The official blog of Grow Milkweed Plants. Current milkweed information. Monarch study and rearing from first hand experiences.

Water Germination of Milkweed Seeds

3/3/2018

*This blog post contains affiliate links to Amazon products that may help you germinate and grow milkweed plants.

Water Germination of Milkweed Seeds guide
File Size:	64 kb
File Type:	pdf

Mexican Whorled milkweed

Heartleaf milkweed

Showy milkweed

Water Germination of Showy Milkweed Seeds

In this test seeds of Asclepias speciosa (showy milkweed) were used. The seeds were collected in the fall of 2017. Under normal conditions the seeds would have fell to the ground in September. Their tough exterior would have been exposed to the weather during the winter. Snow and rain would have stratified the seed and prepared them to grow in the late spring.

The seeds being tested have not lived a normal life. These seeds were collected from ripe opening pods on top of milkweed plants that were beginning to go dormant after a long hot summer. After being collected they were separated from their seed pod and the milkweed silk that could have carried them thru the air. The seeds are dried for a few weeks in the open air and then stored in open bags indoors.

To be fair, nature does a pretty good job. Milkweed has been growing for thousands of years without any human intervention. On the other hand, one milkweed plant can cast out thousands of seeds and only a tiny fraction of those seeds will find the right conditions to grow. Milkweed seeds do benefit from Cold Moist Stratification which can be simulated in the refrigerator. It takes time to cold moist stratify milkweed seeds and may not be necessary. What if there is a faster way that works?

Materials

1 Seedling Heat Mat *Durable Waterproof Seedling Heat Mat Warm Hydroponic Heating Pad
1 Gallon Dechlorinated Water (tap water set out for 24 hours in an open container)
1 Thermometer *Non-contact Digital Laser Infrared Thermometer Temperature Gun
1 Plastic Dome any plastic tub that has an opening bigger then the plate will work

Start of Water Germination

2/10/18 12:00 68° 26 seeds placed in coffee filter and placed on plate. Poured dechlorinated water into plate to submerge seeds and wet filter.

2/10/18 21:00 68° drained water off plate. Added fresh dechlorinated water.

Day One

2/11/18 09:00 66° drained water off plate. Added fresh dechlorinated water.

2/11/18 21:00 water temp was 63° based on infrared thermometer. Drained water off plate (dropped half the seeds in the sink). Put seeds back and added dechlorinated water. Placed heat mat under plate. Water temp at 22:00 is 70°

26 showy milkweed seeds

Day Two

2/12/18 09:00 drained water off plate. Added fresh dechlorinated water. Placed plate on the heating mat. Water temp at 10:00 is 74°

2/13/18 01:00 drained water. Added water. 74°

Day Three

2/13/18 13:00 drained water off plate. Two seeds are showing growth. Added water. Placed plate on heating mat.

2/14/18 01:00 drained water. Added fresh water. Placed plate with seeds on heating mat. At least six of twenty six seeds are growing. Water is 75° at 02:00

water germination of showy milkweed seeds

germination begins at day three

Day Four

2/14/18 13:00 eight seeds are showing growth. Drained water. Added water. Back on heating mat. Water back to 75° at 14:00

2/15/18 00:00 drained and replaced the water. Placed plate on heating mat.

Day Five

2/15/18 10:00 Five days since test began. Exactly 50% of showy milkweed seeds have germinated. 13 growing 13 not growing.

2/15/18 10:30 clipped the tip of the 13 ungerminated seeds and placed them in a new coffee filter in dechlorinated water on a plate on a heating mat. A plastic dome was placed over everything and the temp is now 80°-85°

2/16/18 00:45 added water to plate. Dome created higher temp which evaporated most of the water.

50% germination at day five

Day Six

2/16/18 13:00 drained water. Added water. Placed plate on heat mat. Added dome over everything.

2/17/18 01:30 drained water. Added water. Placed plate on heat mat and covered with dome.

Day Seven

2/17/18 07:00 test complete. 21 of 26 seeds are growing in only seven days.

Findings

Within 5 days 50% of the seeds germinated. Thats 13 of 26 seeds growing in five days. Clipping of the 13 ungerminated seeds was done at the end of 5 days. The 13 newly clipped seeds germinated at a rate of 62% after two additional days. That means 8 ofthe 13 slow to germinate seeds did end up growing after clipping occurred Total germination of the 26 seeds was 21 seeds or 80.7%

80% germination at day seven

Showy milkweed seed packet, Asclepias speciosa (hand collected)

$8.00 $4.00

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Common milkweed

Water Germination of Common Milkweed Seeds

Water germination of showy milkweed seeds worked very well. 80% of the showy milkweed seeds germinated in seven days. I am repeating the test with common milkweed seeds.

