Hi Jill, Seed pods normally indicate that the plant has been cross-pollinated or perhaps self-pollinated. Not all seed pods contain viable seeds, and among the seeds within each pod there may be a few duds. As a general rule, most pods normally produce 80% or more good seed. Yes, you can plant them right after harvest directly in your garden - not very deep - no more than 1/8 - 1/4 inch, and keep them moist. If you do not plant them immediately, they will need to be kept in the refrigerator. Many of us start our seeds by first placing them in a solution of 1/2 gallon of distilled water to 6 tablespoons of hydrogen peroxide. We put them in small ziplock bags along with some of the solution. (These write-on bags are available at Office Depot, etc.) The seeds are refrigerated for six weeks. They are then placed still in their bags in a bowl full of solution (in case of leakage). We place them inside a dark closet, and seeds can start germinating usually within 4 days or so. Check them daily after that. Once you see the white root sprouting, they need to be planted. We then plant them in Dixie plastic cups or styrofoam cups - anywhere from the 12 oz to the 20 oz size. (Holes are punched in the bottom and along the sides at the bottom.) We fill the cups with well-moistened potting soil. We make a small depression with the rubber eraser end of a pencil and place the seed, covering it lightly with potting soil or fine vermiculite. Place these cups in an aluminum roasting pan with water about half way up. Slip a sandwich baggie over the top and wait for them to show green shoots - usually a ninimum of four days but others take much longer. Remove the baggie, and you can then place them in a protected area outside. They must remain in the aluminum pans so they do not dry out. Change water every 3-4 days. Once the seedlings develop their second set of leaves, you can begin fertilizing them by filling the pans with a weak solution of fertilizer/water. I use 1 small cap of Schult'z Expert Plant Food (1/2 strength) but any good soluble fertilizer would be fine. They are later transplanted to the garden or pots. Seed pods are harvested once they turn brown and just begin to split open. Watch them carefully so they don't open too much and spill all the seeds. Place them in small paper Dixie cups for 4 days, allowing them to air-dry. You can either plant them immediately or store them in zip bags in the refrigerator until you are ready to begin planting them. You can produce seed pods by cross-pollinating your blooming flowers. You can also harvest the pollen, freeze it and it will be good for years to come. I'd stick with just one seed pod per scape so you don't overwhelm the plant. Pollination should be carried out in the morning if possible, once the anthers release their pollen and it becomes fluffy. You can simply remove a stamen with the anther and dab the pollen on the pistil (the tall white stem inside the flower). I'm writing this in a hurry, because it hasn't rained for weeks on end and I'm having to water. If I've left out any important details, maybe someone else at the forum can add them. Nancy

Just what you stated,"wait till the seed pods are dry and cracking open" will do it. Don't have a for sure answer for your other question, I don't think there are males and females. Maybe for some reason the insects preferred the one milkweed over the others, hence it was pollinated more thoroughly. Who knows? If you love this Asclepias, you should check out some of the other species if you haven't all ready. I grow many different ones on my property and would NEVER do without. An absolute must for a butterfly garden. In my experience, not only do they attract Monarchs and other butterflies; they are also a magnet for many other pollinators as well. When they are in full flower, I have a regular bug soap opera out there! Here is a link that might be useful: Great Lake Gardens

I moved some of mine in July but should have waited because a lot of them did not make it. Crown rot, I did not plant too deep,I think it was too early and too hot. May have suffered heat stress, maybe I watered too often. I am fighting NUTGRASS in my beds (brought a load of dirt and it was loaded with the stuff) I thought I was helping the dls by unchocking them,then the temperature went into the 90's and stayed there. I should have potted up the moved plants_but they were healthy, other than the nutgrass. I lost: Chris Salter Emperors Dragon Becky Lynn Valley Isle and a couple more. I may try to replace the ones I've lost,not sure yet.

Oh geesh... I have a whole bunch harvested from last fall. I already have a HUGE pot ghetto, with no bed ready to plant. BUT... I don't think I can help myself! I have to start some of my seeds!! **For sure planting: Toothy Grin x Red Friday (bought) Unvanquished x Lucid Moment Ballerina Beautiful x Blue Hippo Velvet Eyes x Blue Hippo G.W. Painted Pony x Bluegrass Music G.W. Painted Pony x Heaven's Declaring (Seedling)Popping Pink Pizzaz x Blue Hippo Unvanquished x Bluegrass Music South Seas seedling x Magnificent Magpie (gift) Inquire Within Seedling x English Lavender (bought) Caribbean Twilight Time x G.W. Painted Pony Vino Brillante x Lucid Moment Pink Flirt x Emma Tomlinson McHugh Popcorn Pete x Awesome Artist Garden Greeting x Heaven's Declaring Hi Ho Silver x Bluegrass Music Crystal Sea x Topgun Kathy Arthur **I guess I have to plant these, they are sprouting in the bag: West Coast Blues x Clown's Cabaret Velvet Eyes x Mildred Mitchell How Sweet It Is x Create Your Dream Neusa Gergmann x Barn Owl Palladian Pink x Blue Hippo (these are super long rooted already!) Seedling 002 x Heavens Declaring (has leaves sprouting in the bag!) Spacecoast Surprise Purple x Clowns Cabaret Create Your Dream x Heaven's Declaring West Coast Blues x Blue Hippo OH MAN! I am in trouble... where to put all of these??? And that is only perhaps 10% of what I have. Hmm... maybe time to sell seeds! :o)