Growing Hydroponic Catnip and Catmint

Hydroponic Catnip and Catmint
Germination	Light	EC Range	pH Range:	Time to Harvest
5-10 days	12-16 hours	1-1.6	5.5-6.8	4-5 weeks
Nutrient and Health Info - N/A
Tips & Tricks - pruning will result in more growth

 

You may not have bought your indoor garden for your feline friend, but you’ve probably noticed your cat loves the lights and is interested in the plants growing.  Nature is important to all living beings and provides us and our pets with a sense of intrigue and calm.  Some of our hydroponic indoor garden customers have created a space for growing catnip or catmint, and you can too.

Most cats have a natural attraction to the smell of catnip and catmint.  When in its presence they paw it, lick it, roll around in it and chew on it.  About 2 of every 3 cats will experience side effects from consuming catnip that may include sleepiness, drooling and purring.  Felines can also become anxious from ingesting catnip, which can cause them to growl, scratch or even bite, so try to make sure your kitty is one of those that generally enjoys the effects of catnip.  In either case, the effects of catnip on felines are generally known to be short-lived, and last only 5-15 minutes.

In addition to catnip, there is also cat grass.  Cat grass does not produce the euphoric behaviors in cats that catnip does, but is packed with antioxidants, vitamins and minerals that promote health in your feline friend.

Germination:

Catnip is easy to germinate.  You’re likely to see seedlings emerge in a week or two at most.  If you have trouble, consider using our Seedling Starter Kit or the paper towel method to help to increase the rate and speed of germination.

Light:

Catnip grows well in sunshine or shade, meaning that even if other plants block a portion of its light, it will grow well.  Provide them with 12-16 hours of artificial light per day so that they grow well with the other plants in your hydroponic garden.

EC Range:

Catnip is closely related to mint, and even looks like and has a mint-like scent.  Your catnip will grow best with an EC range of between 1.0 – 1.6. 

pH Range:

Catnip isn’t fussy.  Simply keep your pH range between 5.5 and 6.8, and you’ll have great results.

Nutrients:

Use our Green Machine nutrients to grow your catnip for best results.  Catnip and catmint does develop flowers.  Catnip flowers are greyish green to white and catmint flowers are purple.  You may decide to grow one or the other based on the color of the flowers that it will produce.  However, since you’re not generally growing catnip or catmint for flowers, sticking to green machine nutrients will produce the most foliage for your cat.

Time to Harvest:

Catnip is a fast grower.  You’re likely to begin harvesting a little bit at 4-5 weeks, although your kitty may want to harvest even sooner.

Pruning and Harvesting:

Pruning your catnip or catmint will result in branching, and even more aggressive growth.  This is similar to basil, for example, where if you begin pruning after 4-5 weeks, your plant will grow more branches and develop more leaves over time.

Conclusion:

Cats are naturally attracted to catnip and catmint.  It’s said that the oil found in catnip leaves (Nepetalactone) mimics feline sex hormones.  A special scent organ in the roof of their mouths allows the scent to be carried to the cats’ brain, which may induce euphoric effects.  But, catnip and catmint can cause some cats to become agitated, so it’s important that you check in on your kitty and make sure he or she is enjoying the experience.

Let’s grow together!