I have 80 (yes, 80!!) milkweed sprouts that are doing great. However, even with 3 acres, I don't think I can find homes for 80 milkweed plants. I planted a lot of seeds because I'm hoping to encourage monarchs this year. I didn't know how easily they would germinate and grow. I would love to trade but will probably end up having to give some away too. I won't be able to make the college station plant swap or I'd just bring them then. Anything native would be great and I'd love some purple passionflower. If not, some of my buddies might get surprise mail soon! =)
Milkweed overload!
Which Milkweed is it that you have so many of Donya?
Greenie - I have several cuttings started of purple passion flower. They have al ittle ways to go before they could survive a transport but I'd love to trade for some milkweed when they're ready.
Kristi
It's the one Sheila gave me, Josephine. I think it's a butterfly milkweed but I'd have to verify that with her. Kristi, that would be AWESOME!
Josephine, on the original plant swap list, she simply says 'milkweed'. Let me Dmail her.
Wonderful. Then let's keep in touch.
I purchased a blue passion flower 'Blue Bouquet' and a red one, 'Lady Margaret' last weekend. As soon as they get established I'm going to try cuttings on them as well. I just love passion flowers. Look at this one my friend showed to me....it's absolutely beautiful! I want one!
http://www.kartuz.com/pc/68037/5PAS/Passiflora%20laurifolia.html
I think they're beautiful too but unfortunately, I'm getting mine to be eaten by hungry caterpillars. I'm trying my hand at raising butterflies this year. One of the ones we get the most is the Gulf Frittilary (sp?) and their cats LOVE to eat passion vine. But they are gorgeous.
Yep, that's why I'm growing them too. I had so many of those fruity (that's what I like to call them) caterpillars on my passie last year that I lost count. It was devoured in a 3 day period. I love to watch them come and lay their eggs. It's why I'm looking for milkweed as well. I've started seedlings but can always use more. I bought the 'Monarch Waystation Kit' from the Monarch Watch Organization. It came with 12 seed packets to host them, supply nectar and feed the cats. All of the seedlings are doing well!
The milkweed she has is the yellow 'Silky Gold' I bought at Martha's Bloomers last year at the RU tour. It is beautiful plant. Greenie dmailed me about 2am so since I stumbled on the thread, thought I would reply.
What a beautiful picture! I sure wish my camera took shots like that.
Greenie, that is a rather unusual color for a milkweed, so it is not a common one, treasure it and set out lots of it, you have something special there.
Josephine.
Wow... I'm going to have to look for those! They're really neat looking and we love butterflies. :-)
Greenie
I have plenty of max. sunflower seed if you would like to trade. I had butterflies all over it last year.
Thanks, but I can't take credit for the picture, my DH is the shutterbug.
Sheila - I'd give an eye and a tooth for your DH's skills. I keep telling myself that I'm going to break down and take one of those amateur photography classes. I have to get around to doing it. But I need a good camera first!
I believe 'Silky Gold' is a variation on the Mexican Milkweed, Asclepias curassavica. At least, it looks like the ones I have. Most of my Mexican Milkweeds died because of the low temps this winter...even the cuttings I started last fall. But I still have some plants left. It'll just be a little harder for me to provide enough milkweeds for the caterpillars this year. Last fall I had tons of milkweed and still came pretty close to running out of food for the little critters!
Linda....do you know Flygirl? She had the same problem last year. Looking around for enough milkweed to feed her babies through the season.
I've worked on one butterfly a year trying to get food for them... I finally have enough food for the swallowtail and plenty for the snout and sulfur... This year I want to work on the monarch.
I probably only know her from the forums. But we both love the butterflies and caterpillars! BTW, I saw my first little butterfly caterpillar of the year today, hooray!
My one plant produced loads of seeds that I shared with a lot of people, but I haven't see any sign of the Silky Gold or the Mexican Milkweed coming back this year. Everything in my backyard is still pretty dormant because it is partial shade. I am keeping my fingers crossed. I had mulched well and my Rue, Passion vine and Butterfly Bush are still fine, so I still have hope.