When you ask the internet "how to grow common milkweed?" you will almost always be provided directions to Cold Moist Stratification of Milkweed Seeds. Does it work? Yes. Is there a faster way that works? Lets find out.

water germination of common milkweed seeds

26 common milkweed seeds

Water Germination of Showy Milkweed Seeds worked and you can read about that at the beginning of this blog post. I'm in the process of testing the method using common milkweed seeds. The results will be updated as they become available. As you can see in this photo the common milkweed seeds are in a coffee filter. The coffee filter is placed on a lunch plate. Dechlorinated water is poured onto the plate so the seeds are fully submerged. The plate is placed on top of a seedling heat mat. A plastic bin is placed over everything. The temperature of the water is measured with an infrared thermometer. Current temperature is 80 degrees Fahrenheit Try to keep the seeds between 75 degrees and 85 degrees. Latest update 3/6/2018

water germination of common milkweed seeds

Day One

Day one requires an initial setup. Place the seedling warming mat on a table and plug it in. Set a plate on the seedling warming mat. Hopefully the day before this you have left water out for twenty four hours so it is now dechlorinated water. Pour the water into the plate. Place the milkweed seeds in the coffee filter. Set the coffee filter on the plate so the seeds are completely submerged in water. Water temperature should be 75 to 85 degrees.

Day One Video

Day Two

Clipping the milkweed seed will speed up water germination. The seeds can be clipped before going in the water but I like to wait twelve to thirty six hours before clipping the seeds. Letting them absorb some water in the first day makes them softer and easier to clip.

Day Two Video

Day Three

Water change twice per day. Two of the twenty six seeds have root beginning to show from the seed.

Day Four

At day four there were ten seeds beginning to grow. Sixteen seeds are not showing any signs of germination. At this point I was still expecting more of the seeds to grow over the next few days. That did not occur. All the growth began in fewer then five days. The best thing to do with the common milkweed seeds that are not growing is to place them into cold moist stratification.

Findings

The test continued to day seven. The length of the seeds roots increased but the ungerminated seeds did not germinate. The method is effective in germinating common milkweed seeds. Only some of the viable seeds seem ready to grow. I would like to guess then cold moist stratification prior to water germination could increase the germination rates of the common milkweed seed.

Whorled milkweed

Water Germination of Whorled Milkweed Seeds

The whorled milkweed seeds I am working with this week have a verified germination rate of 93%. The goal is to start these seeds growing in less then a week. The test began with thirty whorled milkweed seeds.

Day One Thru Three

Seeds were dropped into a clear plastic cup. Dechlorinated water was poured into the cup to a depth of 1 centimeter. The cup was placed on a seedling warming mat. The water was drained from the cup and replenished twice each day. At the end of the third day there were two seeds germinating.

Day Four

Continue to drain and replenish the water twice per day. At day four there are a total of six seeds germinating in the bottom of the cup. The cup has always been siting on top of the *seedling warming mat.

Testing of whorled milkweed continued until seven days elapsed.

Findings

At day seven the seeds were removed from the cup of water, untangled, and counted. The results were extremely rewarding. Seventeen seeds are growing and thirteen seeds did not grow. The germination rate is 56% in only seven days. While the germination rate did not reach the ideal number of 93% the results are considered successful. In addition to the number of seeds that germinated I was very surprised to see how long the roots had grown and how vigorous the seedlings appeared to be. When the outdoor weather becomes suitable for growing I will plan to water germinate many more whorled milkweed seeds.

Whorled milkweed seed packet, Asclepias verticillata

$8.00

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Mexican Whorled milkweed

Water Germination of Mexican Whorled Milkweed

This test began with thirty mexican whorled milkweed seeds. The seeds were placed in a cup and water is added to one centimeter in depth. Twice each day the water was drained and replenished. At day two there was one seed growing and twenty nine were not. At four days there were seven seeds growing and twenty three were not. The test continued for a total of six days.

