Gardening question. Help me save my catnip!

[zanne]

I grew catnip this year in containers and put them on the roof to kitty-proof them. Now I have a problem because catnip is a perennial and I don't know how to overwinter it in pots. I can't put it in the ground because there are way too many kitties around here and it would be destroyed.

Any suggestions?

[Kali]

1. get some sticks or lightweight fence posts and roll of chicken wire and build a little cage

or just hack it back real good and bring it in? My regular mint in a pot didn't die this year (for a surprise change) so I may bring it in.

I have several things that have to winter in the house. It sets them back and often they turn up with infestations (scale is my main problem) by spring but they make it - some oversized houseplants, an olive, a lime, aloe vera plants, a cool agave I got off a cliff in the bottom of Copper Canyon, etc.

[HopeHoops]

2. We grow ours in the open. The cats mostly leave it alone. At this point, you need to harvest it.

Put it in the ground, deep enough to protect the roots. You can just bury the pot. Cut off about 2/3 of it and dry it. Leave the rest to build final strength before the die-off.

[zanne]

3. It sounds like you're in my climate zone.

I'm in zone 5. Thanks for the help! I'll try it.