Pollinator Container Garden Instructions: Butterfly Weed (asclepias-tuberosa)

Butterfly Weed (Perennial)& Bright Light Cosmos, Zinnias (Annual). 

Choose large plastic container. Place seeds in loose soil,press lightly, cover 1/8 inch, place in sunny location, keeping soil moist. Germination time for milkweed 21 -28 days. As milkweed plant matures pinch inner leaves to promote growth. The milkweed is a host plant for Monarch Butterflies whose offspring need to eat the leaves. Don't worry the leaves grow back quickly. and they spread out, getting bushy.

Butterfly Weed (asclepias-tuberosa) is a perennial that comes back yearly, and it needs to go under cold stratification by overwintering outside. If you want an annual garden use Tropical Milkweed.

Trimming Milkweed

You will want to trim your milkweed early June in order to have tender food for Sept/Oct Monarch caterpillars. The image below depicts the cutting line for Common Milkweed.

I pinch the middle leaves of all milkweed varieties to promote growth throughout the season.

It also helps with aphid control if you pinch the early leaves when they first appear.

Image and instructions courtesy Mona Miller.