Butterflies and Milkweed: Butterflies and Milkweed. in the past week or so someone posted about planting and cultivating milkweed to attract butterflies. Could you please P.M. me as I...

DIRTY HARRY Loc: Hartland, Michigan

Butterflies and Milkweed.
in the past week or so someone posted about planting and cultivating milkweed to attract butterflies. Could you please P.M. me as I would like to the same in my garden and I haven't had much luck getting the milkweed to take. Tanks.

BassmanBruce Loc: Middle of the Mitten

Hi Harry, here in Michigan milkweed seeds have to be in below freezing temperatures for about a month before they become viable. I just sow next yrs seeds this year and our typical winter does the rest.
Hope this helps.

DIRTY HARRY Loc: Hartland, Michigan

So, do you just drop the seeds on the ground or do you cover them with soil? I have a couple of seed pods with seeds in my garage so, I'm sure, they will freeze over the winter..

BassmanBruce Loc: Middle of the Mitten

I do both.
Last year my wife sprayed round up on part of my milkweed garden and every thing died.
Hoping to start again in spring. I will throw a gazillion seeds out there in the next week or so.

Jack47 Loc: Ontario

DIRTY HARRY wrote:

Butterflies and Milkweed.
in the past week or so someone posted about planting and cultivating milkweed to attract butterflies. Could you please P.M. me as I would like to the same in my garden and I haven't had much luck getting the milkweed to take. Tanks.

1/2 inch below is good.

bluezzzzz Loc: Stamping Ground, KY

DIRTY HARRY wrote:

So, do you just drop the seeds on the ground or do you cover them with soil? I have a couple of seed pods with seeds in my garage so, I'm sure, they will freeze over the winter..

In KY here we have a section of our backyard that is devoted to milkweed. About a week ago after all this years pods had dried up and released their seeds I mowed over that area to give next years growth a fresh start and don't mow over that area for a year. That has worked well for us and the patch could be much bigger without mowing around the edges.

Last year on the spring growth we had two beautiful Monarch caterpillars but I lost track of them. This year if I see one I'm going to put a protective wire mesh cage around it and hopefully be able to see that amazing metamorphosis into a butterfly.

You should be fine by just breaking open your dried pods and letting the seeds float around into the area you want them to grow.

Marshall

BassmanBruce Loc: Middle of the Mitten

I have a couple of these:
https://www.amazon.com/RESTCLOUD-Insect-Butterfly-Habitat-Terrarium/dp/B074ZHXF48/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?dchild=1&keywords=Butterfly+cage&qid=1606933725&sr=8-1-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUEzSDE1WVdLTVRPNlAzJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwMzkwODI1MkhLRDVMTVhUUEdMViZlbmNyeXB0ZWRBZElkPUEwNzkxNjQ1MkhPRkRWNUtQVTZSTCZ3aWRnZXROYW1lPXNwX2F0ZiZhY3Rpb249Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU=

You just snip a part a milkweed plant and stick it in a narrow cup of water.
The cats will eat it before it can go bad. Also stops cats from wandering away as they sometimes like to do.

BBurns Loc: South Bay, California

DIRTY HARRY wrote:

Butterflies and Milkweed.
in the past week or so someone posted about planting and cultivating milkweed to attract butterflies. Could you please P.M. me as I would like to the same in my garden and I haven't had much luck getting the milkweed to take. Tanks.

This is probably more than you wanted to know. Milkweed Propagation.
I have been a Way-station for over 20 years.
There is much to be aware of. Monarch Watch is a great place to start.

Mark Sturtevant Loc: Grand Blanc, MI

Not sure if the garage will provide sufficiently freezing temperatures. But I don't speak from experience.

Tom467 Loc: North Central Florida

If you would like to attract bees to your garden plant some African Purple Basil. It is easy to grow, just take a cutting, put it in potting soil and give it a drink of water. Bees love it.