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My Asclepias tuberosa starts for Season 2018!

Leafhead 8 Apr 13
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Milkweed season will be upon most of us soon, if it ever warms up.
That means soon after it will be time for Monarch caterpillars.
I can give step by step directions for the care and release of Monarch caterpillars, chrysalis and butterflies. This method will work with other species as well, such as Longwings and many Swallowtails.
People in Texas and north should be seeing migrating butterflies. Now is the time to plant Milkweed in your gardens if you don't already have it.
Collecting and raising caterpillars is easy, but can get intense toward the end. It is best to start with small numbers at first.
You can also grow and give away Milkweed. It's fun and easy to grow.
Anyone out there interested in learning about Monarch restoration?

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Do you think I should try to grow them inside the first year to protect the plants?

I start them early in Spring inside and wait for end of frost to pot them into 4" pots. I grow these outside, and when they are grown into the 4" pots they can then go into the ground. As long as the seedlings are properly "hardened off" and don't freeze they should be fine.
Protect seedlings and young plants from birds and bunnies until well established and growing vigorously.

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Will these bloom this year?

Better next year.

Not to worry if they don't bloom this season. At least in my area I've noticed females prefer new sprouts when given a choice. I surmise the reason being that everything loves the blooms and increases traffic & the chance of predators. They draw flies, wasps. Have seen flies get stuck on the blooms 😮

@Qualia
I try not to work my yearling tuberosas. The caterpillars strip young plants too fast. I've noticed the females hitting very young plants. I collect those larvae and raise them indoors on fodder from more mature plants

@Leafhead I've had caterpillars strip a plant bare. The leaves come back. In my case I use incarnata. It's been a few years since I've raised any tho, too much going on and the cats pooooop a loooooot. I used to devote the back room dining table to them every July-Sept. LOL

@Qualia
They are pretty tough. It's all about having a healthy and extensive root system. Tuberosa needs time to develop a good taproot.
Last year I put out 81 butterflies, mostly Monarchs and the rest Swallowtails. It was a LOT of work.

@Leafhead They are a lot of work, yes. I keep the plants in the yard tho and try to gift plants every year. I've even listed them on CL & FB forums, leaving them in pots by the curb.

@Leafhead 81 tho, that's IMPRESSIVE!!! My record is 30 monarchs.
There have been years in SE michigan where I only saw one 😟 2013 was a bad year for them up here. Then the polar vortex of 13/14 wiped out more than 1/2 my rearing plants in pots. Many weeks of single & minus digits did them in.

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