Cat grass and catnip are popular indoor plants that are enjoyed by many cat owners. These plants provide cats with an alternative source of greens that can help aid their digestion and reduce hairballs. However, to ensure that these plants thrive indoors, it is important to use the right potting mix and be aware of any potential allergies that cats may have to potting mixes.
Potting Mix for Cat Grass and Catnip:
Both cat grass and catnip prefer a well-draining potting mix that is rich in organic matter. A good potting mix for cat grass and catnip should be loose, fertile, and well-aerated to allow for proper root growth and water drainage.
Potential Allergies:
According to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), most cats are not allergic to potting mixes. However, some potting mixes may contain chemicals or substances that can be harmful to pets if ingested. For example, some potting mixes contain fertilizers, pesticides, or other chemicals that can be toxic if consumed in large amounts.
To avoid any potential harm to your cat, it is recommended to use natural, organic potting mixes that do not contain any harmful chemicals. In a study published in the Journal of Horticultural Science and Biotechnology, researchers found that using organic potting mixes can improve plant growth and development while reducing the risk of pests and diseases (Lavanya et al., 2020).
Our top pick for growing cat grass and catnip is the Calathea, Begonia and Peace Lily Super Soil. (Please note Peace Lilies are toxic to cats, use the mix for Cat Grass not Peace Lilies!) It is well-aerated and contains no chemical fertiliser. It is also boosted with a tonne of organic ingredients!
Our Calathea Super Soil can also be used for most other cat-friendly indoor plants, if you're not sure, feel free to email us with your plant species and we can double check for you.
Using the Wrong Potting Mix:
Using the wrong potting mix for cat grass and catnip can pose some risks for both the plants and your cat. Poor drainage can lead to waterlogged soil and root rot, causing the plants to wilt and eventually die. A lack of nutrients in the soil can also affect the growth of the plants, making them more susceptible to diseases. Additionally, some potting mixes may contain harmful chemicals that can be harmful to your cat if ingested.
To avoid these risks, it is important to use a potting mix that is specifically designed for cat grass and catnip or to create your own mix using recommended ingredients such as coir, perlite, and vermiculite. It is also important to choose a potting mix that is free from harmful chemicals and fertilizers to ensure the safety of your cat.
Overall, growing cat grass and catnip can be a fun and rewarding experience for both you and your cat. By using the right potting mix and being aware of any potential allergies or risks, you can help ensure that your plants thrive and your cat stays healthy and happy.
Letting your cat out to enjoy their cat grass? Try a harness!
As you encourage your cat to venture outside and savour their cat grass, it's crucial to ensure their safety and security. A reliable cat harness is an excellent tool for this purpose, offering various benefits that protect your cat and the surrounding wildlife.
Why is a Cat Harness Important?
Allowing your cat to roam outdoors can expose them to various risks, including traffic, predatory wildlife, and potential exposure to harmful substances or plants. Furthermore, cats can pose a significant threat to local wildlife, particularly birds. According to a study by the Threatened Species Recovery Hub of the Australian Government's National Environmental Science Programme, pet cats in Australia kill 230 million birds, reptiles and mammals every year (Woinarski et al., 2017). A cat harness provides a safe way for your cat to enjoy their outdoor adventures while minimising these risks.
What to Look for in a Cat Harness
When choosing a cat harness, several features are essential for your cat's comfort and safety:
Our Top Pick
With these essential features in mind, our top pick is the Catventure Harness. This harness addresses common challenges cat owners face with other harness designs. Its jacket-style design ensures a secure fit, and the use of strong velcro straps allows for easy application and removal. Made from light cotton material, the Catventure Harness guarantees your cat's comfort.
It also significantly reduces the threat your cat poses to local wildlife while keeping them safe from potential outdoor hazards. This way, you are fostering a more harmonious coexistence between our cherished pets and Australia's diverse fauna. Letting your cat enjoy their cat grass or catnip outdoors can be a fantastic experience for them, provided that safety remains paramount. For more information on cat harnesses and how to train your cat to walk in one, consider visiting www.catharnessaustralia.com.au.
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No. Strictly speaking, worm castings are not vegan because they are derived from worms, which are classified as animals.
However, some vegans do use worm castings, depending on where they come from and how the worms are treated. Why? Read on.
Long Answer
As worms, insects and bees are crucial for good soil and healthy plants, it has been accepted that vegan gardening can include natural animal derivatives and soil nutrients such as worm castings.
Some vegans will use worm castings based on different reasons.
For example, they believe worm castings are naturally produced because the worms are not hurt in the process and are simply doing their usual business when they produce "poo".
Or they may use castings based on what the worms are fed, whether they are treated well, or whether the castings are from big profitable companies.
If you've ever tried organic gardening in a pot, you will find that growing plants completely naturally without animal derivatives in a pot is not possible, unless chemical fertilisers are used.
So worm castings often becomes the go-to organic fertiliser because the alternatives such as blood, bone and fish fertiliser are just not kind to the earth at all. (You can read our Study here)
The Origins of Planthood's Worm Castings
Here is our honest take on worm castings. We don't mind using worm castings as long as it is kindly sourced. The castings produced by our worms are given a cruelty-free diet without inputs from the meat industry.
