skip to main content

Cottage Gardens

Catmint Question

16 years ago

I have some catmint that lines my walkway. It has grown so big that it overtook my walkways last year. I have not gotten around to moving it with other more pressing things to get done, so until fall it is going to stay there.

I am not sure which variety catmint it is but I do know it is not Walkers Low. My question is this, already the mounds are really big so it is not going to take long for it to become overgrown. Can I clip it back say in a couple of weeks and still have it bloom? I have never cut it before and don't want another big mistake in my front yard lol.

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (6)

gldno1
16 years ago
I think you have two choices, let it go now until first bloom and then cut it way back and it will probably bloom again or
cut it back now and delay the first bloom. My Walker's Low is in full bloom now....wish I had clipped it before.

Most perennials can be pinched to keep them in check and will still bloom.
0
treelover
16 years ago
In The Well Tended Perennial Garden, Tracy DiSabato-Aust says to shear them by about two-thirds after flowering, for new growth and sporadic rebloom.

No mention of what will happen if you prune before they flower, although she does say that a related plant, Nepeta sibirica 'Souvenir d'Andre Chaudron,' can be cut back by 1/2 in early June (even while in bud) for more compact growth and a 3-4 week delay in bloom.
0
Related Discussions
Newbie question: Walkers Low catmint
Q
Comments (34)
I'm amazed to hear everyone comment on how difficult it is to grow lavender. I've been growing it my entire gardening life, and it's always one I took for granted as guaranteed to grow when nothing else will. Whether it was from seed, transplants, or spindly leftovers at the end of the season, lavender has always done well for me. It usually more than doubles in size each year. I give it a serious trim every spring just as the new growth is starting to show on the woody stems. I do try to put it where it will get as much sun as possible, and the ignore it. No extra water, no fertilizer, and it grows like a weed. Now, watch. Now that I'm aware that it can be a challenge, all my year-old seedlings from last year will fail to return this spring. Murphy's rule. Well, good luck to all of you. Martha
...See More
Catmint question
Q
Comments (1)
Mine are doing OK at the edge of the magnolia, but they are not at their best. Catmints always have a tendency to open up in the center - this is even more pronounced in less than full sun. I also think they bloom less than ones in the sun. That said, they are healthy and have good color and they do bloom.
...See More
Catmint/lady's mantle border--alternatives to catmint
Q
Comments (16)
You know what's funny--I thought the picture I posted was just similar to the house I'd seen, but today I was in Cambridge and drove by the house in question, and it is the SAME house in the picture! Can't believe I didn't recognize it as the same. I didn't see it at its peak with all the flowers blooming at once, so it looked a little different. So I can confirm as of this afternoon that the border in the picture alternates lady's mantle, salvia, and catmint. You can see a little catmint behind the salvia. Since some of you say that you have had success with May Night salvia in part shade, I'm thinking I might try the lady's mantle, salvia, catmint combo with some variegated hostas at the shadier ends, and maybe some campanulas and balloon flower to provide extra color.
...See More
Duchesnia indica or Catmint for Ground Cover
Q
Comments (3)
Hello marymax, I think it depends: what kind of soil, temperatures in your area. I came across that funny little plant when I wrote my thesis on an old garden near Berlin, botanizing/ making an inventory of all plants, on sandy soil, with dry summer and rather cold winters with little snow. The Duchesnea grew near shrubs or in an neglected, former lawn/meadow situation. Under those conditions, I clocked the plant rather as being resilient than competitive. So it kept going when the rest started starving or wilting. It spreads by stolons, so that it a plus for the groundcover angle. IMO you can hardly compare it with Catmint (Nepeta?) as the latter is showier, more competitive and much taller. For semi-shade, and round/ near shrubs on somewhat poor soil they could work. On rich soil with good water supply I would go for something else, like Geranium or Waldsteinia. Well, enjoy that funny faux-strawberry, bye, Lin
...See More
msscarlet
Original Author
16 years ago
Thanks for the help! I have never cut back and plants prior to blooming yet I have read that many plants you could do this. I have read that in large clumps of phlox to have continuous bloom to stagger it and have different heights, to pinch back different stems. I just don't understand how it then forms a bud LOL...sorry, I was a poor science student!

Last question, is pinching and cutting back the same thing? Does it matter if I pinch the stem or cut it? Hey, like I said, poor science student! ROFL
0
DYH
16 years ago
I just dedicated an entire blog entry to the topic of nepeta (catmint).

It's tough. Cut it back a bit. Mine is in full bloom, but was growing over our sidewalk so much that I cut it back yesterday using hedge trimmers. I had also cut that same one back a few weeks ago before it had bloomed.

No worries. The only thing that will kill it is sitting it in a bucket of deep water or pulling it out of the ground to sit unplanted.

Cameron

Here is a link that might be useful: nepeta
0
msscarlet
Original Author
16 years ago
Cameron thanks so much for the info! I am going to get out there tonight if it doesn't rain and do some clipping!
0
libbyshome
16 years ago
Last question, is pinching and cutting back the same thing? Does it matter if I pinch the stem or cut it?

Simple. Pinch back, you use your fingers, Cut back, you use shears or clippers. Pinch back seedlings, cut back established plants.

Libby
0

Related Stories

PETS Houzz Call: Show Us Your Pet Projects!

By Becky Harris

Bubble windows, fountains, doghouses, showers — what outdoor treats have you put together for your furry friends?

GARDENING GUIDES 5 Weed-Smothering Ground Covers

Let these landscape plants do the dirty work of choking out weeds while you sit back and enjoy the view

GARDENING FOR BUTTERFLIES Butterfly Gardening: Delight the Eyes With Living Sculptures

By Benjamin Vogt / Monarch Gardens

Surprise and thrill with a garden that attracts magical winged creatures, bringing color, movement and life

GARDENING GUIDES Top 12 Summer-Blooming Perennials for Deer-Resistant Drama

Can you have garden color, fragrance and exciting foliage with hungry deer afoot? These beauties say yes

GARDENING FOR BUTTERFLIES Be a Butterfly Savior — Garden for the Monarchs

By Benjamin Vogt / Monarch Gardens

Keep hope, beauty and kindness alive in the landscape by providing a refuge for these threatened enchanters

MOST POPULAR 20 Ways to Work White Magic in Your Yard

By Paintbox Garden

Create enchanting outdoor spots with fresh white fences, florals and furniture

EDIBLE GARDENS 12 Essential Herbs for Your Edible Garden

By Annie Thornton

Make home cooking and drinks even better with herbs plucked from your own backyard or windowsill pot

LANDSCAPE DESIGN How to Create a Beautiful Shade Garden

By Falon Mihalic

Turn the cool, shady spot in your garden into your own quiet oasis

EARTH DAY How to Design a Garden for Native Bees

By Debbie Ballentine

Create a garden that not only looks beautiful but also nurtures native bees — and helps other wildlife in the process

GARDENING GUIDES 6 Plants That Beat Butterfly Bush for the Wildlife Draw

By Benjamin Vogt / Monarch Gardens

It's invasive, a nonnative and a poor insect magnet. Check out these better alternatives to butterfly bush in the garden

Sponsored