After raising 2 monarchs from caterpillars I found on the few plants I got from Round-ups, I would love to grow more milkweed (Asclepias curassavica) from seed & if it isn't too hard, grow some with my first grade students so they can provide more habitat for monarchs. How hard is it to start from seed & what would you recommend? I tried a few at home, and two weeks later they haven't sprouted. It might be that we keep our house on the cold side, but I have pepper seeds that did germinate. It might be that the seeds weren't mature, but I tried to collect seeds when the pods first opened so they didn't all blow away. A picture of a seedling would be helpful too so I can recognize any volunteers in my garden.
Thanks!
Tabitha
Growing Mexican (tropical) milkweed from seed?
Hi Tabitha --
I start A. curassavica (usually Silky Mix) indoors every year since it isn’t winter hardy up here in zone 5.
My guess would be that you need bottom heat or warmer air temps to prompt germination -- it can be 2 or 3 weeks until they pop up. However, since you’re in a climate where A. curassavica should be perennial, you might want to just wait until it’s a little warmer to start it. Silky Mix blooms in around 90 days ….
Another option would be to try Winter Sowing it. I’ve Winter Sown A. tuberosa and A. incarnata with great success; the only reason I start A. curassavica inside is because of my relatively short annual growing season….
BTW, be sure not to get any Asclepias variety rootbound -- they have long taproots and never really thrive if you get them in the ground to late.
I hope this helps -- sorry I don’t have a seedling photo!
Liane
Tabitha, I'm in 7b in Fort Worth. I have oodles of A. curasavicca coming up. I cold stratified for 4-6 weeks prior to increased temps for germination. I winter sowed these with great success; I just moved the milk jugs that I winter sowed in November into the house on a window ledge and have started at least 30 plants in individual cups. Still more seedlings sprouting everyday that I just prick out and transplant to its own cup. I also did a few batches that I cold/moist stratified in the refrigerator for 6 weeks prior to planting. For the cold/moist stratification, I take a damp paper towel or coffee filter (not soggy, just damp) and lay the seeds on it. Then I fold the paper towel over to get good contact with the seed on both sides, slide this into a ziplock, seal and place in the refrigerator for 6 weeks. Then plant as usual, just barely covering with soil, and they will germinate within 1-2 weeks.
If you need some free milkweed seed, try this link:
http://www.livemonarch.org/
They also have special programs for educators.
Here is a picture of what a new A. curasavicca looks like (hope it turns out ok).
Wow, you guys are hardcore. I just ripped open the seed pack and used my "toss and stomp" method. I toss them on the ground, them stomp on them a little to get good soil contact. My germination rates may not be 100%, but they're good enough for me. It did take about two months for them to come up, but I think that was because they waited until the rains became more regular. Put simply, I find these very easy to grow.
Have fun with your milkweed and come back and ask us questions when you find caterpillars. My neighbor stopped one day when I was gardening on the corner and her younger daughter was leaning about halfway out the SUV window when I told her I was collecting caterpillars. Both of her daughters wanted to touch it and see it, but the younger one was sooo excited! It was adorable.
Melanie
Melanie,
You and I share the same easy method. I just throw the seeds down and usually just hit them with a hard stream of water from the hose to get them into the soil a little. Have had pretty good luck so far.
Leslie
Not all the milkweeds have the taproot...you just need to know which ones do.
The seeds are in the fridge now. I will throw them out next week and see what happens! You girls are my type of gardeners!
I wish I could just toss them in the garden...(sigh)...oh well, I suppose that's what I get for growing things not hardy in my zone.
Of course, I could move south again....
Yeah, I start mine indoors and keep them there until its safe -otherwise these late freezes like the one we just had will take out things like A. curasavicca that aren't winter hardy in my zone. Could just wait until April to get them started outside, but then they would be pretty puny little plants when the migration North occurs.
aardvark, Thanks for the link! I sent a donation, and can't wait to get my seeds : ) Jennifer
I havefound them to sprout in about 2 weeks using a heat mat the 2 nd week from sowing.
I have a picture of the seedlings in my journalif that would be helpful to you still. http://davesgarden.com/tools/journal/showimage.php?eid=198013
If you click on the name over the picture it should bring you to my starting info in my journal, - if you want to see how I did them. I have a newer picture to upload.
Thanks for the picture & info. I put mine in the fridge and will try them outside since it is starting to warm up here. This is my first year growing milkweed & I was afraid I lost all my plants this winter, but today I saw a little sprout coming up from a plant last year. I'm excited about another year of butterflies!
I have Milkweed growing in my yard for Monarchs. I have a few store bought plants, but most of mine are now seedlings from the main plants. Every week I walk the yard and pluck out the seedlings growing wild in the yard. I put them in pots so they don't get run over by the lawn mower. It doesn't matter how much I have, there never seems to be enough. Every year the caterpillars eat it into the ground, and then the plants rebound bushier than ever. I am happy that in Florida the plants are basically perennials.
I learned my lesson many years ago, when I had caterpillars about the change, but I had run out of food. Went to a store, and asked if they put pesticides on their Milkweed. Explained about the butterflies. "No pesticides, don't worry." All caterpillars were dead in 24 hours. I was distraught. AUgH!
PS. Melanie, I worked with Kristen for years at MOSI (I was an Astronomer). I took care of the tilapia that are in the pond (their father, grandfather, . . . AMIGO was the one born on the space shuttle and I took care of him) and overwintered a turtle born at the pond. I learned bunches from Kristen.
I have such an outbreak of Milkweed bugs right now, once the couple of caterpillars I have are grown I am getting rid of the rest of the Milkweed. I have never seen so many, and they have already killed most of my plants.