Category: Catnip Benefits

Faqs About Catnip Products

What kind of merchandise should I get?

The entire leaf.

Faqs About Catnip Products: A whole leaf is preferable for retaining the most freshness over time. Because the leaves have not been crushed, the essential compounds remain trapped in the leaf substance, as Mother Nature intended. They will remain until you or your cat crush and remove the leaf. Yet, dried catnip leaves are brittle; even in a product containing intact leaves, some smashed debris is unavoidable. This is OK because the leaves are lightly crushed rather than crushed. The goodness remains to wait for you.
The main disadvantage of using whole leaves is that they are light and airy. It takes up much more area, so the volume appears significant, but when crushed, it’s not. This also implies that the container must be strong enough to preserve the leaves whole and not crushed during shipment. Because the ingredients are trapped in the leaf, it has a long shelf life.

Catnip leaf that has been partially crushed.

This is a whole leaf that has been lightly crushed. Because the leaf is still in huge bits, the valuable active components are trapped, but not the entire leaf.

If you want to create tea, this is frequently the best product. It has the advantage of taking up considerably less space than a whole leaf. The leaf should be stored in reasonably large pieces and in a container that prevents the leaves from being crushed.

Because the pieces are large, the active components are still encapsulated, and as much flavour as possible is kept.

It also allows you to inspect the material to confirm that it is made of high-quality leaves rather than stems.

Because the active components are enclosed in the leaf, it has a relatively extended shelf life.

Catnip, crushed or powdered.

This is catnip that has been thoroughly crushed and powdered. Because the active components are liberated from the leaves and readily evaporate, it has the shortest shelf life.

It is also impossible to determine the quality of the material because it is a powder, and you cannot see what it is comprised of.

This product is suitable for those who know that the material will change quickly, will be consumed quickly by humans or cats, or wish to combine it into something else, such as “catnip toys,” etc.

What exactly does stem mean?

This refers to the plant’s stem. This does not refer to the leaf stalk. When you buy a product that allows you to see the plant components rather than just crushed powder, it is much easier to identify the parts.

Stems are usually slightly woody and can be found in crushed material as woody bits. Petioles resemble little, thin sticks.

It is improbable that a product will not have petioles because they are almost tough to remove. After all, they are an integral element of the leaf.

Don’t be scared off by little stems, and check for woody components in shredded catnip.

Is the catnip clean?

The majority of catnip growers do not wash their products. They gather it in the fields and dry it. The material may also contain insects, bird droppings, and other unwanted items.

This is unavoidable on any farm where plants are grown outside, and there is nothing anyone can do besides removing them before it reaches you.

Floral Encounters cleans up all of our catnip. To ensure that the maximum number of active compounds are preserved in a clean, washed product, the leaves are removed from the stems, washed, spun dry, and then slowly dried.

So, what exactly is in the catnip you buy?

You know catnip should be picked in late stage 1 or 2 when the leaves are still young, sensitive, and high in nepetalactone.

Only when the stems are fresh and plump are they appealing? This occurs when the plants generate their first shoots or the higher stem parts grow and blossom.

Following that, the stem is nothing more than dead wood, which is undesirable in any product, but rather a “filler” that bulks up or “prunes” the excellent product.

Knowing what you’re getting when you buy powdered catnip is challenging. This product typically incorporates material gathered at the end of stage 2 or 3.

This is because the farmer receives the most considerable bulk at that time. They can generate more money if they have more products. The issue is low quality.

The majority of commercial catnip is collected by machine. It works similarly to a combine in that the stems are sliced and then shredded.

After drying, the plant material is crushed and sieved to remove significant parts.

The stems are mixed well and cannot be seen individually after drying and pulverising the material.

If the material is not pulverised, seeing how many stems you purchase is more spartan. Hence, whether you choose a product with whole leaves, catnip tips, or anything, you can be discerning and know precisely what you’re getting.

Should I purchase organic?

Organic is concerned with the soil. That has nothing to do with chemicals; it is all about the soil. The farmer is responsible for the soil.

This means it should be rich in organic material, and the plants should be fertilised with organic fertiliser.

This results in naturally more robust, healthier plants with far more flavour than traditionally cultivated plants. Organic vegetables are preferable.

Should pesticides be used on plants?

YES! All plant material we consume should be, but it is not. Even organic vegetables contain pesticides.

Organic farms utilise the same pesticides as conventional farms but employ different chemicals. Yet, this does not imply that they are less toxic! So just because something is organic doesn’t mean it hasn’t been sprayed.

Herbs should not be sprayed with anything. We recommend looking for organic herbs and those that declare that the catnip, and hopefully the entire farm, has not been treated with chemicals. This is the most effective and secure way to protect people and cats.

Floral Encounters NEVER utilises chemicals on our products. We will remove any unhealthy or insect-infested plants that you find. This results in fewer harvests for us but a safer and healthier product for you.

How is catnip gathered?

Most farms collect catnip with machines and further process it with additional machinery. This suggests that it is quick and straightforward to complete. Nevertheless, it also implies that many unwanted, low-quality materials might end up in the mix.

Farmers that harvest and process their catnip by hand weeding out all the lousy quality leaves, removing the stems, and leaving only good quality entire leaves, will give you a much better, higher quality product.

Floral Encounter gathers and processes all our catnip by hand to ensure the best quality.