Planting Nepeta x faassenii

Nepeta or catmint is one of easy to grow perennial and it grow in zone 3. It can be propagate from seed, cutting or layering. But the easiest way is from cutting .
- In my experience , I propagated Nepeta x faassenii from seed on March 1st in the heated greenhouse. Sow 5 to 8 seeds per plug or 4" pot on good seeding mix, cover by plastic to create humidity. Seed will germinate after 1 to 2 weeks. After first leaves appear, pull out the weak seedling, and fertilize with fish emulsion or starter fertilizer twice for a month. Hardening off seedling when temperature above 10 deg C. I done this in the second weeks of May. Transplant seedling in the garden after danger of frost.
- I propagated nepeta from cutting too. This is the easiest way to propagate the plant and can be done anytime from early spring until August, so the plant can have time to establish the root before first frost coming. Take cutting about 4 " below the leaf node, and strip all lower leaves but the top one to reduce moisture lose. Dip the cutting end tip on rooting hormone and put on the seeding mix or good compost. Cover the pot by plastic or put in the propagator. In about 5 to 7 days, cutting should have root ready. Leave it for 2 or 3 days in its pot then transplant the plant to individual pot or straight in to the garden. Nepeta is fast growing plant and hardy to zone 3.

Seedling picture

Well, spring fever here, and still continue with seeding schedule since I started it last February, I know too early but I want the garden in full bloom . My wishlist in 2010 garden are front yard flower bed, rock garden, cutting garden, and vegetable garden. Because lots of plant on my wishlist , it is about hmmm... 80 seed varieties, and 9 bulb varieties . I know , a lot... So, I have to grow my own seedling. Here my seedling pictures in the cutie greenhouse.

I used plastic cup and foam cup, I got 100 pcs small size per pack for cheap.

Tomato seedling started on March 15th, and gomphrena.

Chilli and petunia double.

Agastache blue fortune and campanula carpatica.

Alyssum snowstorm, this is a must flower in my garden, because it is attract bee and so fragrant.

Calendula for vegetable garden companion plant. Shasta daisy in the bottom right.

Carnation for cutting garden.

Celosia and bachelor's button also for cutting garden, container and bed as well.

Nepeta fassenii. for rock garden.

Salvia blue queen, celosia, statice, bachelor's button.

2 weeks old dahlia.

Marigold bonanza, disco queen, disco red, coleus ( still tiny), african daisy. Sorry picture is blury.

Papaver somniferum or peony poppy, wintersown on end of January and germinate on mid March.

Gailardia. Wintersown on end of January and germinate on mid March.

I try wintersowing , see if it germinate in zone 3 winter. I try coneflower, gailardia, rudbeckia, geum, agastache, wild rose, poppy, campanula carpatica, columbine.

Swiss chard, lettuce and spinach, grow in the greenhouse since last February. But now, I put it outside during the day and put it back in the greenhouse during night . Well, I still have more seedling pictures, I will show it in the next post.