[@TheGardenersCenter]

You are so welcome!

[@markday5797]

Very informative thank you.

[@TheGardenersCenter]

Thanks for watching!

[@juliaconnolly3595]

I have at least 30, walkers low, big leaf and taller, all look awesome. Took a hit on walkers low after bad freeze. I mix catnip in also for fun.

[@zanpsimer7685]

My cats go crazy for my catmint.

[@AnnieDog-arfarf1]

Thanks re “Walker’s Low” information.

[@TheGardenersCenter]

You're welcome. It's a very deceptive name. Thanks for watching!

[@Brogrl]

Thank you for this video, informative and interesting. Subscribed!

[@ColonelK0rn1]

Thank you for the concise information about this wonderful plant I have in my landscape. The prior owner spent a lot of money installing hardscape beds with several plants that I was not familiar with in my hardiness zone. Your description of a floppy mess is exactly what mine looked like last year. Now I know I can prune back aggressively when the blooms are done. The question I have is what can I do to prevent it next Spring from looking like an animal has slept inside the middle of the plant? If I had to guess, the variety I have is Walkers Low, because it's a large sprawling plant.

[@RokiMowntinHi]

I wonder if you could put some sort of ring or some wide cloth material tied around it, to support the base of the stalks before it starts to get too big? Or, you could just keep trimming it back so it never flops out like that? Good luck!

[@irisjanemay1903]

Mine almost died the first couple of days because of the cats. I had to put it in a pot so they couldn't get to it. It over wintered fine in the tall pot.

[@TheGardenersCenter]

Cats do love their Nepeta!

[@cathylee4234]

My neighbor hood cats are allways rolling on them and biting them

[@haideraliibnakhlaq8823]

You could buy a cat repeller (solar powered) or lay down some orange skin cuttings near you plants (seems to have worked for me so far)

[@ragininagar4168]

I don’t know what you are talking about but I found this plant the most difficult to care for and I am not even a total beginner with plants , it is dying and I have looked up over the internet , couldn’t find the reason , I live in Poland and it’s the summer season now . Please help if you can , the leaves are all drying up , the plant is terribly sick

[@cg1tube]

Can i get some in zone 8 and 9?

[@anitacox651]

Excellent and informative video, and I am hoping by following these tips I will ;Ike the 2 cat mints I have!💜 Can they be divided successfully?

[@RokiMowntinHi]

I"d say yes. You can also pull off a stalk that has at least a little root system to it, and plant it in a container, or somewhere else in your garden/yard. Ours self-seed and we pull out the little plants and give them away!! We have a ton growing where nothing else will, after just one plant got established. Good luck!

[@belindahopkins7875]

I live in AZ and have a very hard time growning mints

[@TheGardenersCenter]

I can see them being a challenge to grow in AZ. Thanks for watching!

[@itiswhatitis44]

Can all cats eat those?

[@geerrr3516]

cutting them back @ 6:39

[@brendaallid-makalintal4345]

Is Nepeta an aggressive grower like any other mint plant is? I’d love to hear back. Thanks!

[@TheGardenersCenter]

Not aggressive at all. A well behaved clump forming perennial.

[@thegrynne]

It's not a spreader, but I find that it will self-seed. The seedlings are easy to pull out though.

[@seaweedeable]

Why are mine collapsing and falling over?

[@TheGardenersCenter]

As they finish up their first bloom they can become quite messy looking by collapsing and flopping over. Now would be the time to cut them back. Cut each plant back by at least half, two thirds would be better. Apply an all purpose organic fertilizer after cutting them back. They will quickly produce new growth and flowers on more compact and tidy plants.

[@seaweedeable]

@@TheGardenersCenter wonderful! Thank you!

[@jimwalker76]

What growing zones for these beauties?

[@TheGardenersCenter]

Nepetas grow best in USDA zones 4 - 8.

[@amandahand3540]

Anyone with success in having Nepeta in zone 9a? I really want Nepeta in my garden

[@TheGardenersCenter]

Nepeta does best in USDA hardiness zones 3 through 8. It's a temperate climate plant so it needs to experience temperatures below 40 degrees for quite a bit of time (1,200 to 1,500 hours) during the winter in order to ensure proper dormancy/rest. Your winters would be a little to warm for Nepeta to thrive.

[@alexk3352]

Why not cut it back all the way to the ground to promote all new growth?

[@thegrynne]

You need to keep some foliage intact so it has energy to continue growing, like with lavender. Cut it down to the ground at the beginning of winter, when it's just bare stalks.

[@JGT-yd2wx]

Dissapointed to not see a single homestuck comment.

[@RokiMowntinHi]

What does that mean?

[@JGT-yd2wx]

@@RokiMowntinHi Do you not know what Homestuck is? How old are you?

[@RokiMowntinHi]

@@JGT-yd2wx - I guess I just don't. How do I know why I don't know?🤔Why, is it an age-related term? Perhaps I live in a different part of the world than you?

[@JGT-yd2wx]

@@RokiMowntinHi Homestuck was literally the most famous and infamous multimedia webcomic on the ENTIRE INTERNET! So popular it's one of only 2 fandoms that has crashed Newgrounds! It started in 2009 and ended in 2016, having various epilogues of varying quality. The man behind it was Andrew Hussie and he had multiple music artists one of which was Toby Fox. If you've ever been online and seen little grey armless people with orange horns, that's from Homestuck.

[@GardensoftheAncientsHerbal]

Except cats. Cats will destroy them….