@HenhousetheRed It all depends on the species. For milkweeds, your target is 1 plant per container. For grasses and sedge, multiple plants are fine. The key is to growing them to a point where you don't mind ripping them apart. These Asclepias can have damaged roots and still be fine afterwards. It allowed us to germ hundreds of plant per tray, instead of 92 maximum as per the cells. Our targets for production were often thousands or tens of thousands! You can get an air seeder for trays to prevent more work dividing, but our time dividing is minimal. Typically, we'd dump all the seedlings into a workbench, then pull apart and plant from there. Easily could have several thousand done and laid out in a matter of hours.

No. I forget how long it took to get from seed to flowering, probably 4 months? But you allow them to flower freely and compete their growth cycle, there's negligible energy saved from doing that. Now, of you had pods starting and your plant is small: then I'd clip pods off until plants can easily sustain them.

@@patrickmahon524 okay, got it! Thank you so so for your time!

Tuberosa...

No. But bottom watering is helpful to prevent the accumulation of unwanted salts and dissolved solids that may cause things like nutrient lockout. It also gets the roots to venture deeper, which can help avoid creating disease-loving conditions from a substrate that never dries out on the bottom. However, on Swamp Milkweed it doesn't matter much. It just loves moisture. Humistrata is very rot prone, and Asc. tuberosa ssp. tuberosa can also rot. The more aquatic-loving Asc. tuberosa ssp. interior tolerates more moisture and poor-draining strata like clay. There's also Asc. tuberosa ssp. rolfsii, which seems to create very long lateral root systems in sand.

If I recall, I germed very wet on 75F degree heat mat, transplanted from deep cell plug (38 DCP) to a 5gal plastic pot. Bottom lined with rock, and like 80% sand 20% peat moss mixture, topped with sand. Worked well. In 8 months from seed, Asc. humistrata bloomed!

@@patrickmahon524 I'll definitely share this with my local native nurseries here in Florida. It's an incredibly valuable species here because it's the first milkweed to come back after winter. Thank you!

@TheDeftZeppelin I had tried to work with some of the FL nurseries and the FL Native Plant Society to help cultivate and produce seed for many of these obscure Milkweed. The only thing we couldn't get: was germplasm. Nobody would share or sell. We successfully cultivated over 36 species of Asclepias (not to mention working with several endangered species projects), but for some reason couldn't be trusted with the other FL milkweed seed?

I can't recall, maybe 96 or something cells? Depth will be more important since that initial taproot structure is about 1.5in in height, but you can also see the ability of the taproot exposed above the soil surface still doing fine, where ambient moisture (misting) will prove to be essential in sustaining seedlings in that size tray.

It is both species dependent and also how far you want to challenge the paradigm. Asc. tuberosa is generally considered not possible to propagate by stem. I personally was able to get a stem to create roots. I do not recall the hormones or quantities I used, but I had lots of material and plenty of room to try. In the end, that rooted branch declined in health and died. Other species, like Asc. perennis, Asc. verticillata, Asc. subverticillata, and Asc. incarnata are easy to prop by stem cuttings.

They come back. I've been watching one clump for 5yrs now. Varies in size, and flower color seems influenced rather than genetic (white to pinks).

That's awesome you found these in Texas! I've only seen them by the thousands in FL where they are more common, and hope to find them in MO and KS at some point. I'm wondering too if you didn't come across the scarcer Calopogon tuberosus var. oklaholmensis. I'm on FB by Pat Mahon (maybe search my name + Calopogon)

Either way will work. Sometimes with aged seed, they may germinate faster than fresh seed that wasn't stratified.

Yes, seems to be a very good choice species for high or low light in Zones 7 and colder! They germinate readily, and seem to grow much like Common Milkweed. They may benefit from moist soils.

@@patrickmahon524 how long does it take for them to flower from seed? I’m thrilled to hear butterfly weed takes two months to bloom from seed if it gets enough moisture!

