#sandhill milkweed

[anipgarden]

Top things I’d do differently if I were to grow sandhill milkweed/pinewoods milkweed/Asclepias humistrata again

1: bigger pot. Would probably start them in a taller pot like a reused solo cup or something.

2: one per pot. Maximum space for each plant no crowding.

3: transplant them earlier on. Or just start them directly in the ground. I now have EVIDENCE that they grow faster in the root department than they do in the stem height department and probably need to be in the ground by the time they’re 2 inches tall. Or even an inch and a half.

4: decide where I’m putting them early and keep it weeded until they’re ready. Part of the reason I delayed transplanting them was having no clue where the hell I wanted to put them and being too lazy to weed.

With that being said, things I think I did right.

1: My soil mix. I took potting soil and added perlite, mixed them together, then planted the seeds. From what I can tell it held enough water to be Reasonable while still staying dry enough for the milkweeds to be happy.

2: time I started them. Which was February 17th. Here in FL its just getting warm enough around then, and I think giving them an early start would be helpful in ensuring their longevity if I actually transplanted them in a timely manner.

Will almost definitely be buying more seeds and trying again.

[anipgarden]

A Brief Glimpse at Sandhill Milkweed Roots

Aka someone or something knocked over my sandhill milkweed seedlings!!!!

May whoever or whatever did this feel a modicum of guilt!

Though it did honestly provide an interesting opportunity. Fortunately none of my milkweed seedlings fell out of their pots entirely, though the soil around them was loose enough that I could see the beginnings of their tap root. I decided, before I topped off with potting soil, to take a closer look at one.

Look at how thick it is! Compared to its own stem, even! I knew they grew taproots, but dang! Sandhill milkweed is reported to grow tap roots as deep as 12 inches long, and it’s extremely clear that this growth habit starts early on.

Spent all this time trying to decide if they were growing too big for their pots or just grew slow, and I think I may have my answer…

Seems I should plan on transplanting sooner rather than later. They still seem so tiny though…

[anipgarden]

*cracks knuckles* Hey everyone!

Lately I've been trying to find information about Sandhill Milkweed, a type of milkweed native to quite a few states in the Southeast region. It's ended up being trickier than I would like, since not a lot of people seem to talk about it or even acknowledge it's existence. Well, it's time to acknowledge it's existence!

Sandhill Milkweed (Asclepias humistrata), also known as Pinewoods Milkweed, is a gorgeous specimen of the Asclepias family that's an excellent host for Monarch and Queen butterflies, thrives in dry soils, and might be the perfect addition to your garden! And I have compiled all of the information I've learned about it into this helpful Google Doc, so you can learn all about it!

This isn't a formal research paper or anything, this is just something I spent way too much time on a few days ago, but I'll be adding to it as people ask questions and I find answers! Feel free to leave comments, or links to more information!

Open your heart and let this funky milkweed in!

[anipgarden]

Why are native milkweed seeds so goddamn EXPENSIVE!

I'm not even talking like 'oh this is a pack of seeds for like 5 dollars' I'm talking 'why are you selling ten seeds for $9.75. Why is THIS person selling 5 seeds for $38.06 with $4 added in shipping?!'

Like, either I'm missing something and Sandhill Milkweed is way harder to grow and way less prolific than info websites are making it sound, or I am only finding the people trying to make big bucks off of milkweed seeds.

In other news, if anyone has sandhill milkweed seeds. Hit me up. Or, hell, I'll hit you up.

I'm trying to grow native milkweed in my garden, and trying to wean my neighbor off tropical milkweed now that she's getting a good grip on gardening, but the dirt in our backyards is. Pretty sandy. So I think this might be the best fit but god it's hard to find for a decent price.