How to keep seeds of Nepeta and how to plant them

How to save seeds of Nepeta

When planting, select mature, plump and intact nepeta seeds for sowing, and use row sowing or broadcast sowing methods.

Nepeta keeps its own seeds

Before harvesting, select healthy plants with many branches and ears and no diseases or insect pests in the field. Harvest half a month later than in large fields and continue to cultivate. When the seeds are fully mature and the grains are plump and dark brown, cut off the infructescence, dry and thresh, remove impurities, and store in a dry and cool place. The seeds are small and have a lifespan of one year. The seeds from the next year cannot be used for seeds.

How to collect seeds of Nepeta

First of all, let’s talk about the time to collect Nepeta seeds. The best time to collect Nepeta seeds is generally in autumn. The Nepeta seeds at this time are the oldest, most mature, and have the highest germination rate. However, there are two points to note when collecting Nepeta seeds in autumn.

First of all, if you want to collect nepeta seeds with a high germination rate, you must first save the seeds on the best and thickest nepeta. Before saving the seeds, you must start to consciously prune the nepeta plants to make the nepeta plants grow as thick and strong as possible.

Second, when the nepeta seeds are mature, remember to remove all the excess nepeta leaves and wait until the seeds are old enough before harvesting. Also, after the seeds are mature, cover them with plastic bags to prevent sparrows and other small birds from eating them, and to prevent the mature seeds from falling to the ground, leaving only the shells.

Nepeta seed storage

After the seeds of Nepeta are dried, they need to be placed in a box or other container with a tightly covered lid and stored in a dry place. It is best to store them below 30 degrees to prevent mildew, insect damage, and clustering.

How to plant Nepeta seeds

Schizonepeta seeds are suitable for sowing in spring and summer. In spring, it is generally chosen before or after Qingming Festival. In summer, it is best to sow between the Grain in Ear solar term and the Summer Solstice solar term. However, all sowing times should be based on local climatic conditions. The sowing times copied from the Internet are not accurate enough.

The seeds of Nepeta can be sown directly or transplanted from seedlings. Direct sowing can be done in spring and autumn in the south and mainly in spring in the north, generally from September to October. Spring sowing can be done in March and April. If the main purpose is to harvest mustard seeds, it can be sown in May and June.