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#11 |
Heron
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Michigan/detroit
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I started Common Milkweed from seeds in yogurt cups under shop lights. They were spindly little things that I planted a little deeper hoping that if it works with Tomatoes it will work with the Milkweed. Pretty rich glacial clay that drains well. You'll have good results treating them just like Tomatoes. Of course they aren't going to flower this year and are still putting down roots and while they are less than a foot tall today I saw the first Caterpillar about 2 inches long. So in less than 6 weeks the Cats went from egg to mature Cat. I saw it on the Sidewalk and assumed it was looking for somewhere to Morph so I picked it up with a small piece of wood and moved it to the pussy willows figuring that was safer than the sidewalk. Always use a stick to move Monarch Cats because as soon as they are touched they extend two tubes full of nasty that will stain your hands and might burn for a little while. At this rate I'm hoping for 2 cycles this year.
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Prairie Plants ![]() First year they sleep ![]() Second year they creep ![]() Third year they leap; So plant some today ![]() |
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#12 |
WG Facebook Administrator
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Lyme, NH
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I have tons of swamp milkweed (maybe not literally - quite), but I still have never seen a monarch cat! I've seen plenty of adults flying around; the first one of the season was about a week ago. Not sure what the problem is, but my best guess is that the European paper wasps, which are very abundant here, eat the eggs or kill the cats.
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"I take the part of the trees as against all their enemies." -J.R.R. Tolkien |
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#13 | |
Great Horned Owl
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Northeastern MA
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Was not a somewhat similar solution practiced (and continued) with the declining bluebird problem. We built them houses, artificially protected them from the transgressing alien species, and even often supplied them with an artificial food source when we purchased mealworms for them?
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"Know thyself." Oracle at Delphi |
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#14 |
Offical Silphium Abuser
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Southeast Ohio
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Dapjwy, my happiest incarnata (three of them!) are growing in partial shade in an area with pine root competition, so one never knows about an individual plant. I've put some in an area with decent soil that gets more water, so we'll see how they do.
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#15 |
Offical Silphium Abuser
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Southeast Ohio
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Sprucetree, thanks for the tip about caterpillar-wrangling.
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#16 |
WG Fundraising Coordinator
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Kentucky
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I also haven't noticed any monarch eggs or cats on any of the three species of milkweed we have this year yet. On the other hand I've only seen a few adults flying around. This spring I added over a dozen swamp milkweeds. I had many cats on just the three I had last year so I wanted to keep them happy. It wasn't until late fall that they started showing up so maybe that will happen again this year.
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#17 | |
WG Hospitality & UAOKA recipient
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Pennsylvania
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![]() Mine seem happy where I placed them...and, eventually if I get the lower pond dug some day (as well as the upper streambed tubs), they will look great as part of the backdrop to the pond. I think of them being in full sun where they are, but the probably get a good bit of dappled shade as well.
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"If suburbia were landscaped with meadows, prairies, thickets or forests, or combinations of these, then the water would sparkle, fish would be good to eat again, birds would sing and human spirits would soar." ~ Lorrie Otto ~ A Native Backyard Blog ~ |
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Tags |
butterflies, decline, mexico, migratory, monarch, overwintering, phenomenon, risk |
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