skip to main content

Umm...Exactly how do I prune my catnip plant? )(

16 years ago

My catnip plant has gotten rather tall and I want to prune it back some, but I'm not exactly sure how to go about doing this. I've never pruned a plant :P I've pruned..well, butchered bushes, but that's the extent of my pruning knowledge.

Someone told me I should cut the stem all the way down to it's first leaves on the very bottom, but that didn't make sense to me. How will I enjoy flowers later if I prune it down that far?

Go ahead and have a good chuckle or two. :P

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (3)

Daisyduckworth
16 years ago
Just trim it off all the way around and chop off its head. Don't remove more than one-third of total growth at any one time, then allow the plant to regenerate before trimming again. Pruning is not an exact science with most plants, especially the shrubby ones.

Dry the prunings and put them in sachets and toys etc for your cats to enjoy!
rivera30067
Original Author
16 years ago
Will it still make flowers this ummer if I prune it back?
Related Professionals
Amherst Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Beaumont Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Valdosta Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Los Angeles Landscape Contractors · Lake Havasu City Landscape Contractors · Milford Landscape Contractors · Mount Vernon Landscape Contractors · Pueblo Landscape Contractors · Vernal Landscape Contractors · Winston-Salem Landscape Contractors · Vancouver Architects & Building Designers · Gaithersburg Architects & Building Designers · Roanoke Architects & Building Designers · South Bend Architects & Building Designers · Yuba City Architects & Building Designers
karen_b
16 years ago
Trust us you'll have flowers this summer. Catnip is a very hardy herb, it can take a licking and still keep ticking. I've tried to eradicate mine by pulling up instead of digging out the roots and it keeps coming back. I prefer its more managable cousin catmint and so does my cat.

Related Stories

GARDENING GUIDES How to Prune Your Flowering Shrubs for the Best Blooms

By Noelle Johnson Landscape Consulting

Less is often more when it comes to properly pruning flowering shrubs. Here’s what to do and why

GARDENING GUIDES Pacific Northwest Gardener: What to Do in June

By Genevieve Schmidt

Now's the time to prune pines and vines, prevent pests and buy June-blooming plants to keep your garden healthy and beautiful

GARDENING FOR BUTTERFLIES 3 Ways Native Plants Make Gardening So Much Better

By Benjamin Vogt / Monarch Gardens

You probably know about the lower maintenance. But native plants' other benefits go far beyond a little less watering and weeding

GARDENING GUIDES Great Design Plant: Western Sword Fern Adds Prehistoric Drama

For distinctive looks and easy care in a shade garden, go for North American native Polystichum munitum

GARDENING GUIDES Great Design Plant: Try California Wild Grape for Interest All Year

By Debbie Ballentine

Sure, it’s stunning in fall. But the spring buds, summer grapes and gnarled winter vines are gorgeous too

FLOWERS AND PLANTS Help Monarchs and Other Butterflies by Planting Common Milkweed

By Pollination Press LLC

Summer-blooming Asclepias syriaca is an important larval host plant for the monarch butterfly and attracts a number of pollinating insects

GARDENING GUIDES Great Design Plant: Lilac Vine for a Purple Profusion in Winter

By Noelle Johnson Landscape Consulting

Grow this pretty, hardy vine on a fence or as a ground cover for blooms throughout the colder months

GARDENING GUIDES 8 Take-Home Planting Ideas From Hawaii's Big Island

Bring the tropical spirit of Hawaii to a mainland garden — for a summer or even longer

LANDSCAPE DESIGN 5 Structural Plants to Frame Your Garden Beautifully

By CYAN Horticulture

Consider these trees and shrubs live building blocks, providing structure and definition in even a small garden

GARDENING GUIDES 5 Great Plants for Borders and Screens

By Benjamin Vogt / Monarch Gardens

Get the effects of a shrub but in less time — and drawing more winged pollinators — with these herbaceous perennials

Sponsored

Ed Ball Designs

31 Reviews

Exquisite Landscape Architecture & Design - “Best of Houzz" Winner

More Discussions

Will catnip survive severe drought?

1

Spinach, Curry Leaf, Moringa etc.

0

A thyme and clover pathway through garden beds?

17

I am so far impressed by the hardiness of rosemary and thyme

30

whiteflies and catnip

1