Propagating
Your Milkweed
For milkweed seeds and for
extra help visit:
http://monarchbutterflygarden.net/harvest-milkweed-seeds-no-fluff/
For
Fall Planting: Plant seeds in late October/early November in deep
patio pot or in a flower bed. Seeds will germinate and emerge in the
spring.
For
Spring Planting: Place seeds in refrigerator for the winter in a
breathable container or in a breathable container with moist sand.
Plant inside 6 weeks before last frost or plant outside after danger
of frost has passed. Seeds need cold stratification to break
dormancy, so it is important that they are stored in the refrigerator
before planting.
Can be
planted in deep patio pot.
Milkweed
will usually bloom its second year after planting. Milkweed is a
perennial. The stalk will turn brown in the winter and can be cut
down. The roots send up new shoots in the spring. After a milkweed
plant is established, it will send up new shoots by a rhizome root
system.
Keep
watered well until established (will be big and hardy), after that,
you can cut back on the water to one to three times per week. Plants
are very drought tolerant.
If you
want to know more about milkweed, the Xerces Society has a great
pamphlet here:
http://www.xerces.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/Milkweeds_XerSoc_june2014.pdf
If you
want to become a citizen scientist and tag monarch butterflies to
help track their migration, visit here:
http://www.swmonarchs.org/tagging.php
If you
want to become a registered Monarch waystation, visit here:
http://www.monarchwatch.org/waystations/certify.html
If you
want to purchase habitats to raise butterflies in, this is where I
purchased mine:
http://monarchbutterflygarden.net/big-cube-monarch-butterfly-habitat/
If you
want to know how to collect eggs and raise Monarchs, visit:
http://monarchbutterflygarden.net/hunt-gather-protect-monarch-eggs/
Happy
planting and Monarch raising!!