Findings

At the end of day six there were seven seeds germinated. The test concluded. The germination rate in water of the initial thirty seeds was 23%. Seven seeds grew and twenty three seeds did not germinate. The seeds that did sprout grew very long and healthy looking roots. I decided to plant the roots in a bit of soil. The outdoor temperature is not conducive to growing milkweed seedlings in March. I have placed the plants in soil in a red solo cup with drainage holes. They remain on the seedling warming mat on my kitchen counter. I'll try to provide an update as far as if they survive or die. I'm not very optimistic because I continue to have problems growing mexican whorled milkweed despite how well it seems to grow all around me.

Mexican whorled milkweed seed packet, Asclepias fascicularis

$8.00 $4.00

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Butterfly weed

Water Germination of Butterfly Weed Seeds

Day One

Thirty butterfly weed seeds placed in a cup of shallow water. Placed cup on seedling warming mat. Water changed with fresh water after twelve hours.

Day Two

Water changed with fresh water twice on day two.

Day Three

Water changed with fresh water twice on day three.

Day Four

Water changed with fresh water twice on day three.
Durring the second water change twenty seven of the thirty seeds were growing.

Day Five

At the beginning of day five all thirty seeds were growing. 100% germination of thirty seeds in five days.

Butterfly weed seeds

Findings

WOW! Water germination of butterfly weed worked great. I've never seen 100% germination before. Results are not typical. These seeds in the test are no longer available but they were great while they lasted. Plants from these seeds are growing in my garden. When they produce seeds I'll make them available on this site.

Butterfly weed seed packet, Asclepias tuberosa

$8.00 $4.00

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Sand milkweed

Water Germination of Sand MilkWeed Seeds

Day One through Day Five

Thirty Sand milkweed seeds placed in a cup of shallow water. Placed cup on seedling warming mat. Water changed with fresh water after twelve hours. Water changed every twelve hours for five days. At the beginning of the fifth day six seed were growing.

Day Six Through Day Eight

Water changed with fresh water every twelve hours. On the beginning of day eight ten seeds were growing. The ten growing seeds were planted.

Day Nine Through Day Eleven

Water changed with fresh water every twelve hours. The water germination test concluded on day eleven. Eleven seeds grew.

Findings

Eleven of thirty sand milkweed seeds grew. The germination rate is 36%. The seeds were from Prairie Moon Nursery and they told me the germination rate of these seeds was 25%. Therefore water germination of sand milkweed appears to work better then whatever method was used in their germination test.

Sand milkweed seed packet, Asclepias arenaria

$8.00

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Heartleaf milkweed

Water Germination of Heartleaf MilkWeed Seeds

Day One Through Day Nine

Thirty Heartleaf milkweed seeds placed in a cup of shallow water. Placed cup on seedling warming mat. Water changed with fresh water after twelve hours. Water changed every twelve hours for nine days. On day five i scraped the tip of five seeds with a sharp knife to remove part of the seeds exterior near where the root radical grows from. On day nine I clipped the tip of the other twenty five seeds with tweezers.

Heartleaf milkweed seed

Desert milkweed

Water Germination of Desert Milkweed Seeds

Highly successful! Water germination of these desert milkweed seeds was very quick and easy. The seeds began sprouting on the second day and all fourteen of the seeds that grew were growing by day three.

One seeds didn't grow at all. The sample size was small only fifteen seeds. Overall I got 93% germination. After getting sprouts in three days I continued the water germination process thru day five.

On the fifth day I planted the seeds in soil. I made a video of the process. Be sure to Subscribe, Like and Share the video.

asclepias erosa seeds. desert milkweed seeds.

Desert milkweed seeds July 2018

desert milkweed plants, asclepias erosa plants

Desert milkweed plants August 2018

Pro tip. Asclepias erosa grows a massive taproot when mature. This allows it to be a great plant thru the dry hot summers in the southwest. Be aware that the small root is very brittle and a great deal of care needs to be taken while handling and planting the seedling. A broken root can kill the fragile plant.

Desert milkweed seed packet, Asclepias erosa

$8.00

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Cold Moist Stratify milkweed seeds

8/1/2017

Cold Moist Stratification of Milkweed Seeds

By Brad Grimm at Grow Milkweed Plants

Cold Moist Stratification (CMS) describes the process that seeds naturally progress through. Timing of the process occurs naturally when the seed is dispersed from the milkweed plant in the fall and continues until the seed begins to grow in the spring. The process I am presenting for CMS is designed to simulate winter conditions and can be applied to the milkweed seed at any time of the year in your home.

