Thank you for sharing all that interesting information. I wonder if cutting back milk weed here in New Jersey also be a good idea.
Liz

Thanks for the Info. Stupid question what is ELF?
Something must be happening right in South La. This is the fisrt year I have had monarchs in my garden every month . Some months they are here everyday. I can't keep enough milkweed for them. I bought some plants at lowes yesterday and they were full of healthy cats. This is the third time I buy plants @ $6.94 each. x 9 plants(total). So far I raised and released about 20 Monarchs on 9 plants. soooo about $ 3.12 per monarch, I must be crazy :-). And I'm at 90+ raised and released for the year.

Liz, I am not sure of the answer. She said that the ELF (Egg Laying Female) Monarchs will tend to avoid laying on old leathery Common Milkweed leaves, and that does make sense to me. I don't normally see Monarchs here in NW GA until August, so the cutting back in June makes sense down here, but probably not where you are.
There are no stupid questions addict! It is so wonderful to hear of your wild success with rearing. Thank you so much for doing that for the Monarchs.
Angie

Angie, thanks for posting this...1,5, & 6 were surprising!

I think for #15, a better way to word it for the forum would be to "cut it back after it flowers". I cut mine back in July (in Minnesota) and got more eggs on the fresh leaves.

Tony

Thanks for the info, I knew a lot but not all that you posted. I have been cutting milkweed back for some time, including the A. curassavica, after realizing that the ELFs and little cats prefer the tender fresh shoots. They also seem to like young plants.

There is a field about 1 mile away that I call the "milkweed field" - has lots of Asclepias syriaca growing throughout. This pasture is hayed in late June or July, and you should see the beautiful milkweed that grows up after mowing. It is in flood plain and is a moist field so that helps. This is where I (usually) get extra cuttings for the Monarchs - but there haven't been any Monarchs this year!

Thanks Tony. She didn't specifically say that, and I tried to post strictly what she did say. After the flowering does makes sense. This helps with Liz's question about cutting back milkweed in New Jersey. If you guys in zone 5 are cutting it back, then she should be good to do it in zone 7, right?
Angie

great notes, angie!!
didn't she say cutting them back also helped w/ aphids? i thought it was interesting that the ants that 'mine/farm' the aphids will kill the cats to ensure the aphids do well! and that the male monarch has been known to 'chase' hummingbirds b/c he is so macho and territorial!!
it was an amazing lecture, and i've been scouring the roadsides between rocky face and cleveland, and sand mtn, al looking for m.w.!! lol

Well dadgum Lena. If I had known you were going, we could have certainly met in person and sat together. I really did enjoy the lecture. Wanda was obviously so in love with the Monarchs. Her enthusiasm was contagious. I was also able to connect with the ladies from the Wild Ones, and I am considering joining them in their organization. I asked Wanda for a piece of that milkweed vine that she had brought with her. I brought it home and am trying to root it in both water and soil. Wanda said that she doesn't think it will root. Me, being the Little Engine that Could, decided to try anyway!
Angie

This summer I had to cut back my milkweed while it was flowering as I had too many caterpillars to feed. It is now lush and full of new flowers. So it doesn't matter when you trim it, it will come back better than ever.

she was amazing! after i left i thought to myself that i should have asked for a cutting!! hopefully it will root! then you can share! lol
i'll probably join the wild ones. they seem like a good group of peeps!
i have been scouring the back roads looking for milkweed, and evidently i haven't found any :( i thought i had, but someone on the natives site id'd them all as something else.
HOWEVER, i think i found some in the ditch by my driveway, but it is really short, and it was getting dark, so the flash on the camera didn't allow for a good pic... what do you think? (the last 4 pics of the album are the ones i'm wondering about)

Here is a link that might be useful: facebook album of roadside gems

Lena,

I checked out your photos, and yes, you have milkweed. It looks like what is called Comet Milkweed. That is so exciting to find milkweed in the ditch by your driveway.

Sandy

thanks, sandy! i was down at that part of the property about to stake off where i want to install my 'native garden' and noticed it! i could have sworn i saw a seed pod, but when i got back from getting my camera it was dark and i couldn't locate it... i'll look again tomorrow. at least now i know what to look for!!
i just think it is so funny that i have literally spent hours cruising around these back roads and didn't find any (probably overlooked a lot), but found some at home :)

Lenahall,
If you want to grow more milkweed at home, there is an adopt a newbie milkweed project over on the seed exchange forum. You sign up and someone from your climate zone will adopt you and send you milkweed seeds and instructions on how to grow them. Or you could ask for donations here. I will have seeds of common milkweed and swamp milkweed in a little while. They are taking forever to ripen. I may even get some tuberosa, but it's still blooming actively.

Martha

"If you guys in zone 5 are cutting it back, then she should be good to do it in zone 7, right?"

Hi Angie, I would cut back common milkweed anywhere because it gives your milkweed second life...almost all the eggs I got on our common from mid July-early August were on those new leaves...

Sandy, very interesting that yours flowered again! Perhaps you could cut some of your plants back early every year so you could have 2 bloom periods for your common.....hmmmmmmmmmmm

i may have seen a monarch today fluttering over a field filled w/ purple, yellow, pink and white flowers!! i had pulled over on the side of the road doing my daily ditch dance, looking for milkweed and saw what looked to be one :) an electric fence and waist high 'weeds' were all that kept me from trying to get closer!
a girl can dream!! :)

i may have seen a monarch today fluttering over a field filled w/ purple, yellow, pink and white flowers!! i had pulled over on the side of the road doing my daily ditch dance, looking for milkweed and saw what looked to be one :) an electric fence and waist high 'weeds' were all that kept me from trying to get closer!
a girl can dream!! :)

Hey Lena, It looks to me like all of these Milkweed vine cuttings are going to make it. I will be most happy to share with you if they do. I can't recall what the specific name of the vine is though. Do you remember what Wanda said?
Angie

i believe it was 'blue' something?
that's great that they are doing well!!! maybe i could come visit your garden next week sometime? since this is a short work week i may not have time, but will definitely have time next wk :)

I would love to have you come visit Lena. There isn't much garden to see though. Only lots of Hummingbirds and Butterfly bushes to see, and I do have Spicebush cats, Sleepy orange cats, and Cloudless Sulphur cats, and Black SWT eggs right now.
Angie

angie - sorry i have been incommunicado! lol
are you aware of the certificate in native plants that the tn valley chapter of the wild ones is offering w/ the chattanooga nature center/ reflection riding? here is a link to the info. there in an informational reception this tues at 6 @ reflection riding...
ALSO how is the milkweed vine doing?

Here is a link that might be useful: cnp reflection riding