i want to grow strong catnip.....fwor mwy wittle kitty wittys

no......catnip doesn't need rich soil. some plain potting mix will do.

catnip from seed or start is super easy to grow. grows like a weed.

just average soil and plenty of sun/light for it. it can overwinter if it's rooted into the ground well enough.

just make sure to keep nipping off the tops as it grows and picking off flowers when they form to keep vegetative growth going on.

i just stuck my catnip in a 5 gallon bucket with old soil that i used on the indoor crops, stuck it outside, and it rooted through the drain holes in the bucket after 6 months. after a year i can't budge the thing really.

you can give the leaves to your cats fresh or dry it out and grind it up to put in toys or just to sprinkle on the rug. they love rolling around in that shit and getting it in their fur.

nip works differently on each cat, and some cats don't even like it.

I bought catnip from the market. My cat was not amused. Does anyone know the actual species of Nepeta that is called catnip? Is catnip and catmint the same thing? I can give you a little of what I know about the mint family. All members have square stems. Most if not all grow through rhizomes sometimes called runners. Fast spreading in full sun. Opposite leaves. Inconsequential flowers of lesser ornamental value. Can be grown in poor soils with little fertility. Will tolerate full sun to part sun, compacted clay or sandy soils but does not like wet feet. There are so many hybrids of Nepeta I can't begin to list them. Spearmint, peppermint and lemon mint are just a few.

uh.... it's nepeta cataria isn't it?
and no, i don't believe catmint and catnip are the same. my cat loves both, but if i don't keep the nip in a 2 gallon+ pot he tries to kidnap the whole works. doesn't do that with the mint.

nepeta cataria is the one. catmint and catnip are similar looking but different plants. thus ends all the knowledge i gained working at the nursery

I think that there are different varietals within the species that get sold in the mainstream market.
Had one plant that my cats couldn't care less about, but the one I have now, they try and run out to grab some anytime they can. (they are very strictly indoor cats).