Winter sowing milkweed seeds is the natural way to break their dormancy. The cycle of freeze and thaw mixed with occasional rain or snow does two things. First, the seeds coat is physically scraped by movement over the dirt. Second, the inner biology is adjusted because the seed has been imbibing water over the winter. Once the warm days arrive in late spring seed is prepared for grow.

Planting milkweed seed between Thanksgiving and Christmas is my favorite. It's nice to get the seeds in the dirt before the snow arrives. Casting milkweed seed over the snow leaves them exposed to become the food for small animals.

Materials needed:

tap water
paper towel
milkweed seeds
ziplock bag
permeant marker
dish soap (optional)
refrigerator

prepare the work space

Process:

Clean the surface of your counter thoroughly.
Take one sheet off your roll of paper towels.
Wet the paper towel with cold tap water from the sink.
Optionally - Add a drop of dish soap. Reduces mold formation on paper towel.
Use one hand to squeeze out all of the water you can from the paper towel.
Spread out the paper towel on a clean surface.
Evenly scatter the milkweed seeds onto the paper towel.
Fold/roll-up the paper towel and seeds.
Place the paper towel, now covered in seeds, inside the ziplock bag.
Seal the ziplock bag while removing excess air from inside the bag.
Print the date and seed species on the baggie using a permanent marker.
Place the bag in the refrigerator for 40 to 60 days.
Set a reminder to retrieve the seeds 40 to 60 days from today.
When 40 to 60 days have elapsed, remove the seed bag from the fridge.
Leave the seed bag on the counter for 2 to 7 days.
Plant the seeds and water daily till they germinate.

Download the Cold Moist Stratification .PDF file so you will have it ready when you begin growing milkweed seeds.

Guide to Cold Moist Stratification .PDF
File Size:	7050 kb
File Type:	pdf

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Repeat success indicates that the process works!

CMS with showy milkweed seeds

On 2/18/17 I prepared seven baggies with showy milkweed seeds. Pictured is midway thru the process. On the left I am in step 7. Dormant seeds are spread on the moist paper towel.

showy milkweed seeds

CMS with woollypod milkweed seeds

In May 2017 I purchased woollypod milkweed seeds on ebay and began the process of CMS to prepare them to grow. These seeds are really big! The seeds were collected in the fall of 2016 and began dormant.

woollypod milkweed seeds

At step 9 the seeds are prepared to go into the refrigerator for 40 to 60 days.

Step 14 was hard to wait for. It's not much to look at right now. Exciting biological changes have actually been occurring inside the seed over the last 40 days.

Step 12 looks easy. Waiting can be the hardest part. Give the seeds 40 to 60 days in the refrigerator. My fridge has a temperature display on the door. Looks like the seeds are about 37 degrees.

Step 15 is pretty cool to see. The seeds are growing right inside the baggie! Time to take the seedlings out of the paper towel and get them in the ground. Some of the seeds root is piercing thru the paper towel. Just pull the towel apart and be careful not to harm the seeds root.

Update

Since February for the showy milkweed and May for the woollypod milkweed was to late in the year to winter sow I used the method described above. All and all it worked out great! By August the woollypod milkweed plants were beginning to look like real milkweed.

woollypod milkweed plants August 22, 2017

As summer became fall the temperatures outside began to cool off. The sun set a bit lower in the sky and the woollypod milkweed went dormant along with all the other plants. It's December 2017 now and the woollypod milkweed is completely dormant. I have been storing them in the garage for the winter. Hopefully in March of 2018 I will be bring them out to enjoy the warmer weather.

2016 Monarch Butterfly Rearing and Tagging

3/21/2017

Butterfly Circus!

Training a monarch butterfly to dance on your finger isn't easy. It may be impossible. For a few hours after a monarch butterfly emerges from its chrysalis it is dependent on having a safe place to dry it's wings before flying. For that short period of time the monarch is a great companion. For the rest of its life it is your best memory.

Here is the data record of monarch butterflies that were reared at The Biggest Little Butterfly Garden In The World. Monarch Waystation #8269 is a 200 square foot monarch waystation located in my backyard in the town of Sparks, Nevada USA.