@@zachduperron8543 I think, like Common Milkweed, it may take a solid year of growing, and 1-2yrs until flowering. There may be no way to shortcut this species to flowering maturity, than like that A. humistrata (which in think was 8mo from seed, 3 growth cycles). I'd recommend early season germination, and then planting out seedlings of 3-4mo of age in a final spot. I'd also bet in a few years when it grows a colony, you can begin to take rhizome cuttings and maybe could document the success on those!

Yeah some southern milkweed species are quite small. Usually it’s best to have multiple plants.

Yeah, down in FL we relied heavily on Asc. curassavica (Tropical Milkweed), but I've played with a couple alternates that could be tried down south. Asc. angustifolia (Arizona Milkweed) Asc. nivea (Caribbean Milkweed)

Shouldn't you use swamp milkweed? I believe that is the native , most tolerant and productive for Florida

Where in Florida are you

@@hillslide Central, between Orlando and Daytona.

A. stenophylla, A. viridiflora, and A. subverticillata can be grown similarly in containers with peat + perlite with added sand. A. subverticillata is unusual in that it seems it can never die: it can be without water for months and grow back, and can be inundated with water and grow profusely. It also is very rhizomatous, forming new growth on adventurous roots out the bottom. Flowers in its first year, unlike A. verticillata. A. hallii was not a strong grower in containers, but was in the same substrate I used for Asc. vestita and A. californica (see other video). A. unicialis I never got seed material of.

It is very unlikely any part of the plant (remnant root leftover or top removed plant) would survive. I've seen a pic of an Asc. tuberosa ssp. rolfsii with a 15ft+ trailing root unearthed, and the plant moved to a new location. It was in FL where they were widening the road.

Asclepias exaltata Poke Milkweed

I'm near the StL area. I will be attempting to overwinter them this year

No. Some lack rhizomes and instead form a taproot. Some lack a taproot and have a simple fibrous root system.

Yes, definitely. You ideally want to shoot for a single plant per pot. These easily pull apart from each other.

So it just depends, it's not an uncommon issue in many Milkweed species. Many of the big upright species (like Asc. sullivantii, or Asc. viridis) may not be very upright as a seedling. On some species, it may be due to the conditions in which it is grown in, such as indoors and in a greenhouse. Herbaceous plants have a cuticle layer, which can be weak if grown indoors or in a sheltered controlled environment (like a greenhouse). To ensure your plants are tough enough to face the outdoors, it is nearly imperative to do what's called, "hardening off". This can take a little time getting the plants acclimated, but will ensure that they don't melt or die when transplanted. Another cause of not-so-upright seedlings can be from poor lighting, causing etiolation. For Butterfly Milkweed (Asc. tuberosa), there exist 2 readily available subspecies to the public: Asc. tuberosa ssp. tuberosa, and Asc. tuberosa ssp. interior. If you are growing Butterfly Milkweed, it could be because it's 'ssp. tuberosa'. The 'ssp. interior' seems to be prevalent in wetter areas in the south, and is the predominant subspecies in Missouri and parts of the Midwest. Knowing which subspecies you have can give you GREAT benefit in knowing where and how to grow them. The 'ssp. interior' is a superior subspecies in that it will tolerate poor clay soils, wetter substrates, and is easily identified by the rise of stems from the ground, topped with several branched terminal umbels of flowers. The 'ssp. tuberosa' likes drier conditions, favoring fast-draining substrates, and is identified by many arched stems with axillary umbels (blooming successively at axils). This subspecies will typically hug the ground, and can easily form a shrubby form. Sometimes, the main stem will form additional branching. Probably more than what you bargained for, but many who don't have success with Butterfly Milkweed often find that the wrong subspecies was purchased, and does not perform in the conditions they plant them.

I'd suggest a grittier sand like play sand, it seems to be more realistical to what plants experience in situ, and retains enough moisture. Right now they are dormant, they have grown considerable roots and will try to remember to post update or a pic at least. The growth are NOT getting huge like in nature, but I also think age has something to do with it.

