switching milkweed fr Tropical to Butterfly weed

[maryeleek]

I don't have enough tropical milkweed to feed all of this batch of hatchlings. I located some wild Butterfly weed but the little cats don't seem to want to eat it.

Will they begin to eat it if they get hungary enough?

I've also located a source at a distant nursery for some small potted tropical milkweed but I need to know I've got something to fall back on if I run out before they form their chrysalis.

Mary

[Mona Miller]

Are you sure you have milkweed? There are dogbanes that look just like milkweed. When introducing new foods, offer both foods at a time.

[maryeleek]

Well, I think it is wild Butterfly weed. It is blooming and has the typical milkweed blossom and looks like the flower on the Butterfly Weed seed packet. The leaves look pretty much like the tropical but aren't as smooth.

One of them took a nibble off of one leaf but all three in this container are just crawling all over but not eating.

How long should I attempt my experiment before I return them to the tropical milkweed?

Mary

[Mona Miller]

They don't like butterfly weed too much. They'd probably go for swamp or common. Common grows all over the place. I see it often when I am zooming down the highways.

[drexel.n@gmail]

I've found that it's the spring cats that like the butterfly weed. It's still soft then. As the summer has progressed the leaves have become tough and none of my summer cats liked it. They love common, but I don't have much. Their main diet is swamp as it's my biggest plant. They just inhale it! Good luck feeding!

Nancy

[skates4marty]

Here's a link for dogbane vs milkweed:
http://www.monarchwatch.org/milkweed/guide/apocy.htm
"This plant is frequently mistaken for milkweed because of its milky sap and general similarity to Asclepias syriaca, especially in early spring. Although Monarch larvae will take a few nibbles of Apocynum leaves, they are unable to continue feeding on the plant and invariably die."

[BlizzardNole]

I ran into a problem with running out of my tropical milkweed but found a nice source of common MW with the help of a county park person. Maybe you can try that? I also learned on here that you can refrigerate common MW leaves and they last a while. I'm trying that now (with my source a good 20 minute drive).

Next year I am going to grow tons of tropicals including dozens in pots.

[skates4marty]

I've found that it's the spring cats that like the butterfly weed. It's still soft then. As the summer has progressed the leaves have become tough and none of my summer cats liked it.

Nancy: Last year I cut down a lot of my A tuberosa because it was riddled with a stem boring insect. It grew back fresh and tender for the August rush. I am going to do that every year.

[maryeleek]

I ran into a problem with running out of my tropical milkweed but found a nice source of common MW with the help of a county park person. Maybe you can try that? I also learned on here that you can refrigerate common MW leaves and they last a while. I'm trying that now (with my source a good 20 minute drive).

Next year I am going to grow tons of tropicals including dozens in pots.

I will see if I can locate someone from the Parks dept that might be able to steer me to a local source. I've asked the local gardening community but so far, no one knows of a local source. I did locate a retail nursery that has a tray of 32 starts about 8 inches tall and she will sell me any or all if I'll drive up for them (1.5 hr drive each way) so I'm going up tomorrow and pick up those starts. I know it won't be much once the little cats get to the piggy stage but all of it will help. She also said I could have some leaves from her personal milkweed plant so that will get me another day or two of feeding or maybe more if the leaves can be maintained in the fridge crisper.

I, too, plan to plant plenty for next year so I won't be caught in this bind again. I've got various Milkweed seeds in the fridge right now and hope to try and get some germination in November. I will also try the winter sowing method. Maybe between the two methods of planting, I'll get some to germinate. I did recently purchase 5 perennial milkweed by mail order but of course, they are small and wouldn't last an hour of feeding but I hope to get them established this fall so I'll have a jump on springtime growing.

Mama Monarch's are still visiting and leaving eggs! There must be very little milkweed in my area. I plan to change that for next year, for sure!

My thanks for all the helpful comments. I'm so glad I found this forum.

Mary

[skates4marty]

Mary: Do you, or does a local friend, belong to Freecycle? You could post "WANTED: Milkweed." In the body of the message, explain your predicament. Note that it has to be chemical-free milkweed. You might get someone who has it on their property or knows where some grows. http://www.freecycle.org. There is a group for Little Rock Metro area.