8/3/16 #31 Female
8/4/16 #32 Male
8/5/16 #33 Female
8/11/16 #34 Female
8/12/16 #35 Male
8/14/16 #36 Male m
8/14/16 #37 Female
8/21/16 #38 Female
8/22/16 #39 Female WSU tag A1656
8/22/16 #40 Female WSU tag A1657
8/23/16 #41 Male A1658
8/23/16 #42 Male A1659
8/23/16 #43 Male A1660
8/23/16 #44 Female A1661
8/23/16 #45 Male A1662
8/23/16 #46 Female A1663
8/23/16 #47 Female A1664
8/23/16 #48 Male A1665
8/23/16 #49 Female A1666
8/23/16 #50 Female A1667
8/23/16 #51 Female A1668
8/23/16 #52 Female A1669
8/23/16 #53 Male A1670
8/23/16 #54 Male A1671
8/23/16 #55 Female A1672
8/23/16 #56 Male A1673
8/24/16 #57 Female
8/24/16 #58 Female
9/11/16 #59 Male A1674
9/11/16 #60 Male A1675
9/11/16 #61 Female

2015 Monarch Butterfly Rearing Roundup

4/18/2016

On June 22nd, 2015 I posted a page titled MONARCH BUTTERFLIES ARE EVERYWHERE. At the end of the page I set a goal to raise and release 25 monarch butterflies. "I set a personal goal to raise 2,500% more monarchs in 2015 than I did in 2014." Did I meet my goal?

The 2015 Monarch Butterfly Rearing Roundup lets you know how I did at achieving my goal. I couldn't be more satisfied with the results. Take a look at the following multimedia about the monarchs I raised in the summer of 2015.

2015
Monarch #2 Beckham male WSU tag #3015
Monarch #3 Cali female WSU tag #3013
Monarch #4 Diego male WSU tag #3001
Monarch #5 Eva female WSU tag #3002
Monarch #6 Fernando male WSU tag #3003
Monarch #7 Gail female WSU tag #3004
Monarch #8 Hurley male WSU tag #3008
Monarch #9 Iola female WSU tag #3007
Monarch #10 Jesse male WSU tag #3005
Monarch #11 Katniss female WSU tag #3009
Monarch #12 Leaf female WSU tag #3010
Monarch #13 Macon male WSU tag #3011
Monarch #14 Nancy female WSU tag #3012
Monarch #15 Oakley male WSU tag #3014
Monarch #16 Padraic male WSU tag #3016
Monarch #17 Quest male WSU tag #3017
Monarch #18 Rufus male WSU tag #3018
Monarch #19 Scooby male WSU tag #3019
Monarch #20 Talbot male WSU tag #3020
Monarch #21 Uma female WSU tag #3022
Monarch #22 Viper male WSU tag #3023
Monarch #23 Wadsworth male WSU tag #3024
Monarch #24 Xavier male WSU tag #3025
Monarch #25 Yale male WSU tag #A1651
Monarch #26 Zander male WSU tag #A1652
Monarch #27 Agatha female WSU tag #A1653
Monarch #28 Brad male NO TAG undersized
Monarch #29 Connor male WSU tag #A1654
Monarch #30 Dean male WSU tag #A1655

WSU Tag wild female #3021
WSU Tag wild male #3006

Beckham

7/10/15 01:50 Chrysalis is nearly clear. Monarch butterfly wings are clearly visible. Monarch is expected to eclose today.

Rise and shine! This monarch is ready to eclose any moment.

A photo posted by Brad Grimm (@growmilkweedplants) on Jul 10, 2015 at 2:16am PDT

7/10/15 10:30 Monarch has closed. Meconium has been ejected. Wings are symmetrical. Color is great and gender is Male. WSU tag 3015

Beckham is his name, he is perfect. Set him free this afternoon. Quite the looker. Beckham is really going to knock the socks off the female monarchs around Reno. #FIGHTFORYOURRIGHT15

A photo posted by Brad Grimm (@growmilkweedplants) on Jul 10, 2015 at 4:00pm PDT

Cali

8/16/15 10:00 Cali eclosed and is drying her wings. Gender is female. WSU Tag #3013

8/16/15 13:30 Cali is released!

Cali released

8/7/15 01:00 Cali is hanging in a J-hook :) See photo "2nd J-Hook of 2015"

2nd J-Hook of 2015 #danausplexippus #metamorphosis

A photo posted by Brad Grimm (@growmilkweedplants) on Aug 7, 2015 at 10:25am PDT

Cali returns to visit the milkweed 8/17/15 Cali must have know that Diego was being released today.