You want to establish your seedlings first. It is really dependent upon size of the root structure rather than the plant. It can take 1mo for seedlings to overcome transplant shock, but it just depends. Perhaps 2mo after transplant you may have a viable plant to put outside.

It’s such a diverse family with even trees in some parts of the world. I love them so much haha

Yeah milkweed is quite diverse, my new favourite is A subulata. It’s easy to grow from seed and does well in sand.

I've tried to correct the Wiki page, but the correction gets deleted. We've gotten Asc. tuberosa from seed to bloom in as little as 2 months from seed, 3 months is average. It must be grown on a mist bench with rootzone heat to get it that fast. Most of the mass-propped Asc. tuberosa we produce though blooms within 6mo from seed.

@@patrickmahon524I was surprised and happy to see that my orange milkweed had a second flush of flowers to probably finish this summer and season! 🎉 I transplanted common milkweed seedlings in a homemade self-watering bucket last year and I was surprised it picked up in 2024! Either due to the plant’s tough resilience and/or that I sheltered it in the shed for the harsh 5a winter. 🤔 It didn’t flower at all in 2024, hopefully in 2025. It also multiplied to ten plants and I fear its standard 5 gallon bucket will get small for that gang. The roots must be a balled mess. That variant is hard to transplant too… That was my cool milkweed story. 😌

3 months. I mention it in the video and in the description for reference.

This is great! Thank You. Many Questions... 1) Are the trays always on a heating pad? 2) Do you cold stratify your seeds 1st? If so, how long? 3) Do you immediately plant the seed or germinate it 1st? (In water or pap towel to see root emerge?). You start in Tray #1, 200 cell. 4) is the seed half buried, sprinkled on top of soil or what? 5) How long until the 1st seed leaves pop up? 6) When deciding to up-pot the plugs, is it based on # of leaves or just 2 months? When you place the plug into Tray #2, 7) what kind of tray is that?, a 4”? 8) Why the intermediate tray, why not just put them into the quart pot? 9) How long do you leave them in the intermediate tray & Why? 10) how long are they in the quart pots before you transplant them into the ground? I’m sure I have more questions, but I’ll wait for you to (hopefully😄) answer these 1st. Thank you for your informative videos & willingness to share your knowledge. 🍯🐝 MikeTheBeeGuy 🐝👨‍🚀 Oops, 1 last question...Do you use prepackaged different soils at all stages, or seedling soil, then bought garden soil?, or just soil from your garden? If you use prepackaged soil which ones, specifically? 👋

@@mikethebeeguy8657 sow indoors a few weeks before your last frost date. Try to choose native milk weed seeds in your area if possible, if unavailable , you can find milkweed seeds in big box stores in USA. I have good germination rate without cold stratification, 80-90% germination rate. Start in diy seedling mix- coco coir and perlite. Make sure seedling mix is moistened well, throw a dome on top or plastic wrap whatever container you start in. No heat mat needed if you germinate in a warm spot. Can use inexpensive led shop lights at least 5000k a few inches above seedlings, they should germinate in about a week. Bottom water only when soil appears dry, fertilize once every 10-14 days at quarter to half strength after first set of true leaves appear.