[maryeleek]

Mary: Do you, or does a local friend, belong to Freecycle? You could post "WANTED: Milkweed." In the body of the message, explain your predicament. Note that it has to be chemical-free milkweed. You might get someone who has it on their property or knows where some grows. http://www.freecycle.org. There is a group for Little Rock Metro area.

Excellent idea, I'll give that a try.

Mary

[Mona Miller]

Wonder if Craigs list would work?

[skates4marty]

Craigslist is worth a try, but she may not get as many eyeballs in as short time as on Freecycle. With Freecycle, local members get an e-mail every time someone posts, or members can sign up for a summary, which in my area comes as 25 or so messages once or twice a day (depending on activity level). People can skim the listings quickly. In my area, people will sometimes post excess plants they are willing to share, although that is not really the goal of Freecycle --- it's to keep things out of the landfill. For example, it is a great way to get rid of extra house paint. I listed "Half gallon medium blue interior paint, satin finish, can is leaking" and got 2 takers within a half hour. But with Freecycle, you have to apply to be in the group and wait to be approved, based on where you live. They won't approve you if you live out of the area, because then you'd be driving far to get stuff, increasing your carbon footprint. Side note: A home-schooling mom listed "WANTED: caterpillar" on my Freecycle in early summer. A friend of mine alerted me to it. I contacted the poster and after some e-mails back and forth (me to gauge her level of dedication), I gave her a cat, showed her where to find milkweed, which had 2 eggs on it. They have released their first, are very excited, and blogged about it.

[maryeleek]

UPDATE:

I made contact with a local butterfly enthusiast via Freecycle (thank you for the helpful suggestion) and he is overloaded but knows of a couple of school programs who have butterfly gardens that might help foster some of the little cats. To date, I cannot locate enough milkweed to feed all of them through to adulthood. I feel so badly.

And to top things off ..... the orange Butterfly weed that was so tough the little cats wouldn't eat it, well, I put it in a vase of water and set on my deck to enjoy as a bouquet and lo and behold, there are little cats all over it and they're eating it. Maybe because they were born on it or maybe because, after sitting in the water for a few days, the leaves have taken up more moisture and are less leathery. Don't know but at least for now, they have food.

What an experience all of this has become. Next year will see many, many milkweed plants growing in my beds, so I don't get into this bind again and can maybe also offer help if other new enthusiasts get in a food shortage.

Mary

[Mona Miller]

Grow some tropical milkweed. It is so much easier to grow and last well into the fall.

Johnny's Select Seeds has a good variety.
http://www.johnnyseeds.com/catalog/sear ... =asclepias

I start them in flats in the early spring and then plant them out after frost.

[maryeleek]

Mona,

I did plant and grow Tropical Milkweed, just not enough!

Mary

[Mona Miller]

I used those large round plastic tubs this year. Holes in the bottom for drainage. I put about 6 inches of pine bark in the bottom and then some Sta-Green Potting Soil with Soil Moist in the top. I planted my seedlings in these. Now, I have loads of milkweed--first time in my whole life I can say that.

[maryeleek]

Can we all come to your house.

Sounds like a great way to grow Milkweed. I ordered 84 starts of the perennial Swamp Milkweed and have seed for the tropical so I hope next year will be better for their food source. I'm a nervous wreck trying to locate milkweed this year.

Mary

[sbannister]

I have mostly Tropical milkweed in my garden. I read this in the forums and tried it this year very successfully: You can propigate it by cuttings! So, when I trimmed mine back this year I stuck all the stems into pots I have saved from buying plants at nurseries with potting soil and they rooted and are sprouting leaves. It is easy and inexpensive. You can also put them in water and they will make roots, then plant them in the garden.

[Mona Miller]

Wish I lived in a warmer climate. My tropical gets killed in the fall. I have to start over each year. Sometimes, it will seed from the year before. Some people successfully carry it over inside. The aphids are such a mess that they won't let my winter over.