Yesterday's release of 3013 aka Cali has returned to visit The Biggest Little Butterfly Garden In The World! Wonderful to know she is doing well. □

A photo posted by Brad Grimm (@growmilkweedplants) on Aug 17, 2015 at 11:07am PDT

Diego

8/17/15 at Diego eclosed at 11:00. Meconium ejected at 11:40. Diego was released at 13:50

Meet Diego. Tag #3001 I hope Diego meets Cali and they get together over milkweed very soon. #danausplexippus

A photo posted by Brad Grimm (@growmilkweedplants) on Aug 17, 2015 at 1:24pm PDT

Meet Diego. Born 8/17/15 Diego is part of generation tres. Late August monarchs can be the most popular because they are out mixing it up with flowers and milkweed all day everyday. In 2014 I saw the most monarchs between August 15 and the 30th. I am seeing many monarchs during the same period this year. It is unlikely that Diego will join the migration. It would be really cool to see Diego and Cali both visit me tomorrow. I'm pretty sure I will be releasing another monarch to join them very soon.

A photo posted by Brad Grimm (@growmilkweedplants) on Aug 17, 2015 at 7:51pm PDT

Eva

Eva is a special little monarch. She attached to the vertical wall of the enclosure. A slight tilt to the enclosure helped reduce the pressure on the side of her chrysalis. Eva eclosed at 8:00 8/19/15 Meconium ejected at 8:40. Wings look good!

Cliffhanger attached itself to the vertical surface of the enclosures door. I'm glad it chose the door. Before it selected this location I had caught it while it fell during a transition to the ceiling. Had it tried going to the ceiling again I wouldn't have been around to catch it a second time.

A photo posted by Brad Grimm (@growmilkweedplants) on Aug 18, 2015 at 9:41pm PDT

Double monarch release this morning. It was pretty epic. Her name is Eva. #shareyourmonarchs

A video posted by Brad Grimm (@growmilkweedplants) on Aug 19, 2015 at 4:06pm PDT

Fernando

8/19/15 Fernando eclosed at 9:30 Meconium ejected at 10:00. Fernando is the second of two new monarchs today.

Eva and Fernando seemed inseparable. After they were released they both flew across the yard and landed feet apart in a tree.

Eva and Fernando

Following yesterday's release. The butterfly pair both flew across the yard to the same tree.

A photo posted by Brad Grimm (@growmilkweedplants) on Aug 23, 2015 at 8:25am PDT

Gail

8/20/15 9:00 new butterfly eclosed. Time-lapse and slow-motion video taken.

Slow motion video

Time lapse video

Hurley

8/22/2015 Hurley is the guy on the right in this photo.

Iola

8/22/15 Iola is on the left in this photo.

Two monarch butterflies released today. A boy and girl.

A photo posted by Brad Grimm (@growmilkweedplants) on Aug 22, 2015 at 2:39pm PDT

After today's release they both flew to the same tree together. #shareyourmonarchs #milkweed pic.twitter.com/65xMGF0Qfw
— Brad G. (@growmilkweed) August 22, 2015

Jesse

8/29/15 Jesse eclosed at 7:40 and is a male monarch. He was brought to work to release. WSU tag #3005

Bring your butterfly to work day today. pic.twitter.com/QIoNQCQNzc
— Brad G. (@growmilkweed) August 29, 2015

Katniss

9/5/15 Katniss eclosed at 12:00. She has been tagged with WSU tag #3009.

Meet Katniss. Katniss is now flying around in Northern Nevada. She is looking for other monarch butterflies and milkweed plants. She may even fly to California for the winter.

A photo posted by Grow Milkweed Plants (@growmilkweedplants) on Sep 5, 2015 at 9:24pm PDT

Leaf

9/7/15 Leaf eclosed at 10:00. She has been tagged with WSU tag 3010. At 14:00 she was released with photos.

A photo posted by Grow Milkweed Plants (@growmilkweedplants) on Sep 7, 2015 at 2:00pm PDT

Introducing my Medicine Cabinet Monarch. The entire metamorphosis occurred in my bathroom medicine cabinet. Strange but true □

A photo posted by Grow Milkweed Plants (@growmilkweedplants) on Sep 11, 2015 at 3:03pm PDT

Macon

9/11/15 Macon is quite obviousely named after my favorite food; bacon. Macon was released at 12:00 with WSU tag #3011

Nancy

9/11/15 Nancy and Macon flew free together. Nancy was been tagged with WSU tag #2012. She is named after my grandma Nancy.