Don't worry Sheila, it's too early for the milkweed to be up yet. It will be coming soon tho and you'll have plenty. My Mexican Milkweed, A. curassavica, is perennial and I've noticed some of them starting to sprout the last few days.
I've got a few A. tuberosa's that I started from seed that I'm hardening off this week. I'm not sure what to expect of it since I've never had it before.
I've also started several fennel and dill plants from seed and have 5 new rue plants that came from cuttings. I think that will give me about 10 rue plants. I don't want them found tho until the GST's come around so I might have to cover them from the BST's.
Better hurry! It was a BST cat that I found today...on parsley. The BST eggs were also on bronze fennel. This is the earliest I've ever seen for the Black Swallowtail cats to show up.
Cuttings of Rue? I need to try that!
Linda, I saw one earlier this week and couldn't believe she was here so early either! The plants I started from seed aren't big enough to go out yet so she is just going to have to use the Queen Anne's Lace that she was inspecting. If she would do that then the cats will have plenty! I'm hoping she chooses (or chose) to or she's just going to come back.
Sheila, the rue cuttings take a while but they eventually root. I just took the cuttings that I was bringing inside and put them in water in a sunny window and it took about 6 weeks. They might look like they are doing nothing or even dying but as long as the stem is green, it's ok.
The roots are tiny too so when you eventually transplant them they need to be very small pots. I used these tiny little kids yogurt cups. They could barely support themselves so it would be best to cut them back. I didn't on most of mine because I was experimenting and wasn't sure what to do. It's taken several months in all but now they are finally sturdy and growing good leaves.
Here's 3 that are growing good. There's one that I did cut back and appears to be alive but no leaves yet. I've got a few more still in water that I'm just going to stick in the ground.
Those look great Paige, good job, you really love those butterflies, don't you?
I sure do Josephine! :) There's so much to love about gardening! I love all the little creatures that live in that other little world that I tend to. I even like to deadhead and pull weeds because it keeps my hands busy and my mind can relax and wander.
Nice Paige! My little Rue isn't much bigger than your babies now, but it is starting to put out growth. I may try it later in the year though.
Sorry I haven't responded...spent a MUCH needed weekend with my DH up at a little cabin in Lake Caddo. We really needed the get away and it was great. Thanks Sheila for the response....they'll be beautiful!! Now I have to just figure out where to plant them! I have about 80 that are doing really well. I did a lot of seed planting this year (in the GH) and they're all doing great. I took the hay off of my beds today and found all kinds of great surprises coming up. I took all of the plants out of the GH today too and they are all so happy to be in the fresh air and sunshine. Hopefully we won't have any more evenings below 50. At this rate I'll have so much to share at the next swap meet I go to. =o)
I was rummaging around in my seed container that holds all of my packets and found some Scarlet milkweed that I didn't know that I had. I have some Mexican milkweed growing...but have never tried to sow any seeds. Is the damp paper towel - sandwich baggie, the best method? I'd love to get some of this variety growing as well... :)
Melanie
A. curassavica is Mexican and Scarlet Milkweed. (no idea why it has so many names) Does the packet have a picture with different color flowers than you MM?
I don't actually use the baggie method for the A.c. because it grows so well by just throwing it outside. You could do it tho if you want to be particular about where it's planted. I did star my A. tuberosa that way because I wanted to see what it looked like and know where those would be.
Actually, konkrete....the wee picture on the pkg. shows a bright red milkweed...whereas my Mexican mw outside is the regular orange and yellow....hmm......I'll just have to see what pops up...lol
Melanie
Well...I'm not sure what has bright red flowers. ? Let us know what it is! I'm hoping my Swamp milkweed seeds come up because I'm wanting to try a few varieties too.
I do all my seeds that way. I haven't had any that didn't sprout within 2 wks - most of them take 1 week. I stumbled across it totally accidentally. I had some seeds I was transporting to another location in my car. I accidentally left a baggy behind and didn't see it for another week. There were all kinds of sprouts in the paper towel. So I've tried it on all kinds of seeds. The moon flower vine and the sweet pea vines needed to be nicked first and the cilantro needed to be soaked overnight first. But otherwise, they've all been successful. I should have about 1,000 thyme plants!!