I'd like to start some plants from seed this year. We have a sun room that gets a lot of light. What would the temperature need to be to start them there?

Good luck to you, Butterflyman. Keep us posted on your progress. I'm curious to know how long it will take for them to get 3" tall.

Others, like A. curassavica, should just be planted, without cold stratification, and germinate at around 65ºF to 75ºF.

Believe it or not, we're supposed to get snow this evening. What a strange winter!

Susan

Scroll down the page to click on and review Manduca quinquemaculata and Manduca sexta.

Susan

Thanks for the link, Susan. I'm sure I'll visit the site often when it gets warmer to help identify strange, little visitors. Last year I discovered more unfamiliar caterpillars on my plants than usual. Unfortunately, I'm all too familiar with the tomato hornworms. They can do a lot of damage in a short period of time. They are not my friends!

Norma, I'm hoping that my milkweed plants only look dead, but aren't. Every year I try to add to my milkweed garden. The past two years that I've raised Monarch cats, we've always had to run out and buy more plants to save the last 15-20 cats. I just couldn't bear watching them crawl around here and there in search of one more leaf to eat. It's not easy trying to find good milkweed plants around here in late August, not to mention the cost.

Last year I cut my milkweed plants back to about 8 inches after the cats completely defoliated them. Then, I cut the tall stems into 8-in. cuttings, put root starter on them and set them out. I was amazed at how soon they started putting out leaves. I stuck them everywhere! It will be interesting to see if they had a strong enough root system to survive the winter cold. If the majority of those come back, I'll be in good shape this year. I'm going to remain optimistic!

It must be so nice to have your milkweed (and other plants) grow throughout the entire year.

Thanks!
Kathy

I'd put them in baggies with slightly dampened sand (one fourth teaspoon water to one fourth cup sand) and refrigerate them for 4 weeks. Leave them in the baggies and set in a warm, sunny location. You should get sprouting almost immediately. Then you can pot the sprouts. Handle the little plants by the leaves.

I am finding this to be best method. I just removed Sullivan's MW from fridge, and within 3 days, I had sprouts!

Good luck!

Sandy

My frig formula is 1/4 cup sand and 1/4 tsp water - mix then add the seeds - about 20

In April/May, I take them and place them upstairs in a south facing window and start watering more. They just spring back to life so quickly!

I started doing this because my season was a bit short for growing from seed and so I never got blooms in 2008. That winter I tried my first three inside and was so pleased with the results I decided to plant some more and try it again.

All of my seeds for Asclepias are sown as per the Winter Sowing Forum here at GW.

Just curious, do you have much light in your basement?

Bon

I didn't think to try a pot in an area without light so don't know how they would do without light. Perhaps the poster above will let us know what type of light, if any, was provided.

Mary

The room where the milkweed is overwintering has two small windows which get light from the sun rising in the east for a short time in the morning. Other than that they just get bright indirect light all day.

Mary, I'm especially encouraged when I hear that your A. Curassavica are still hanging in there after the temps went down to 25-26°F a few nights. This information also gives me hope that all of my outside milkweed isn't dead__just looks it.

Thanks so much, Tiffy & Mary!

Bon

Bon

Just want to clarify one thing. My A curassavica have always been in a cool greenhouse since early fall, protected from any frost. They would not survive outside in my beds. All of the outside A curassavica plants died with the first frost. These protected plants have never had frost on them and they slowly acclimated to the colder temps before the few really cold nights in the greenhouse were experienced. I doubt these plants would have survived the few hours of really cold temps in this protected area had they not already been cold hardened.

If you're referring to perennial milkweeds, they will go into dormancy through the winter (and appear dead) but should begin putting out new growth in the spring.

Mary

I'm still excited to learn that I should be able to save some plants by putting them in the garage or on the sun porch for the winter. It's supposed to get down below freezing again this week. BUMMER!

Thanks again, Mary.

Vancouver is quite warm compared to us. They are hovering at 10C (50F) at this time and we are at -5C (25C) with swings down to -15C (0F) at times. I am located north of you on the east coast in Nova Scotia. My parents used to travel south and say your state was one of the prettiest and most welcoming!

Lots of things come back in the spring to make our summers look like this... :O)

Now that’s a butterfly garden display with breath-taking beauty! Isn't it amazing how quickly the long, cold & gloomy days of winter become a distant memory when we, at last, gaze upon such beauty when summer arrives? I can't wait!

I’ve been snow skiing in Killington, VT (the closest I’ve ever been to your area). It sure gets cold up there in your neck of the woods. I’ll think of you tomorrow when our expected high is supposed to be 49°F and try my best to feel warmer. LOL

I’ve been planning a butterfly garden for my mom in middle Georgia. We have a lot of field stone that I’ve been trying to figure out how to incorporate into the bed. Your photo provided the answer.

It always makes me proud when hearing such nice comments from visitors to our state. Although I’m very partial, I must agree that Georgia's southern hospitality is second to none.

Thanks for posting your picture. It brightened my day!

Bon

I do wish you luck! I was so excited yesterday to see some of my seeds are germinating in the window. I'm using the clear, plastic drink bottles. I put some of them in the minigreenhouses on February 2nd. I guess it's just been too cold and cloudy. Now that I've seen some growth popping up, I'll get busy and get more seeds started.

I'm interested to learn how successful you are with the seeds you ordered. Since I've learned on this thread that potted milkweeds can be stored inside during the winter, I'd like to try some different varieties.

Again, good luck. Keep us posted!

Bon

I've been as far north as Kittery, Maine, into Vermont and New Hampshire. Everything is so pretty there in summer.

I, too, use the 2 litre soda bottles to winter sow. They work great. No sign of my milkweed yet but hopefully soon.

Sigh.......spring should be here soon....

Susan

I was wondering how big the little guys should be before transplanting them outside. They look so fragile. Last year I sowed some seeds outside and the rains beat them up pretty bad. Half of them didn't make it. The plants that lived didn't get very big.

Anyway, just wanted to know what's worked for some of you who have experience in this area. Thank you.

Bon

Sandy

Thanks again!

Susan