Macon & Nancy Macon rhymes with bacon, which I love. Nancy is my grandmothers name. I love her to. Sent the grandparents an email to let them know a monarch has been named after her. These are also freedom monarchs that eclosed on the 14th anniversary of 9/11. #□□

A photo posted by Grow Milkweed Plants (@growmilkweedplants) on Sep 12, 2015 at 5:38pm PDT

Oakley

9/13/15 Top

Padraic

9/13/15 Middle

Quest

9/13/15 Bottom

Good chance this flying flower is the mother. She laid numerous eggs on August 17th.

She left but returned. I guess I'm the only milkweed on the block. pic.twitter.com/ifxWzvSBRV
— Brad G. (@growmilkweed) August 17, 2015

Boys club today. Three male monarchs eclosed and released. 9/13/15 □□□

A photo posted by Grow Milkweed Plants (@growmilkweedplants) on Sep 13, 2015 at 2:02pm PDT

Rufus

9/14/15

Scooby

9/14/15

Talbot

9/14/15

Uma

9/14/15

Viper

9/14/15

5 MONARCHS RELEASED TODAY! I'll stop yelling now. One female surrounded by four males. It's was a pretty good day. Even got the escrow documents signed for Milkweed Manor, twice. Two days till I move. About five monarchs are still being raised for conservation.

A photo posted by Grow Milkweed Plants (@growmilkweedplants) on Sep 14, 2015 at 6:33pm PDT

My tagged monarch from yesterday has returned to the milkweed 20 hours later. #3022 pic.twitter.com/KMkpDKN1xL
— Brad G. (@growmilkweed) September 15, 2015

Wadsworth

9/15/15

Xavier

9/15/15

Yale

9/20/15

A photo posted by Grow Milkweed Plants (@growmilkweedplants) on Sep 20, 2015 at 10:31pm PDT

Zander

9/21/15

A photo posted by Grow Milkweed Plants (@growmilkweedplants) on Sep 21, 2015 at 7:33pm PDT

Agatha

9/24/15 Agatha female WSU tag #A1653

A photo posted by Grow Milkweed Plants (@growmilkweedplants) on Sep 25, 2015 at 1:51pm PDT

Brad

9/26/15

Brad is a special little butterfly. Brad fell from his silk while attaching his cremaster. I picked him up and attached him to some spare silk then taped him back up. He successfully emerged. Brad is the smallest monarch I have ever released. A small chrysalis makes for a small butterfly. Butterflies do not grow after they emerge.

A photo posted by Grow Milkweed Plants (@growmilkweedplants) on Sep 26, 2015 at 12:13pm PDT

A photo posted by Grow Milkweed Plants (@growmilkweedplants) on Sep 16, 2015 at 12:09pm PDT

Connor

Connor is patiently waiting till morning to fly free. #monarch pic.twitter.com/rzcGb728AY
— Brad G. (@growmilkweed) September 29, 2015

9/28/15 Connor male WSU tag #A1654

A photo posted by Grow Milkweed Plants (@growmilkweedplants) on Sep 29, 2015 at 11:45am PDT

A photo posted by Grow Milkweed Plants (@growmilkweedplants) on Sep 28, 2015 at 9:39pm PDT

Dean

10/08/15 Dean was the last monarch of the 2015 season. Because of the cooler temperatures it took a full fifteen days in the chrysalis for Dean to eclose.

A photo posted by Grow Milkweed Plants (@growmilkweedplants) on Oct 8, 2015 at 8:11am PDT

WSU Tag wild female #3021

□□ Amazed myself today. Caught this wild female monarch butterfly by hand! Tagged it with a @wsupullman research tag then released her onto milkweed. It was rad! #science #insect

A photo posted by Brad Grimm (@growmilkweedplants) on Aug 14, 2015 at 5:11pm PDT

Season conclusion

I successfully raised and released twenty-nine monarchs in 2015. I had two fatalities in my care. One first instar caterpillar may have been eaten by a larger caterpillar. Another caterpillar fell ill, leaked green liquid and quickly dissolved into a black liquid. Presumably it was a bacterial infection. That was a tough loss.

