Trying to grow Common Milkweed in North Texas

[Hunter94]

A few years ago, I got common milkweed seeds for my ninth birthday and planted them in my butterfly garden. The plants come back every year, but they have never bloomed. I have tried growing them in pots and in the ground. Do any of you have an idea to help my common milkweed bloom?

[Mona Miller]

Common milkweed would take at least three years to bloom from seed.

http://www.texasento.net/dplex.htm
If I were you I'd plant more native species, they give the Monarch more protection than the common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca). The above website is Monarch Watch for Texas. Lots of information on milkweeds and other things related to Monarchs in Texas.

[Hunter94]

Thank you Mona (this is Hunter's dad). He has a number of native species but "fell in love" with common milkweed in Virginia (we lived in Herndon - Hunter was born in Fairfax County Hospital!).

Anyway, thank you for the quick reply - Hunter loves his butterfly garden and is excited to find other people with his same passion.

[Mona Miller]

http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=ASSY
Actually it is listed as being native to Texas. There is another variety Asclepias speciosa, showy milkweed that is similar to the common.

http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?sym ... 04_avp.jpg
Asclepias speciosa.

http://www.scienceviews.com/plants/commonmilkweed.html
"Establishment
Adaptation: Common milkweed grows in sandy, clayey, or rocky calcareous soils. It occurs along the banks or flood plains of lakes, ponds, and waterways, in prairies, forest margins, roadsides, and waste places. This species hybridizes with showy milkweed (Asclepias speciosa).

Common milkweed is easily propagated by both seed and rhizome cuttings. Both seedlings and cuttings will usually bloom in their second year, although cuttings will occasionally bloom during their first year...."
(Note: Lots of information on the above website about common milkweed.)

[Paul Cherubini]

Do any of you have an idea to help my common milkweed bloom?

Takes about 3 years before it will bloom. And during the first three years it's helpful to give it some general fertilizer like MiracleGro and enough water in the hot summer months to prevent it from becoming water stressed.

I've grown common milkweed (A. syriaca) here in my yard near Sacramento, California from seeds I collected in eastern Kansas. The plants eventually grew to be 7 feet tall thanks to the MiracleGro fertilizer!

The common milkweed also likes a somewhat loose, well drained soil. So rototilling the soil (if your soil is clay) before planting the seed is helpful.

[Mona Miller]

If you have clay soil, then add some compost or mulch with some shredded hardwood (but don't put the hardwood closer than 10 feet away from the house--termites love hardwood).

I've been using a product called 'Osmocote'. It is a continuous fertilizer and fertilizes each time you water. I also use 'Soil Moist' a product which captures water and saves it for the plant.

http://www.scotts.com/smg/brand/osmocot ... anding.jsp
Osmocote

http://www.soilmoist.com/index.php
Soil moist. It can be placed in the planting hole, but make sure you place it beneath the soil. When it expands, it can push out of the soil. I fill pots with potting soil half way and then place a tiny pinch in the middle. No more is needed.

I also use a potting soil that has both fertilizer and soil moist called Sta-green with soil moist:
http://www.sta-green.com/ProductCategor ... PottingMix

http://www.scotts.com/smg/catalog/produ ... d=cat50006
Another good product is Miracle Grow Gardening Soil. This can be used as an amendment to the clay soil.