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Milkweed is a stunning native wildflower in North America that enriches your garden in many ways and has a unique bond with the delicate monarch butterfly. The reason behind this is that the milkweed provides the king with the necessary nutrition and room to mate. Growing milkweed in our gardens to provide these pests with a critical host plant and food supply is becoming increasingly popular as word of their plight spreads. The number of milkweed plants needed in the United States to protect the monarch butterfly is estimated at 1.8 billion. Although this can lead to root rot and eventual plant death, well-meaning gardeners over-water their milkweed plants during their dormant season.
The loss of their natural habitat and the loss of wild nectar are just two of the many factors that make monarch butterflies an endangered species. For this reason, it is important to plant milkweed and learn how to grow it properly. But it’s important to remember that milkweed is a wild plant and, therefore, behaves more like a weed than a beautiful plant you might pick up at your neighborhood nursery. Most milkweed species do not need much to survive, especially not much water, as they do well in arid environments with poor soils.
Read more: 14 Tips For Growing A Healthy Garden
Don’t Overwater Dormant Milkweed Plants
In the United States, there are over a hundred species of milkweed. The most common is common milkweed, or Asclepias syriaca. Many types of milkweed like sunny, dry conditions and require no soil maintenance. To ensure that the milkweed roots do not become soggy, you may need to amend the soil if it drains poorly and is mostly clay.
Your milkweed plants will go dormant and die throughout the winter. In an effort to speed up the growth of their dormant milkweed, gardeners can make the mistake of overwatering them in the spring. But it is important to remember that they are not usually among the first plants to emerge; Instead, they are usually late spring to early summer bloomers.
Additionally, overwatering can cause root rot, which can kill the plant, as most milkweeds prefer well-drained soil. Generally speaking, you should leave them alone and water them only when the top two inches of soil are completely dry. However, be careful not to overwater the plants. Remember that milkweed behaves the way it is known as a weed, so less is the case.
Other Common Mistakes To Avoid When Planting Milkweed
Although people grow milkweed with the best intentions of attracting monarch butterflies, a few mistakes can have disastrous consequences for both the plant and the butterfly. In addition to over-flooding their butterfly garden, people can mistakenly use butterfly garden with pesticides. However, they are able to eliminate every pollinator that comes into their garden, even monarch butterflies.
Planting non-rooted milkweed is another mistake many gardeners make. Non-native milkweed can negatively impact the health and welfare of monarch butterflies for generations to come. Monarch migration patterns can be disturbed by the tropical milkweed Asclepias currassavica, which is sometimes mislabeled as native milkweed and sold in nurseries.
This is because they trick the butterflies into thinking it’s another breeding season. Tropical milkweed can also harbor a parasite called Ophryocystis elektroscirrha (OE) outside its natural habitat, which can damage the butterfly’s wings and prevent it from migrating. So, for the best benefit of migrating monarchs, if you’re going to plant milkweed, make sure it’s native to your area.
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