The difficulities were few and the successes far outweighed them. Increasing the amount of milkweed available for monarchs in my yard has created a safe place for them to reproduce. Having a monarch waystation brought the monarchs to the yard throughout the summer months.

Last year I was living in a rental home and the yard was not my own. At the end of the season I relocated my potted milkweed to others in the community. The yard is likely to be overhauled with new plants. New for 2016 is my new house, Milkweed Manor. The landscaping in the backyard was a blank slate. A 180 square foot pollinator garden was incorporated into the landscaping.

The goal in 2016 is to foster an awareness of milkweed as a favored plant in residential landscaping. By growing native milkweed plants in my own yard I can share the value that the garden has to butterflies, birds and bees. If you are interested in locating native milkweed then please use the Milkweed Locator tool.

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Starting & Caring for Milkweed

2/8/2016

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Post by: Jonathan Léger

Prepare Your Milkweed for the Monarchs Arrival

The word is out that the population of Monarch butterflies is decreasing. These insects have delighted legions of children on the North American continent for generations and the thought of their demise is distressing to many. Since the caterpillars require milkweed to thrive, residents of cities, suburbs, and rural areas are concentrating their efforts on propagating the species to ensure the survival of this wondrous species. If you have never grown milkweed before, here are some tips that will help your plants grow to be strong and healthy to nurture the Monarch caterpillars long enough for them to reach their butterfly adulthood.

Expose Milkweed to the Breeze

Believe it or not, you can start your seeds indoors. The trick is to make sure the seedlings have plenty of airflow while they are growing indoors so they will be strong enough to withstand the wind once they are transplanted outdoors. Be sure to move the young plants so their stems get wind from multiple directions. They will develop a thick outer covering that will help them to remain upright.

Of course, if you can grow them from cuttings, they will do much better. They should be placed into distilled water for four weeks in order to develop a large root system. The great thing about these two methods is that you can get started on these projects while it is still cold outside and your plants will get a head start on the growing season.

Prepare a garden space that will accommodate at least six plants. When Monarch caterpillars start eating, they are very, very hungry. By giving them access to multiple plants, you create a better opportunity for more of them to survive to adulthood and, after all, isn't that the whole point of growing milkweed in the first place?

Diversify Your Milkweed Garden

To really increase your odds of successfully creating a habitat for these lovely butterflies, begin preparing more than one garden plot for them in the spring. Keep in mind that not every plant thrives, so if you grow your milkweed in multiple locations around your yard, you will increase your odds of success. Even if a storm blows through your area, it might destroy one of your milkweed patches, but it won't destroy your chances.

Many people grow milkweed in containers and place them around their patio so they can watch the butterflies. If you want to do this, you'll need to get your containers ready in the spring. If you've used the pot before, check it for predators that might destroy the plants before you put in your milkweed seedlings. It's best to disinfect pots before use and rinse them completely before putting your potting soil into them.

Butterfly Weed (Asclepias tuberosa)

If you do choose to grow your milkweed in a container garden, you can overwinter them and place them back outside in the springtime for bigger plants that season. Overwintering works for most milkweed varieties, but not all. Move them indoors once they have stopped producing flowers or fruits. Once indoors, remember that they will still need to be watered all winter long. Perennial milkweed will go dormant in the winter and can remain potted outdoors throughout the winter.

Plan Ahead for Next Seasons Monarchs

After you have placed your plants into the soil, remember to put mulch around them. The protective layer of mulch will help to keep moisture in and help your plants to thrive. Leave some open space around the seedlings and check on them after a rain storm to make sure they don't get covered. You can buy a commercial mulch specially made for this purpose or you can use grass clippings. Both work very well.

Some gardeners leave their Milkweed plants in the ground over the winter months but prune them back. If you do decide to do this, make sure to leave at least some of the stem showing above the ground. In the spring time, don't give up hope on your milkweed plants' survival. They tend to begin growing later than other plants do. Remember where you have placed them and keep a sharp eye for signs that they are renewing for a second or third year of growth.

Once you begin growing your milkweed plants, you can either wait for wild milkweed butterflies to show up to lay their eggs or collect caterpillars from nearby milkweed and place them on your plants. Watching these caterpillars grow to adulthood makes it worth all the work in the spring.

Jonathan Leger is a member of the Garden Writer's Association and a gardening enthusiast.
He runs a site dedicated to the history, education and care of knockout roses at

KnockoutRoses.net

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