How to Save and Plant Milkweed Seeds From Pods:- To be successful in the cultivation of milkweed seeds, one must be able to triumph over a significant amount of adversity. This is a prerequisite for achieving success. For the purpose of ensuring that the seeds that are contained inside the milkweed pods are stored in a manner that is suitable, it is absolutely vital for you to gain the knowledge that is required.
How to Save and Plant Milkweed Seeds From Pods
Furthermore, it is essential that you get familiar with the circumstances under which it is appropriate to disperse milkweed seeds outside and those under which it is more appropriate to begin the seeds indoors.
Collect Milkweed Seeds From Pods
“Last year, I gathered a few dried milkweed pods. What is the optimal method and timing for sowing milkweed pod seeds? queries Judy Roberts, a reader of Birds & Blooms. It’s astonishing, according to horticulture expert Melinda Myers, that a plant that grows easily from seed in the wild can make it difficult for humans to do the same.
Remember that common milkweed spreads swiftly and can take over a garden before you plant it. Others, including swamp milkweed and butterfly weed, are less hostile yet still provide habitat for monarch butterflies. Gather seeds shortly before or as the pods break apart after the flowers stop flowering, as the seeds need to be developed to grow. “Start by removing any remaining seeds in the pods, saving only rich brown seeds that are mature and viable,” advises Melinda.
Also see : Dutch Oven Mountain Man Breakfast Recipe – Learn like a Pro
It is best to remove the seeds from the coma, or white fluff, before storing and drying. You can accomplish this by shaking the seeds firmly in a paper bag, rubbing the seeds between your palms, or grasping the seeds while they are still in their pod and removing the fluff. If you’re concerned about spreading the seeds of the milkweed (especially common milkweed), you might also think about tying little bags over the pods as they grow.
According to reader Patrick Hogan, “I take the seeds from my milkweed plants after their pods open and shake them into envelopes that I’ve labelled with the year the seeds were collected.” Can tropical milkweed harm monarch butterflies? Is milkweed honeyvine invasive? What you should know is as follows.
Milkweed Seed Cold Stratification
It will be necessary for you to keep the seeds in a cold location for a period of several months, either in the refrigerator or in an airtight container. To break the dormancy of the seeds and improve their chances of sprouting, this cold treatment is required. After that, Melinda suggests that you put the dried seeds in a container that is airtight and place it in the refrigerator until you are ready to do the processing necessary to plant them.
Immediately prior to sowing, provide seeds with a stratification that is chilly and damp in order to break their dormancy. Wrap the seeds in a damp paper towel and place it inside a plastic bag. Alternatively, you can place them in a container with sand or vermiculite. For a period of at least thirty days, place in the refrigerator. There are many more varieties of milkweed that are considered to be the finest for supporting monarch butterflies.
When to Plant Milkweed Seeds
After the seeds have stratified, Melinda states that they can be planted immediately in the garden following the final spring frost or started indoors. Alternatively, let winter sowing take care of itself. See how to turn a plastic milk jug into a seed starting vessel outside for these and other seeds by searching online. In the future, think about following nature’s lead and sowing the seeds straight into the garden in the autumn.
If at all feasible, start your seeds in a high-quality potting or seed-starting mix indoors with artificial lighting. When the last chance of a spring frost has passed and the seedlings are 3 to 6 inches tall, they are ready to be transplanted into the garden. Allocate between four to eight weeks for indoor cultivation.
Additionally, seeds can be sown outside. Gardeners in colder climates should direct-sow their seeds in the autumn. A lot of milkweed species have tough outer layers that need to dissolve in order for the seeds to sprout. That is what happens when you are exposed to snow and cold, rainy weather for an entire winter.
For more details on gathering seeds from milkweed pods, visit the Monarch Joint Venture. Reach out to the Live Monarch foundation to place a seed order.