On Yom Kippur morning, many of you took home a package of Milkweed seeds to create gardens where the Monarch Butterfly could come and eat. It’s almost time to get started on planting your Butterfly Garden. The schedule and instructions follow and thanks for helping to save the Monarchs.
Schedule
- Let’s plan on putting the plants outside in the ground the last week of April.
- So, we will plant our seeds inside on March 14th.
Milkweed Safety
The sap inside the Milkweed is acidic and should not be ingested or allowed to come into contact with your skin or eyes.
Growing Instructions for Milkweed
- When you are ready to plant, soak your seeds in non chlorinated water for up to 6 hours
- Place seeds 1/8 inch below the soil surface, or even on a damp paper towel. After the seeds start to sprout, you can use growing trays, and most types of seed starters or regular garden soil if you like
- Consider using a deep pot if starting indoors, since most milkweeds have a long roots. Don’t plant the seeds too deep, because they need plenty of light and warmth to germinate and grow
- Keep the seedlings moist for the first three weeks after they sprout, then transplant to larger containers with quality soil if necessary
- You can lightly fertilize them after the seedling stage, using a regular flower fertilizer
- Cutting off the top of the plant after they reach 8-12″ creates more stalks and more leaves. It takes about two months before the plant is large enough for caterpillars to eat.
- When the leaves have been eaten, simply cut the stem about three nodes (where leaves came out) or 4 inches above the soil or just above the lowest branching of the stalk and the plant will grow back fuller and create even more food for Monarchs
- Warning: One caterpillar will eat 20+ large leaves, so make sure you have enough plants to support the number of caterpillars you have, or they will starve.
The seedling on the left is about 30 days old (from seed) and at this point should be pinched. That means the tiny new leaves at the top of the plant should be cut off. This cutting forces the plant to begin new growth from each joint. The plant on the right is about 40 days old and has 5 growth stalks which will provide far more leaves for your caterpillars and gives you a much fuller.
Water only when the soil gets dried out or the plants begin to wilt after the seedling stage. When the roots completely surround the inside of the pot it is time for a larger container with good drainage.
Good luck and thank you!