Asclepias in general need "some" chilling and germination temps at 70-75F. As far as how much chilling, my texts don't have milkweed, unfortunately...

Dan

When in doubt, try winter sowing.

I have an abundance of milkweed, there is one with the large pods and big leaves all over the place, and I'm fighting another species that goes by the same name with very narrow leaves thats deadly for cattle and sheep - my ranching neighbors are not going to be happy seeing the seed blow in.

Hi Sorie,

I'm assuming, like the others, that you're talking about Asclepias, most likely tuberosa or incarnata. If so, here's the info from Tom Clothier about those two species:

Asclepias exaltata , incarnata, and tuberosa, Sow at -4 to +4úC (24-39úF) for 4 wks in moistened sand, move to 20úC (68úF) for germination

So it looks like it would be a really EXCELLENT candidate for winter sowing if you're planning to do that this year. Otherwise I'd recommend waiting till close to spring, fold the seed into a piece of moist paper towel, stick it in a zipper baggie, and put it in the fridge for 4-6 weeks, and then just start it like anything else in a small pot and plant it out at the appropriate time. I'm guessin' milkweed isn't gonna be TOO hard to start---since it seems to do very well all by itself out in the wilds--as David has testified!

If you know what species you have and it's not one of the ones above, you can check for more info at the link below---best germination info I've ever found online (tho I do think they sometimes make it sound more complicated than it actually is!)

If you haven't tried winter sowing before and are interested in giving it a whirl, Bonnie will be starting her WS thread for this year in a couple months. It really is an easy way to start seed.

Skybird

Here is a link that might be useful: Tom Clothier Seed Germination Database