Growing your own catnip and cat grass questions.

So I have been contemplating growing Mookie and Lady PurrPurr catnip for a while now.  I want to grow it myself for 2 reasons:   

1. Because it's much cheaper than buying it.

2. Because I like growing my own plants. (and have read guides on how to grow it and dry it out)

The only question I have about catnip is where can I buy the seeds?  Does Walmart, Menards, Lowes, or Home Depot sell the catnip seeds like they do sell seeds for tomatoes, lettuce, peppers, etc.?

My questions don't concern catnip as much as "cat grass".   During my searches of growing catnip I found out about "cat grass" and how grass helps their digestive system and with things like hairballs.  I have seen feral cats eating grass outside before so their must be something to it.  I then looked into kits for cat grass and they cost like 6 bucks and then after 2 weeks or so(according to reviews) they wilt up and die and then you have to buy a new kit.   That seems pretty ridiculous to me.

What EXACTLY is "cat grass"?   Is it some kind of special grass or is it just regular grass?  I have a big giant bag of regular scotts brand grass seed that I use to fill in dead spots on the lawn.  If "cat grass" is just regular grass I'd rather just sprinkle some seeds into a small indoor potter and grow it that way rather then buy a stupid $6 kit every 2 or 3 weeks.  And if "cat grass" is a specific type of grass what kind is it?   Is it wheat grass, oat grass, etc.?

For cat grass I buy oat and wheat grass seeds from a health food store, much cheaper than ready grown cat grass or seed kits. I keep a couple of pots on rotation so it's always fresh.

Catnip, I got a small plant from a hardware store and planted it into a bigger pot.

You can buy cat grass seeds in many pet stores (PetCo).  You should not use regular scotts brand grass seed, it's not oat grass.

I have a purple thumb and windows that face east, but I can grow cat grass fairly easily.  I like to start a batch every four or five days, so I always have at least one ready.  Ritz is addicted to the stuff.  Like missy stated, the kits are much more expensive, which is why I decided to grow my own.

I bought catnip seeds from the local home improvement stores.  They germinated but were really tiny, and Ritz didn't much care for it. To be fair, she usually don't have much of a reaction to catnip toys.

One important point which my niece (in the landscaping business and has two cats) told me:  make sure the soil you buy is organic with no fertilizer.  I know cats in the wild eat grass with fertilizer, but it's not really safe.

We either buy cat grass seeds (oat) and plant them in potting soil, or get a pot of Cyprus grass from a garden center. The latter can't easily be grown from seeds. My husband divides the roots to get two or three plants, and one plant usually lasts a month or two.

We tried growing catnip from seeds without much luck, but some plants we bought at a garden center are now about 12 years old and huge. They get cut down to the ground every fall after I pick and dry the leaves, and shoot up to about 24 - 30 inches every spring. The bees love them as much as the cats do.

"Cat grass" may be wheat or oat grass, in my experience.  You can buy the seeds very reasonably at CatClaws.com, one of our favorite sites for all things cat-pleasing (and btw, they also rescue and adopt!)

Someone who grew catnip in her yard told me it reproduces quickly. Why not buy a little, grow it in your yard until you have enough, and transfer it to a pot?

Tarasgirl06 said:

"Cat grass" may be wheat or oat grass, in my experience.  You can buy the seeds very reasonably at CatClaws.com, one of our favorite sites for all things cat-pleasing (and btw, they also rescue and adopt!)

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Is there any reason not to use ordinary grass seed?

OrientalSlave said:

Is there any reason not to use ordinary grass seed?

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I don't think it grows tall enough fast enough, and may not do well indoors. And I'm not sure if cats like it. Or something :dk:. Anyway, I've only ever seen oats and wheat sold as "cat grass".

I just buy a bag of wheat from the bulk section at the grocery store. It's something like 50 cents a pound. Put it on top of the dirt (a thick layer of seed--don't try for spacing!), put a small amount of dirt on top, water thoroughly, cover with plastic wrap, and put it somewhere warm and safe for a few days until it sprouts. Then take the plastic wrap off and let it get taller before you offer it to the cats. It won't live long so if you want a constant supply you should have another batch sprouting before the first one dies.

I've never grown catnip from seed so I don't know how to do it. But don't put it in your yard unless you want it to go wild.

We tried catnip from seed and it was a failed attempt. It grows nice indoors with plenty of sun, but we have to buy a plant to start it.

We also grow various types of cat grass: wheat, oat, barley, but they only last a few weeks. Oat lasts the longest. I cut it up and put it on Moon's wet food as a garnish. He loves it. You can get those grass seeds anywhere and if you buy ones labelled for cats, then they are sterile and won't get stiff and sharp.  

