Hoping someone here has some experiance...
There is a field nearby between 2 factories that has tons of prairie milkweed plants (as well as a suprising number of native prairie plants), unfortunatley the field is mowed 2-3 times from spring - summer :( I have tried to save some of the milkweed plants by digging them up and transplanting to my garden but they dont seem to transplant well. The smaller plants seem to be doing better than the 2 larger plants I took but I dont think they will all make it. Is there some trick to digging up / transplanting milkweed ?
I am planning on planting some milkweed seeds, prairie, common, whorled, swamp, and butterfly milkweed? Any idea on how long it will take these plants to reach maturity?
Growing Milkweed?
Many of the Asclepias have a tap root which makes them hard to transplant, unless you get the little ones.
You might try looking up each species to see which ones have the tap, A. incarnata has fibrous so that one would be easy to transplant.
I start A, tuberosa from seed and it takes a couple years to get established to support hungry M. cats. And, some of the seeds need a cold period to break dormancy.
That's great you have that field close with so many desirable plants.
I tried to transplant some of our native milkweed a few years ago and it just never worked either, even the small ones. :(
I think if I were to try it now I would try it a couple of different ways. I'd cut the plant down so that once the roots were able to recover from the transplant shock it would have energy to put out new growth.
I'd also cut a stalk (like if you were bringing it inside to use) and cut it again under water then just leave it in water to root. The A. curassavica roots so easily in water but this might not work for any others. ?
I'd also try searing the end and trying to root it. Whatcha think fly? I might just drive around looking for some Antelope Horns today!
I agree Paige, sounds like a good plan. I've considered buying some Antelope's Horn, it's so pretty, maybe next year.
The A. tuberosa and curassavica root so easily in water, I don't even sear it, but then again, I rarely put it in soil first, just water.
My mw is finally growing leaves. Up until now something has been eating all the leaves off of the stems and it's not cats. It's something I never could see or catch, even at night, with my flashlight...nada! I put netting around one of the big plants and it started growing leaves so whatever it was couldn't get to it. It must be some milkweed phantom lol
I tried searing a few years ago but then realized I didn't even have to do that. Just recutting them under water kept them healthy and then they'd root in no time.
Guess what I discovered was eating my milkweed leaves! A cottontail rabbit! My husband told me and I said "they're poisonous! it wouldn't eat that" and he said "look" and sure enough it eating the lower leaves. It would stand up and and pull the plant down a little to get more leaves.
I had so much come up this year, so much rain, and then so many aphids that I thought none of it was going to make it. I didn't thin any out because you KNOW how much we need! lol I did have to cut back some and let it start again tho. Most are big and healthy now. I'll never understand the aphids and how they are so thick and then suddenly gone. ?
Oh what a cutie, look at those feet!
I haven't seen a rabbit around and hope I don't.....not with a wolf in the backyard! lol
I thought maybe it was some 4 legged critter like that, just haven't seen it.
I have planted a lot of cuttings but it won't be enough for hungry cats until next year. Yes, they do eat a lot!!! They are the most aggressive eaters...like little typewriters...the way they munch across the leaf, back and forth!
I love your bunny rabbit picture. Yes they are little devils, but everything has to eat. And they aren't great farmers, so they have to eat our stuff. Luckily if there are wild predators they all take care of each other. I just love little bunnies and couldn't kill one unless it assaulted a member of my family! And rabbits rarely do that.
LOL! Mine didn't seem to be very violent either. I absolutely love it!! I'm thrilled when any type of life finds my garden a safe haven. It makes me feel like I've achieved SUCCESS! :)
This picture is of him actually pulling the milkweed plant down so he can eat the upper leaves. Funny!
Well, I know I had some kind of wild critter eating on the native milkweed that is outside my fenced yard last year. It wasn't cats, I made sure of that. Thought it was deer, but maybe rabbits? Sometimes very small milkweed plants can be transplanted, but it's very iffy. I know of one species that takes fairly well to transplanting, but it doesn't have a taproot like so many do, an exception to the rule. I know Antelope Horns has quite a taproot.
konkreteblond,
I am delighted that you can appreciate your bunnies. That one in particular is so cute, seems so unaware of being noticed. I suspect having bunnies present, in some indirect way, encourages butterflies and hummingbirds. Just a guess, but a strong feeling on my part.
I've been seeing bunnies in my host garden too but so far they haven't touched the milkweeds or the parsley, I can't tell what they are eating YET lol
I love the picture of your bunny rabbit!
They really, really, REALLY like dill too!! I gave up on dill a while back because of the bunnies. And, I've seen them around my milkweed too.
Edited to say I meant dill, not fennel
This message was edited Aug 23, 2007 2:33 PM
...sorry Plexippus, my bunny has hijacked your thread! So, did we give you any ideas about the milkweed? Linda, you are right about that taproot on the AH. I was never able to get even a small plant, but these were also in a field that was hard as a rock. I'm still curious as to whether AH would root in water.
I thought my bunny would like the Queen Anne's Lace, being in the carrot family, but he just wanders around it. It's funny because he likes to eat the Bermuda grass and some weeds, which makes him very useful!
It's getting used to me and will get pretty close but is still a little skiddish. A few years ago I might have been unhappy with him munching on my plants but now that I've got more than I need I am happy to share. I feel blessed that it's chosen my garden!
He actually has a cute face to go with his cute feet.
He is very cute! He's definitely a keeper if he eats weeds!
That looks like a baby Jack Rabbit!
Not a Bunny (Cottontail).
Rod
Rod, I told my husband the same thing! He does have a white tail but I can't see it well in any of the pictures. He doesn't look so long in person so maybe it's just the pictures? Maybe I'll post him on the wildlife forum and get some more opinions.
I hate to press the point, but the ears and shape of the head, legs and feet are a dead giveaway. The biggest flag is how it stands tall on the front legs. Cottontails have short front legs and squat closer to the ground. And, even Jacks have a white tail. It is just a little longer. In my 74 years I have hunted far too many rabbits, both cotton tails and jacks, and eaten too many cottontails to be in doubt on this one. The one in your picture is young, only about half to 3/4th developed. It will be long and lanky and will walk funny with those long lower hind leg.
Rod
Paige,
Your bunny rabbit is really cool. Wish I had some around here but with all the development here, it has scared them all off. I would also like to ask at what point is the best time to make cuttings for a. curassavica (sp?). We had golden aphids really bad on our asclepias last year and they completely killed off the a. tuberosa but the a. curassavica only lost one plant. We started with one a. curassavica this spring and now we have six plants of it beause of branches keeling over and taking root. These new plants are greatly appreciated. If you could give me a little more info about starting a. curassavica from cuttings, I would really appreciate it. Do you use the same plant growth hormone that you use on other species for growth?
Good luck with your bunny...
Thanks,
Chuck