Our worms castings are locally sourced in Victoria where we are based. They are from a one-man operation and he is super passionate about worms. His operation is small because it’s his hobby.
They are really high quality because he cares for them exceptionally well.
He must have a registered business in order to sell to us, although we genuinely sense he is not motivated by the profit but rather by his love of worms.
Are worm farms cruel?
Some people believe all worm farms and breeders are cruel - which is a view that we can sympathise with, however we believe there's more to this.
There's a big gap between how worm farmers treat their worms - some are cruel but some actually love their worms - just like you would love your pet dog and keep them in an enclosed protected space (i.e in your home and not in the wild).
Some customers have expressed that they don't wish to buy from worm breeders. Unfortunately, all suppliers are “worm breeders” in a sense because you simply can’t collect the castings efficiently from a garden - it would be mixed with the soil and unable to be separated.
Our Sourcing Ethics
We have looked all over the state to find the most natural worm castings and have strict sourcing criteria.
We are focused on finding passionate local suppliers who have the means to make sure all their worms are cared for well, fed the best food (without blood, bone or manure from the slaughterhouse or the meat industry) and given plenty of love!
Worm castings are the only ingredient we use that is animal derived (not strictly vegan) but is not present in all our soils.
Since the word "vegan" means no animal ingredients and no animal-derived ingredients, we do not use worm castings in our soils labelled vegan. So, our vegan soil allow you to go truly vegan with your gardening, if you wish.
Check out our Kindly Sourced Worm Castings here.
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Have you bought potting mix or soil ingredients from Bunnings before? Yes, we all have!
If you're looking for a more sustainable alternative to your bag of potting mix or soil ingredients from your nearest large garden store, retailer or Bunnings, read on.
1. Freshly mixed = nutrient retentive and lower risk of pests
Fresh potting mixes are most effective for your plants. The top two reasons for using fresh potting mix is that nutrients break down over time and a lower risk of pests.
How long do you think that bag of potting mix or soil ingredients has been sitting at Bunnings or that large retailer before you bought it?
Extended storage periods can:
Fresh soil can have:
2. Our soil ingredients are perfectly sized for potted plants
3. Smaller sizes, straight to your door
For us folks who live in apartments or smaller spaces, we don't have storage for a 10L bag of potting mix!
Unfortunately Bunnings and larger retailers often only sell large bags of potting mix. We once bought a large bag and a month later it was super infested with fungus gnats (despite our best efforts to prevent pests) and we had to throw it out. Very disappointing.
Planthood offers smaller sizes to encourage you to buy just what you need, delivered exactly when you need it.
No need for waiting in lines or seeing people (jokes, well not sure about you but I'm pretty happy to stay at home and talk to my plants all day).
Lastly, we're always happy to help! Have potting mix or soil ingredient questions? Simply contact us to chat all things green!
References
Nursery & Garden Industry Australia: Growing Media Storage, 2014
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Before You Start
If you have your plant slightly dry for a few days, it will make it easier to get the plant out of the original pot. If you need help choosing a pot see How To Choose the Right Pot for Your Plant.
1. Remove Plant from Old Pot
Put your hand on the top layer of soil between the stems and turn the plant upside down.
Rotate the pot gently in both directions to separate it from the roots and soil a few times. The plant should come loose.
2. Loosen Roots
Loosen roots gently with your hands.
If the roots are wrapped tightly, carefully detangle roots and trim them. Using garden scissors or a sharp knife, cut the root ball and 1/3 can be removed.
3. Remove Original Soil
Remove the original soil by using your hands or by gently shaking the plant, to spread the roots.
4. Fresh Potting Mix
Put a layer of fresh potting mix at the bottom of the new pot.
Put the plant in the pot so that the crown of the plant is in line with the lip of the pot when you put it inside.
Add fresh soil around the plant and gently press it down to avoid big air pockets around the roots, but don't press too hard as that can cause a lack of oxygen in the soil.
5. Groom Plant
Take off any wilted, brown or yellowing leaves. Water the plant and keep it regularly hydrated in the coming weeks.
6. Put in Shady Spot
Plants are sensitive after repotting and intense sunlight will do it more harm than good.
Move plant to a sunnier spot after a few weeks.
Article adapted from Picture This App.
Help!
We'll never leave you a confused plant parent. We've been there, done that!
30 Day Plant Coach
If your plant is experiencing stress, we're available Mon-Sat 9am-9pm AEST to talk all things green, up to 30 days after your soil purchase. Look for the live chat on the bottom right hand corner to talk to a human.
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2. Drainage Holes
Most potted plants won't thrive in soggy soil, so if you want the best for your plant, choose a pot with drainage holes.
Some plants can survive in a pot without drainage holes. Often these are hardy plants that don't mind too much water (e.g. some types of ivys).
But I've already got a pot and it doesn't have a drainage hole.
If you've already got a pot without drainage holes, consider putting a draining pot inside the chosen pot. Otherwise, if you're handy there are plenty of youtube videos about how to drill a hole in your pot.
