Butterfly weed plants are easy to grow by seed, but may not produce blooms for two or three years. Once established, butterfly weed is drought tolerant and blooms dependably from year to year. Also, keep in mind that butterfly weed has long, sturdy roots that make transplantation very difficult, so locate the plant in its permanent place in the garden. Growing Guide Butterfly Weed is a herbaceous, perennial milkweed plant in the Asclepiadaceae family that attracts butterflies to the garden with its clusters of bright orange yellow blooms that are rich with nectar & pollen. Botanical Name: Asclepias tuberosa Start indoors (for Spring planting):
*Your container will depend on how many plants you wish to grow, space, &/or supplies on hand. For example, you can repurpose a small, cleaned yogurt container with a lid. Or you can utilize a seed starting flat with a lid. Sow outside (direct sow in the Fall) preferred method: Soil Temperature For Germination: 71°F Size: 12" - 36" Zone: 3-9 Sun: Full Water: Dry to Medium* Soil: Slightly acidic or Neutral (6.0-7.0); Well draining Seed Planting Depth: 1/8-1/4" Seed Spacing: 6-12" Days to Germination: 21-30 Thinning: 1-2' *For the first year after planting, in addition to environmental moisture & rainfall, plan to give your butterfly weed plants approximately 1" of supplemental water weekly. Once established, butterfly weed plants are drought tolerant & may only need monthly watering in very dry climates. Seed Savers: Butterfly weed plants may not produce blooms for two or three years. Once established, they bloom dependably from year to year. Let the plants develop seed pods. Harvest the pods just as they start to open, or cover the pods with fine netting to prevent the seeds from floating away once the pods fully open. Insect Control: Do not use pesticides, even the organic approved (OMRI) types. The plant hosts many butterflies, including monarchs, so expect the leaves to be eaten. For insects such as aphids, use your fingers to squish them dead. Wear gloves to avoid staining your fingers. Be gentle with tender buds on the plants & look out for monarch eggs. Spraying water at the aphids really doesn't help. Diligent squishing & killing of the aphids seems to be the most efficient method & is entirely non toxic. Fertilizer: Do not fertilize! Fertilizer can harm the plants or make them leggy. Let the sun be their fertilizer. Garden Growing Guide Quick Links Listed alphabetically Arkansas Green Cotton Arugula Blue Podded Shelling Peas Butterfly Weed Catnip Cilantro (Coriander) Cocks Comb (Cleosia) Common Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) Dill Dyer's Woad Erlene's Green Cotton Hibiscus Holy Basil (Tulsi) Inchillium Red Softneck Garlic Kale Karina Peas Lemon Balm Loblolly Pine Tree Mixed Cotton Musquee de Provence Nankeen Cotton Purple Podded Pole Beans Red Foliated White Cotton Sea Island Brown Cotton Spinach Sunflowers Tennessee Red Valencia Peanuts You may also like:
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