milkweed for the monarchs
last year my roommate and i raised monarch caterpillars and released them when they grew into butterflies. they are going extinct because the only food they eat (milkweed) has been deemed unsightly and weeded out of nature. we foraged for milk weed last year but i want to raise more and have a sustainable food source -- it was sometimes hard to get enough milkweed just walking around looking for it, they eat so much so quick!! i'm growing milkweed this year to see if i can make enough to raise some hungry hungry caterpillars.
to get started, i put the seedlings in moist paper towels and kept them in the fridge for 5 weeks (this is a process called cold stratification). this is what they looked like when i finally took them out!
then i took a plastic jug, cut it in half, and soldered drainage holes into the bottom. after that, i filled the bottom jug with a couple inches of soil and sowed the seeds.
once everybody was tucked in, i taped the top of the jug back on and sealed any cracks. i'll keep these guys in here for a bit longer so their roots can strengthen and then i'll transport them into little garden beds. i can't wait to see how they look in the next couple weeks :D