Q&A - Why is my milkweed not growing?
Question:
I am trying to grow milkweed, but have not had much success. This year I planted three kinds in flats. Only the swamp milkweed germinated. Why is my milkweed not growing? What went wrong? Also, when should I put them in the ground, and will they come back every year?
Answer:
Milkweed should be planted/transplanted in the spring. It is a perennial and will come back every year but the plant will need all year to prepare for the coming winter. Milkweed planted in the fall will likely not survive the winter. Why they did not all come up may be due to many other reasons. It is possible the seeds were not scarified by keeping them in a cold place. If they were kept warm all they will not sprout. Milkweed seeds need to go through a chilling period before germination. The swamp milkweed sprouted but the other did not so it could also be the seeds were kept too wet or too dry.
Related Resources:
Rain Garden Plants: Asclepias tuberosa - Butterfly Milkweed
A Milkweed Patch for Monarch Butterflies
Butterfly Milkweed/Pleurisy Root
I am trying to grow milkweed, but have not had much success. This year I planted three kinds in flats. Only the swamp milkweed germinated. Why is my milkweed not growing? What went wrong? Also, when should I put them in the ground, and will they come back every year?
Answer:
Milkweed should be planted/transplanted in the spring. It is a perennial and will come back every year but the plant will need all year to prepare for the coming winter. Milkweed planted in the fall will likely not survive the winter. Why they did not all come up may be due to many other reasons. It is possible the seeds were not scarified by keeping them in a cold place. If they were kept warm all they will not sprout. Milkweed seeds need to go through a chilling period before germination. The swamp milkweed sprouted but the other did not so it could also be the seeds were kept too wet or too dry.
Related Resources:
Rain Garden Plants: Asclepias tuberosa - Butterfly Milkweed
A Milkweed Patch for Monarch Butterflies
Butterfly Milkweed/Pleurisy Root