Re: Monarch Butterflies

**Scorpio Rising** 6/28/2016, 7:28 pm

Nice! Can't wait! CN, great pic!

TD, they are slow starters....be patient. They will be more on time next year, at least mine are.

Thank you all! Wonderful stewardship! I love you

countrynaturals 6/28/2016, 8:39 pm

Scorpio Rising wrote:Nice! Can't wait! CN, great pic!

TD, they are slow starters....be patient. They will be more on time next year, at least mine are.

Thank you all! Wonderful stewardship!

I think you're right, Scorpio. I don't remember flowers on mine the first year, but 2nd year blooms happen pretty early. Mine have all been blooming for weeks.

**Scorpio Rising** 6/29/2016, 8:36 pm

OK, I had these orange aphids on the milkweed last year. Hand picked/smeared....still tons. Ladybugs sweeper in, and in an incredible display of native predators and native pests, basically decimated the aphids.

Fast forward. I saw 2 plants with the orange aphids near the bloom buds. Used the peppermint soap concoction before heading to the pole beans....they are stone cold DEAD!

Black, dead, not moving. Soap! Wow! Beetles have those protective shells...I hate JBs.....

countrynaturals 6/29/2016, 10:25 pm

Scorpio Rising wrote:Fast forward. I saw 2 plants with the orange aphids near the bloom buds. Used the peppermint soap concoction before heading to the pole beans....they are stone cold DEAD!

What about the ladybugs and monarch eggs and cats? Is it safe for them?

**Scorpio Rising** 6/29/2016, 10:40 pm

Yes, and apparently since I have yet to see a ladybug they are late to the game, but soap is supposed to be pretty neutral.

I worry about the biome too.

countrynaturals 7/6/2016, 10:50 pm

1st caterpillars of 2016 for me! YEE-HAH! cheers

This is a 1st instar baby, just about 1/4 inch long. I found it on one of Katie's milkweeds. It and 2 of its slightly larger cousins are now in a butterfly pavillion (rearing cage) in our sunroom. When we have more than a half dozen, I'll relocate them to the butterfly house.
Monarch Butterflies - Page 2 1stins10

BeetlesPerSqFt 7/6/2016, 11:14 pm

Good job! So cute!!

**Scorpio Rising** 7/7/2016, 7:34 am

Adorable!

countrynaturals 7/7/2016, 2:12 pm

We'll probably see 100 more just like it between now and October. Getting the butterfly house ready for an onslought of guests. bounce

OhioGardener 5/31/2021, 7:23 pm

Saw the first Monarch butterfly of the season today. It was a female enjoying the Fountain Butterfly Bush. I checked the butterfly garden, and found that the milkweed are about 18" high already. So, nature has everything ready.

**Scorpio Rising** 6/1/2021, 7:04 am

My milkweed are up, some setting flowers, will probably see blooms this weekend. I haven’t seen a Monarch here yet, though. I have a Walkers Low Catmint that has gorgeous blue blooms that all the pollinators love! That’s where I usually see those lovely butterflies!

OhioGardener 6/19/2021, 8:21 pm

The Orange Butterfly Weed is the most beautiful this year that is has ever been. Saw several Monarch butterflies yesterday and today, but couldn't find any caterpillars on the plants yet. The Monarchs love those bright orange flowers.

**Scorpio Rising** 6/22/2021, 4:44 pm

OhioGardener wrote:The Orange Butterfly Weed is the most beautiful this year that is has ever been. Saw several Monarch butterflies yesterday and today, but couldn't find any caterpillars on the plants yet. The Monarchs love those bright orange flowers.

I bought some seeds for that! Are they perennial for you, OG?

OhioGardener 6/22/2021, 6:01 pm

Scorpio Rising wrote:
OhioGardener wrote:The Orange Butterfly Weed is the most beautiful this year that is has ever been. Saw several Monarch butterflies yesterday and today, but couldn't find any caterpillars on the plants yet. The Monarchs love those bright orange flowers.

I bought some seeds for that! Are they perennial for you, OG?

Yes, they are perennials for zones 3 through 10. A word of caution is that the seeds must be Cold Moist Stratified (CMS) for at least 60 days, before planting in order for them to germinate. The Butterfly Weed in those pictures are a special variety called Butterfly Weed for Clay Soil. I struggled with the regular Orange Butterfly Weed for years, but never got them to develop into nice plants here in our clay soil. I finally bought these, and they have done great. I saved some seeds from them a couple years ago and started some new plants for the butterfly garden, too.

https://www.prairienursery.com/butterflyweed-for-clay-asclepias-tuberosa-var-clay.html

**Scorpio Rising** 6/25/2021, 11:30 am

Oh wow, good to know! I didn’t get them planted this year, so will cold stratify them for sure.

PS—Saw my first Monarch on my milkweed yesterday!

OhioGardener 6/25/2021, 2:44 pm

Scorpio Rising wrote:Saw my first Monarch on my milkweed yesterday!

That's great! I found 7 monarch cats on the milkweed plants yesterday. Found 3 on the Orange Butterfly Weed this morning. Also have a number of Black Swallowtail and Giant Swallowtail cats on the Common Rue plants.

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