Alternatively, buy a sustee. It's a little tool that tells you how moist the soil is so that you know exactly when to water your plant!
3. Planter Material
Plastic Pots
Pros: Lightweight and cheap
Cons: May or may not be environmentally friendly (some plastic pots are not recyclable, although we use pots that are recyclable)
Best for: Plants that need plenty of water to thrive, as they tend to retain a significant amount of moisture. Most indoor plants will do fine in a plastic pot.
Terracotta and Ceramic Pots
Pros: Porous and dries soil out quicker
Cons: Heavy and more expensive
Best for: Succulents and indoor plants that need low water. Terracotta is a very porous material and it offers ideal conditions for growing plants that like well-aerated, dry soils.
Other Pots
Glass: We do not recommend glass pots because they do not have the ability to breathe. They are however, popular for terrariums and do work in certain circumstances.
Fibre pots: We use fibre pots in our seed kits. They are extremely environmentally friendly. While they are not great at retaining water, they are perfect for starting your seedlings because they are biodegradable and can be planted straight into the ground when your seedling grows bigger.
So now you've chosen your pot. Check out our article Very Useful Repotting Guide so you're good to go when your plant is ready to upsize!
Article adapted from Picture This App.
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The purpose of this trial was to achieve a high germination rate. We wanted a formula that could make every seed count as we believe in a no-waste philosophy.
Every type of seed itself has its own germination rate and if you've bought from a good supplier, they should have their germination rate written on the packet. For this trial, we used organic basil seeds that had a 96% germination rate according to our supplier.
This trial uses the vegan version of the Magic Germination Mix. Our vegan version is 100% natural, cruelty-free and chemical-free.
Germination mix vs Seed-raising mix
The best germination mix is always a lightweight, fine blend that is able to create a moist environment for seeds to sprout.
Lightweight and fine - This allows the tiny stems and leaves to easily push up through the soil to the light, and the delicate roots to easily push down into the soil.
Moist - Seeds need water to signal it to start growing, otherwise it will stay dormant.
A germination mix is different to a seed-raising mix as usually it has less nutrients in it and suits seed growth up to approximately 2 sets of leaves (at which point you can transplant into the ground, or add fertiliser in the existing pot), whereas a seed-raising mix allows you to raise the seedling to a substantial height since it already incorporates fertiliser.
However, a seed-raising mix is usually denser and harder for seeds to actually germinate.
So if we are planting in a trough, our preference is to use a germination mix as the top layer in-between the seed, and use normal soil as the bottom layer.
This allows the seeds to have a high germination rate, and access a nutrient rich soil for strong growth after it has established.
Method
1. Layer 1 - We filled up our trough planter 2/3 with normal soil.
Layer 2 - Then, we put 3cm of our Magic Germination Mix on top.
2. We used a divider so we could grow dill, mizuna and basil. We put in dill seeds on the left, mizuna seeds in the middle and basil seeds on the right.
Seeds - Then, we planted the seeds.
Seeds should be planted quite shallow - the rule is about twice the width of the seed.
Layer 3 - We put approximately 1cm of our Magic Germination Mix on top of the mizuna and basil seeds.
We put Osmocote Seed & Cutting mix (from Bunnings) on the dill (left), just to show our theory that seedling mixes are usually too dense leading to a low germination rate.
Basil was a bit slow to sprout, but both mizuna and dill came up.
As we thought, the dill seeds in the Bunnings Osmocote mix wasn't able to push through the soil to the light as well as our Magic Germination Mix. However, we note that we didn't count the dill / mizuna seeds (we simply sprinkled both generously) since the purpose of the trial was to focus on the Magic Germination Mix rather than compare our mix to the Bunnings one.
3. For the record, we planted 30 basil seeds.
We kept them indoors for germination, right next to our north-facing window. The basil finally sprouted!
We got a high germination rate of 25 / 30 basil seeds. Success!
Since achieving the supplier's germination rate (28/30 basil sprouts) is actually really difficult at home (their trials are often conducted in proper conditions measuring humidity etc), we consider 25/30 basil sprouts is a seriously good result for your average gardener trying to start seeds at home.This means, in a soil mix for these marvellous creatures, you should add chunky bark to provide strong structural support for these tree-huggers which thrive on aerial roots and attach on other trees for support.
Another important ingredient for Monsteras is perlite that creates excellent drainage. Instead of perlite, you can also use sand, pumice or gravel.
What you should also know is that between Monstera species, you can make your mix even more species-specific.
For example, the Monstera Adansonii likes a slightly more moist soil than other Monsteras. Add some vermiculite or extra coir.
The Monstera Thai Constellation i.e. the super rare monstera, grows very slowly. So use organic fertiliser like our Kindly Sourced Worm Castings because it doesn't burn the roots and pare back on adding fertiliser until you observe it's actually growing.
Our custom Monstera formula has all the above and is enriched with organic fertiliser that answers to deficiencies.
So, the hero ingredients to look for are:
Make your own with Monstera mix with our Soil Ingredients range or check out our Monstera Super Soil.
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