Our Moon was a feral, so he liked the broad leafed outdoor grass. I like to cook, so I grow lemon grass in the house in pots. It needs a lot of sun, but he goes crazy for it. He eats the leaves and I cook with the shoots.

If I grow the cat grass, I use small pots because I have to replant every few weeks. This way, there is less waste. I also like these places for seed:

http://www.catgrass.net

http://www.localharvest.org/store/pets.jsp?q=cat&o=   Though their stuff goes out of stock a lot

http://cooperseeds.com/catnip.php3?cat=catgrass   and this place sells by the pound and is really cheap.

We bought a small catnip plant (available at wal-mart, home depot or anywhere that sells herbs) in  April and put it in a pot that was much too big for it.  It filled the pot in no time.  It is invasive, so be careful if you put it in your garden.  It can take over quickly, being a member of the mint family.

Varieties of grass used in lawns may be chemically or otherwise impure, or genetically altered, so I'd steer clear of these, also because some, if not all, of them are very harsh on a cat's system.  Much better to buy wheat or oat grass from a reputable "pet" supply website or store, such as CatClaws.com.  Catnip does in fact grow very well and can be repotted.  I had some in a pot on my front verandah which was going very well, but it was demolished by visits from various cats whose caregivers don't know enough to keep them indoors-only.  I know they had a great deal of joy in biting, sniffing, and rolling in it while it was here! 

I tried to grow seeds but the only seeds that came up are the grass seeds.I bought stuff labeled for cats. Didn't get any catnip. So sad. I won't do it again. I don't have the knack for it

txcatmom said:

We bought a small catnip plant (available at wal-mart, home depot or anywhere that sells herbs) in  April and put it in a pot that was much too big for it.  It filled the pot in no time.  It is invasive, so be careful if you put it in your garden.  It can take over quickly, being a member of the mint family.

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That is why I suggested not buying very much. The last thing you want is cats and bees spending some time together because you had to put some of the catnip outside.

But if there was a way to not attract bees, I would love to see the flowers on it.

Thanks for all the advice everyone.   

Going shopping tomorrow and will be on the hunt for OAT grass seed to buy.(and wheat if I can't find oat)

As for catnip....I might take my chances and try to grow it from seed.(In spite of others having bad luck I consider myself a green thumb)  and if I can't find seeds I will look for a plant.

I will however NOT plant catnip in our garden because I know how invasive it is and our garden is already full anyway and the last thing I need is ferals coming around to destroy the rest of the garden because of the catnip.  I plan on starting the catnip in the house and then putting it outside in hanging planters once it starts to grow and then drying it out and (hopefully) having enough to last through the winter non-growing months.

Last time I checked, small potted catnip plants are available at Petco, usually as you approach the checkout, but if not, right at the front of the store or in the cat area of the store.  You can buy one or more of these and transfer easily to attractive pots if you wish.  Just a suggestion.  

Menards has all their Burpee brand seeds on sale for $1 so I got them a packet of cat grass seeds tonight.  The packet says Avena Sativa which is Oat.



We got a few items but the cashier picked up the packet of cat grass and looked at it for a long time before finally saying: "We sell this?"  and we told her it was with all the other seeds.  Then she scanned it and said: "It's only $1?"  and then we told her all Burpee seeds are $1 right now and she was so excited.

Tarasgirl06 said:

Last time I checked, small potted catnip plants are available at Petco, usually as you approach the checkout, but if not, right at the front of the store or in the cat area of the store.  You can buy one or more of these and transfer easily to attractive pots if you wish.  Just a suggestion.  

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Coincidentally we were also at Petco tonight getting our free can of Wellness cat food:

http://www.petco.com/petco_Page_PC_wellnesscouponjune12.aspx

and they did have the small potted catnip plants as well as potted cat grass near the checkout for $4.99 a piece.   We considered getting a catnip plant but decided to wait until they finish the the 2 bags of catnip they already have before buying a plant or trying to grow it from seed.

You can also find quality "grow your own catnip" seeds with growing medium in various stores.

This is what I use to grow cat grass.  It is around $6.  http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=4438502

I recently ran out of cat grass and bought a plant from Petco already grown:  $7.....

I grew cat nip from seeds in a small container.  Looks different from what I saw in Petco, much smaller leaves.  Ritz just sniffed at it, but he doesn't normally react to catnip.

Catnip is part of the mint family and it is difficult to grow mint from seeds.  If you start with a plant (about $3 at a garden center or on-line nursery) you can plant it in the ground, a large pot or large pot buried in the ground (to prevent spreading).  Then it is easy to divide off parts later and repot it.  Like mint, it is invasive.  So only plant it directly in the ground if you don't mind it spreading in the area a bit.  I have used it for ground cover in places where other things don't want to grow like alongside a shed or garage.  I have also grown it in a raised bed.