​ @MikeTheBeeGuy 1. For Milkweed species: yes. I've even experimented with keeping Asc. incarnata on the heat pad and constant misting regime, which resulted from seed to blooming sized plant @ 6ft tall in just about 3 months time. Root zone heat seems to be very important for Milkweed germination and growth. 2. Asc. tuberosa does not NEED stratification. It seems the issue we have in germination with this species stems from too old seed that does not germinate, or melts (the cotyledon turns to white mush). It should germinate in about 7-14 days without any stratification. The heat mat increases the rate of germ. 3. We sow the seed very heavily in a small-cell germination tray, 200 cells. There can be anywhere from 1-6+ seeds in each cell, which we find doesn't matter in the least. They will be individually separated during transplanting. 4. Seed is typically sprinkled on top. You can add a little amount of peat moss to barely cover it, which may help with the seed not drying out during germination when relative humidity levels are low. 5. It is usually 7-14 days, but can be sooner, or it can be later. Fresh seed always helps, and older seed kept in a fridge at 40F degrees prolongs the viability anywhere from a year to a few years. Our seed was good for about 4yrs, and then this year it finally is non-viable. 6. For this species specifically, it is more to do with the amount of time that the plant has stayed in the germination tray. Perennial root maturity is more important than how many leaves you can see, because as soon as it is planted; the seedlings take off and form mature plants. The leaves can help as an indication, but are not solid identifiers for maturity. Time is. 7. We use 200 cell x 1.5" or 2" germ trays, and 38DCP (Deep Cell Plugs; not sure of depth measurement). 8. Before transplanting into a larger container, we want to consider what happens in the container with a perennial seedling. If you take a newly germinated seed and place it into a quart container; the container may stay water-logged and improperly retain water which can cause rot or harbor pathogens/pests. If transplanting from a small seedling plug to a quart container, ensure that the transplant will be able to readily fill that pot up. This is important because plants need to go through watering and dry cycles. In a greenhouse, we do this multiple times in a day. So if the pot is waterlogged and the seedling can't get oxygen to the roots; the plant may succumb to drowning or disease. Allowing the Butterfly Milkweed seedlings to mature in the germ tray alleviates the issue of having to transplant up several times. 9. Butterfly Milkweed: I shoot for about 2 months. It is a maturity consideration, because I know that Butterfly Milkweed can bloom from seed in 2 months time. This is a milestone for maturity in this species. 10. They will remain in quart pots until they are sold or the site they were made for is ready. This species does not care much for being in a container long-term, so I try and make this species as last second as possible. This is also why it's important to stock seedlings on the germ bench long-term and only transplant last-second for the needs of the buyer or the ecological site. I calculate minimum of 2 months on the germination bench (until ready at any moment), and then 1.5mo to really fill out a quart container. 11. Soils: we utilize a native plant mix (compost heavy) supplied by a local soil producer in bulk, and we cut it with Peat Moss with higher amount of Perlite. For different species, different soils should be used or amendments made (like more perlite, sand, or vermiculite). You do NOT want to use dirt or gardening soils not intended for container growing, even if the container growing is temporary. The conditions of being in a container are much more different from being out in the ground in the garden. Growing 'organically' in containers does not work well, due to the soil cycle and plant physiology (this is at least an hour's worth of discussion). Plants in containers need immediately available nutrients, and the only nutrients plants can take up are inorganics.

@@tabithasherie3279 I will say, the box stores have been very unreliable as to the proper identification of the Milkweeds. Swamp and Butterfly Milkweeds being sold at Lowes, Home Depot, and Walmart (under various seed distributors) have shown to come up Tropical Milkweed. There may be luck in getting the right species from time to time, so I believe it's an issue in those companies sourcing the seed material, rather than deliberately trying to dupe their customers. A friend of mine just bought Swamp Milkweed, and it has come up Tropical Milkweed. Just very hit and miss, and we wouldn't expect a company like Burpee to make such a radical error. A step better thing to do is to find or locate a local ecotype source of the milkweeds that are native. Many regions have a native seed and plant producer, and should carry an ecotype that is more fitting to your region. One of the common mistakes I see in Missouri is Butterfly Milkweed that is obtained, is NOT the native subspecies! They are the shrubby 'ssp. tuberosa', as opposed to the 'ssp. interior' that can survive our wetter and poor clay soils.

I've got a few videos of these milkweeds in bloom already made (pre-edited) that I should post soon. Unfortunately these are so sporadic blooming and numerous that I would love to do a video on each one, but it may be easier to edit several clips together, and then voice over them. Lol, it's been a difficult decision! Definitely check out Asclepias Facebook group. There I and others post updates and bloom photos of these species!

@@patrickmahon524 I don't do Facebook. Did you ever do that video

@@michellebarnhill5130 I didn't, but I have photographed and documented many of the species (unfortunately) on FB