mike@aurora.UUCP (Mike Lee) (08/31/85)
I purchased a catnip plant for my cats a couple of weeks ago. When I went to take some leaves off of it today I found that the back of the leaves are infested with little dark green bugs. Does anyone out there know how to get rid of them (ie insecticides) without hurting my cats? I appreciate the assistance. Michael Lee
slb@drutx.UUCP (Sue Brezden) (01/23/86)
>catnip: I'm trying to grow a catnip plant in my office, so I >can clip pieces of it for my cats. Not a hope of growing it at home or >in the garden, of course. It shouldn't be any problem to grow it in the garden (well, not right now if you are in the north). We had 5 cats last summer and successfully started catnip in the garden. It is practically a weed--comes up every year (I know this because my brother grows it) and grows so fast that there is no way the cats can eat it all. I would advise starting it inside, as it sprouts slowly. (I started some inside and some out--that from inside did a lot better. May be our heavy clay soil here.) You can cover it with a large spaghetti strainer to keep cats off it while it's just starting. When it gets to 4 inches or so transplant to the garden. I haven't had much luck keeping it in the house--it sort of withers away. Actually, when you are just starting it, the cats will ignore it if you are careful not to bruise the leaves--that releases the smell. By the time they notice it, it will be too tall for them to hurt it. After that it just comes up each year and the cats know where to find it. Ours was a 5 foot hedge last year--and the cats were looking very contented all summer. -- Sue Brezden ihnp4!drutx!slb ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ To search for perfection is all very well, But to look for heaven is to live here in hell. --Sting ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
lje@mtfmp.UUCP (L.ELSER) (01/24/86)
I grow mints (catnip, pennyroyal, etc.) and other prolific garden plants in clay pots, planted in the garden. The clay breathes with the earth, but keeps the plants from taking over. My garden is small, so it was restrict them or don't grow them. This is also a great way to grow tender plants outside in the summer and bring them in for the winter without the trauma of transplanting. Lisa