cold stratification of milkweed seeds

10 years ago

what methods have worked the best when cold stratifying mw seeds? or should i say what method of planting has worked best?
thanks.

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Comments (6)

docmom_gw
10 years ago
I always wintersow my milkweed seeds. That way, I know my success rate and can choose my planting sites accordingly. This year I plan to increase my milkweed plantings by at least a magnitude of ten. I hope to have plenty of spare plants to donate/gift to anyone with a patch of dirt to spare. I'm also growing extra native pollen-producing plants for my yard and others.

Check out the wintersowing forum, if you haven't already. Results are nearly foolproof.

Martha
lenahall
Original Author
10 years ago
thank you martha :) i found a thread titled : ctnchpr's Asclepias variegata Seed recipients. just about everyone on there had a different method! i'm just afraid of doing it incorrectly and wasting the seeds :( i have common and tuberosa seeds -
thanks again.
lena
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Thank you Tommy, the 6 weeks that you suggested seems to be a good working time frame. This time through was only the germination test. I have a 1000 more seed that I just bagged up and will be leaving in the fridge over the next 6 weeks. This will give me a little time to learn how to keep them alive in the meantime. That is going to be the real challenge. I will post an update on these little ones soon. They seem to be really slow growers so it may be a while before there is anything visually noticeable to report. Tracy
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From what I read around the internet, it makes the Monarchs stay because they have food in the winter time. Here are some pros and cons, http://monarchbutterflygarden.net/is-tropical-milkweed-killing-monarch-butterflies/. I don't know if I have the patience or the time to put the seeds in the freezer for 2 or more months. I probably can do the 2 weeks. I have some tropical planted now, about 1 to 2 inches, and I bought some at HomeDepo and Galloway, but for the amount of Monarchs I get, the 10 plants I got is not going to be enough. I also got 1 big and 2 medium of the swan milkweed, which they eat already, and a giant milkweed that's not too big now. The tropical milkweed we just throw in soil and it comes up, never did anything to it. Now I'm reading the directions on the back of some seeds I bought, it says, soak seeds in hot water for 24 hours, then sow seeds on soil surface at 70f and water. That I can do now, need to have more seedlings going. every time I go get a plant, it's 4 to 5 dollars each for smaller ones, and more if they're bigger ones. The swan milkweed I got seeds, and the instructions are the same. Going to put them in water now.
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hortster
10 years ago
I think it is a matter of WWND? What would nature do? Winter sowing has worked excellently for my A. tuberosa. Don't know about docmom's success rates but with the plethora of seeds winter sowing has worked for me.
In middle December I planted a bunch of A. asperula received from another on this forum. I expect them to do well. If not I will return to this thread...

hortster
ericwi
10 years ago
I have cold stratified A. tuberosa by mixing the seeds with some damp dirt, and keeping the bag on an outdoor porch, on the north side of our house, here in Madison, Wisconsin. I planted them in late March/early April, and it seemed to take them forever to germinate, but eventually, most of them did. Some of the seeds did not germinate until late June/early July. Recalcitrant seeds?
lenahall
Original Author
10 years ago
hortster, i followed your suggestion and planted the seeds in the seedbed. since then it has rained about 8 inches (hopefully they didn't wash away!), snowed and was the coldest it has been in our part of ga in 18 years, warmed up to the mid 60s, then snowed about a foot... supposed to be in high 60s next week... we shall see what comes up!
Mary Leek
10 years ago
ericwi,

For the milkweed varieties that I grow, the A tuberosa is about the last of the milkweed to sprout in the spring, so it may be a common trait of this plant. Might need a bit more warmth than most milkweed.

Mary

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cold stratification of milkweed seeds

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docmom_gw

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cold stratification of milkweed seeds

Comments (6)

docmom_gw

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hortster

ericwi

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Mary Leek

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lenahall
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