topic Re: Milkweed question. in Garden

Milkweed question.

nomar — Sun, 19 Aug 2018 15:35:06 GMT

Help! This year I got the 3 piece milkweed plants from Roberta's Gardens. They grew great and everyday I would check for the caterpillars for Monarchs. 3 days ago I found 8 small ones on the plants. They seem to be eating fast and furious and growing, but not large yet. At this rate with so many on such a small amount of plants I wonder if they will make it when the leaves are gone. I checked this morning and it looks like some are eating the stems. I am new at this and concerned they will not reach full growth. Hope to put out way more milkweed next year if I can find it. Our small city nurseries have not jumped in with selling milkweed yet. I plan to drive 70 miles tomorrow to a city where our Conservation State offices are and hope they sell some plants or can direct me to where I can get some. Do these caterpillars have a chance?

Re: Milkweed question.

kitcat51 — Sun, 19 Aug 2018 16:52:07 GMT

There are 4 generations of Monarchs...The callipers eat for 2-3 weeks then form a chrysalis & emerge to live a short time if they are generations 1-3 but the 4th born in Sept & Oct migrate & live for about 8 months. Anyone interested can find lots of helpful info about Monarchs & their needs on websites. Milkweed is a must have! Good Luck OP.

Re: Milkweed question.

JustJazzmom — Sun, 19 Aug 2018 17:50:52 GMT

https://monarchbutterflygarden.net/milkweed-plant-seed-resources/

Re: Milkweed question.

mousiegirl — Sun, 19 Aug 2018 18:54:42 GMT

@nomar wrote:
Help! This year I got the 3 piece milkweed plants from Roberta's Gardens. They grew great and everyday I would check for the caterpillars for Monarchs. 3 days ago I found 8 small ones on the plants. They seem to be eating fast and furious and growing, but not large yet. At this rate with so many on such a small amount of plants I wonder if they will make it when the leaves are gone. I checked this morning and it looks like some are eating the stems. I am new at this and concerned they will not reach full growth. Hope to put out way more milkweed next year if I can find it. Our small city nurseries have not jumped in with selling milkweed yet. I plan to drive 70 miles tomorrow to a city where our Conservation State offices are and hope they sell some plants or can direct me to where I can get some. Do these caterpillars have a chance?

@nomar You can buy Milkweed online, and even grow it from seeds, but I did buy mine online.

Re: Milkweed question.

mimomof4 — Tue, 21 Aug 2018 18:02:15 GMT

Monarch's do grow like crazy then before you know it they will be a butterfly.

There is no need to buy more Milkweed next year. As long as yours grows a seed pod you will be inundated with Milkweed next year. We had one plant 4 years ago now it has taken over yard, you can't get rid of it if you try.

Re: Milkweed question.

nomar — Tue, 21 Aug 2018 19:45:54 GMT

I was in a panic about 9 caterpillars running out of leaves before they reached their growth. We drove 120 miles yesterday so I could bring home 2 more pots of milkweed. Now, lo and behold, I can only find 3 large caterpillars. I do hope they crawled off somewhere to attach themselves to a bush, etc. There are plenty of places for them to do that. I am trying to watch these last 3 to see where they might go. I think I read birds do not like or eat them. I hope that is the case. These are my babies!! Don't like to hear the plants are a problem with taking over things. Mine are in a big pot...think that will help?

Re: Milkweed question.

mousiegirl — Tue, 21 Aug 2018 20:19:28 GMT

@nomar wrote:
I was in a panic about 9 caterpillars running out of leaves before they reached their growth. We drove 120 miles yesterday so I could bring home 2 more pots of milkweed. Now, lo and behold, I can only find 3 large caterpillars. I do hope they crawled off somewhere to attach themselves to a bush, etc. There are plenty of places for them to do that. I am trying to watch these last 3 to see where they might go. I think I read birds do not like or eat them. I hope that is the case. These are my babies!! Don't like to hear the plants are a problem with taking over things. Mine are in a big pot...think that will help?

@nomar I hope they make it. Birds do eat caterpillars.

https://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/grapevine/wildlife-gardening/dont-birds-eat-caterpillars_21910.html

Re: Milkweed question.

PA Mom-mom — Tue, 21 Aug 2018 23:13:45 GMT

@nomar I'm afraid @mousiegirl is correct. The birds can get them. However, sometimes they sneak off to a more secluded locale. I've never tried to raise monarch butterflies, but I do Eastern swallowtail. They grow on parsley. I put a fine netting over the plant after the caterpillars appear and remove it when the butterflies break out. I don't know if that is practical with milkweed.

Re: Milkweed question.

hayseed00 — Mon, 27 Aug 2018 00:09:48 GMT

When I was a young girl growing up in Western New York, Milkweed grew everywhere, now I rarely see any and if I do it's small. I think over the years pesticides have done Milkweed in. Our farmers market has a vendor that sells Milkweed and also raises Monarch Butterflies for release, they are so lovely !!!!

Re: Milkweed question.

JustJazzmom — Mon, 03 Sep 2018 20:20:24 GMT

Interesting article today in the NYT : https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/03/opinion/to-save-monarch-butterfly-plant-milkweed-now.html?em_pos=small&emc=edit_ty_20180903&nl=opinion-today&nl_art=6&nlid=73892663emc%3Dedit_ty_20180903&ref=headline&te=1

It has a link inside the article about where to obtain milkweed &/or seeds.

Re: Milkweed question.

Serendipity — Mon, 03 Sep 2018 22:41:26 GMT

@nomar wrote:
Help! This year I got the 3 piece milkweed plants from Roberta's Gardens. They grew great and everyday I would check for the caterpillars for Monarchs. 3 days ago I found 8 small ones on the plants. They seem to be eating fast and furious and growing, but not large yet. At this rate with so many on such a small amount of plants I wonder if they will make it when the leaves are gone. I checked this morning and it looks like some are eating the stems. I am new at this and concerned they will not reach full growth. Hope to put out way more milkweed next year if I can find it. Our small city nurseries have not jumped in with selling milkweed yet. I plan to drive 70 miles tomorrow to a city where our Conservation State offices are and hope they sell some plants or can direct me to where I can get some. Do these caterpillars have a chance?

@nomar Lovely! Not sure where you are, but I saw a glorious monarch fly by me here in So. Cal. It had been maybe years since I'd seen one. So something might be working. 😊