A Gardeners Forum Forums Gardening Reference Gardening in 2006 Collecting Catnip Seeds

I have a quick question. I have a couple catnip plants that are doing wonderfully, but I would like to make more. How do I collect the seeds from the plants so I can grow more?? Thanks!

when the flowers start getting brown spots they are close to ready.I snip my flowerheads& stick in bowl upsidedown to dry.I later shake them to get the seeds out,but I also crumble the heads where want to grow.

Thanks, I'll try that

I also have a catnip plant that seems to be doing well. How can I tell when it is time to snip it so I can dry it to give to my kitties? And where oh where do I snip it so it will still grow?

Thanks!

I leave mine to dry out over the fall directly in the garden. The cats climb right in, munch the stalks, and roll around in it. In the spring, I cut it right down to nothing, and it comes up again. If you do want to snip tho, I wouldn't think it would be a problem to snip anywhere, as it seems to grow like a weed.
You can also try "catmint", which is a bit different, and self seeds readily.
Side note - this year I tried a packet of seeds that included catnip, cat grass (2 diff. varieties, and something called "cat lettuce") The cats think they've died and gone to heaven!

My one catnip grows in a tomato cage.And I have a nicer plant growing that showed up where my cat laid in the shade bed last year.....when it was a shade bed. I snip the flowers off & mostly cut it back to 18-22 inches as they finish off.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v738/njoynit/sylvestercatnip2.jpg