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albert_135

Anyone winter sowing milkweed?

I Googled free milkweed seed, don't know why I did that, and not only did I find free seed but they were selling plants. So it occurred to me this might be something persons on this forum might be doing.

I still don't know what caused the idea to pop into my head. AAADD, Age Activated Attention Deficit Disorder perhaps.

Comments (12)

  • KH 888
    12 years ago

    I am and they are just now sprouting. Swamp milkweed is what I was gifted by someone here on the forum. I can't wait to see how it turns out.

  • msbatt
    12 years ago

    I did Asclepias curvassica (sp? that doesn't look right, but you get the idea. Scarlet Milkweed.)

    I sowed on 12/31, and I've had them up for about 2 weeks now.

  • Workk
    12 years ago

    I have the common milkweed from seeds in my greenhouse. I have swamp milkweed in my garden.
    I am started lots of milkweed seed because that is the only plant the monarch butterfly feeds and lays her eggs on.
    Please don't mow or kill the milkweed in your yards.
    this is a great site to learn about the monarchs, its Journey North. Its the migration routes the butterfly take south and the dates the butterfly come back to the north east. I believe the butterflies that we see in the fall will be the fourth generation. Great site!

  • Workk
    12 years ago

    corrected website for monarch butterfly is: www.learner.org/jnouth/monarchbutterfly

  • Edie
    12 years ago

    Yes, three kinds. Pink swamp milkweed, orange butterfly weed (Asclepias tuberosa) and common milkweed. Last year I did one container of the orange milkweed, and the sprouts did get planted out, so I'm hoping to see blooms on those this year. Part of my plan to make a butterfly/hummingbird-friendly garden.

  • terrene
    12 years ago

    Yes I winter sow milkweeds every year, because I absolutely love raising butterflies, Monarchs being my favorite. So far have started about a dozen species of Asclepias from seed over the years of WSing, with greater or lesser success. Greater or lesser because some of the species seem quite fussy to grow, a couple are rare, some take 3 years to flower, 2 are not indigenous to my state, etc. but I keep trying with the purpose of providing as much host plant material for Monarchs as possible.

    Check out this thread to see some butterfly action by winter-sowers a couple years ago.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Monarch butterflies--tiffy, anyone?

  • vajeff
    12 years ago

    I WSed asclepias curassavica this year. Ran out of cold days before I could get tuberosa, syriaca, and an unknown rose-colored (incarnata?) potted, so they went into the frig.

    The plants from last year are starting to pop up now. I can't wait for the monarchs.

  • bookjunky4life
    12 years ago

    I WSed swamp milk weed (freebie seeds from a seed purchase) and noticed yesterday that sprouts are up. I also planted milkweed seeds from the milkweed growing wild at my uncle's house.

  • Mindyw3
    12 years ago

    Crazy. Milkweed vines are a problem in our yard. We didnt plant them. Several grew up a huge evergreen tree in the frontyard and a bunch were literally choking out our shrubs and mums in a planter by the porch. I mow it. And pull it. Would never have thought to purposefully grow it. Its all in the fence and has popped up straight out of the lawn too.

  • bookjunky4life
    12 years ago

    Checked my jugs this morning and I have tons of sprouts of the common milkweed.

  • terrene
    12 years ago

    Mindyw3, there are several species of "milkweed" vines that are in the Cynanchum genus. Not sure which you have, but Cynanchum laeve (aka honey vine, milkweed vine, it has a lot of common names) is native, is a fairly vigorous vine, and is occasionally and safely used by Monarchs. Cynanchum louiseae (Black swallowwort) is a non-native, very invasive, and although Monarch females will lay eggs on it, it is toxic to Monarch caterpillars. Should be eradicated!

  • not_a_contessa
    12 years ago

    I got a huge surprise today. Last year I sowed swamp milkweed and got one plant in my container. I never did get it planted out, it sat on my porch all year. I watered it over the winter a couple of times just to make sure it didn't dry out. Same thing with my 3 baptisia plants.

    I brought them in last night because we had a hard freeze last night, and this morning I took the tray back out to the porch. Lo and behold, I have many new sprouts from the seeds I sowed last year!

    Looks like I'm going to have a bunch of wonderfully fragrant milkweed growing next to my porch this year, I plan to finally get them into the ground. So I guess the lesson here is, if they don't sprout the first year, don't give up on them, they may show up next year. Don't dump your containers.

    Mary

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