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Top Questions About Milkweed Plants

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Questions About Milkweed Plants

  • Answered by
    MichiganDot on
    June 29, 2018
    A.

    If my comments about milkweed left you hesitant about planting it, consider butterfly weed, Aesclepias tuberosa. Like all milkweeds, it is drought tolerant. More importantly, it spreads less and is far less likely to send up shoots a distance from the main plant.

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  • Answered by
    MichiganDot on
    June 29, 2018
    A.

    Common milkweed, Aesclepias syriaca is a thug in good garden soil. It spreads via underground runners in every direction. When growing milkweed, place it where the soil is not the best and look into which ones are native in your state since the butterflies in that area are used to certain varieties. (There are over 100 types of milkweed in the US) Swamp milkweed and Sullivant's milkweed are said to be better behaved in a traditional garden. Or consider having a bed just for pollinators and butterflies and let the milkweed spread. https://www.wildones.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/Meaningful-Gardening.pdf

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  • Answered by
    BushDoctor on
    July 2, 2018
    Certified Expert
    A.

    It would be hard to say for sure without a photo. I can give you a link to many articles. There are many articles that will let you understand how to make natural pesticides, and how they work. Most are broad spectrum, but the best part is that you can mix them to cover a broader range of insects. Here is the collection: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/special/organic

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  • Answered by
    MichiganDot on
    July 9, 2018
    A.

    If you have milkweed, you are likely to have milkweed beetles. These may chew the leaves a bit but will not do significant damage or harm the caterpillars.

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  • Answered by
    donnan on
    August 28, 2018
    A.

    Thanks for this; I don't think I'll take the chance with the neighbor's seeds. We do have a nursery nearby that is a monarch way station and sells "safe" seeds.

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  • Answered by
    MichiganDot on
    August 28, 2018
    A.

    There is no fast answer to this question. We can assume the plants were not sprayed directly. How far are the milkweed from the lawn? Lawn herbicides are typically contact herbicides so a light coating is all that is needed. I don't think much makes its way to the milkweed roots. However, some weed killers remain in the soil for up to 18 months. These are mostly for agricultural use. The amount of herbicide that makes its way to plant seed would be very small amounts; however, a caterpillar is very small too.
    Milkweed seeds are available from mail-order native plant nurseries. There are over a dozen types of milkweed. Make sure to use seeds of types native to your region. These will be the types that monarchs in your region are looking for. Follow this link to find a source for your native milkweeds. https://xerces.org/milkweed-seed-finder/
    https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/garden-how-to/soil-fertilizers/how-long-does-weed-killer-last-in-the-soil.htm

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  • Answered by
    Downtoearthdigs on
    September 15, 2018
    A.

    If the milkweed is a perennial, like Asclepias curassavica (tropical milkweed) pictured above, you’ll notice tiny leaves growing from the base of the plant at some point after the upper stems have been consumed. Wait for that. Then cut back stems to the new growth and the plant will take off from there.

    As a reminder, it is ideal to grow milkweeds that are native to your state if possible. In California, we have several native milkweeds, and seeds can be obtained from Theodore Payne Foundation for at least one of them.

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  • Answered by
    Downtoearthdigs on
    December 6, 2018
    A.

    Stratification would be exposing it to a certain temperature range (usually cold). Scarification would be nicking the seed coat. Both are methods for overcoming seed dormancy.

    Now... There seems to a lot of argument on whether this particular species needs a cold period to germinate. They do not need a scarification. The best thing I could suggest would be to put some in moist soil in the refrigerator for a few weeks, and some planted directly to see which has a better germination rate. There may even be no difference in germination rate.

    This article will give you a little more information about the species as a whole: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/flowers/milkweed/milkweed-plant-varieties.htm

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  • Answered by
    MichiganDot on
    April 29, 2019
    A.

    Yes, some of the milkweeds wait until warm weather to emerge. They also develop extensive roots so they are hard to kill off. I wonder if your red-orange one is butterfly milkweed. It has an amazing taproot and is therefore drought tolerant. Ice ballet is one of the swamp milkweeds and it likes lots of moisture. Be advised that common milkweed can be a thug in good garden soil spreading by underground rhizomes. It is an important milkweed but may not be the best garden plant. If you have room for it to roam, that's great.

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