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Monarch Butterfly Project
Lisa Klinger and Chris Elliott
MONARCH BUTTERFLY - MILKWEED PROJECT
Sometime in March the LSM Garden Club will have native milkweed plants to give out for free to Lake San Marcos residents who want to grow milkweed to make Lake San Marcos a monarch butterfly haven. Milkweed is the only food source for monarch butterfly caterpillars. You have to plant the milkweed where it won't be bothered by predators, passers-by, or gardeners. Maybe in a pot or a protected area or put netting around it.
What needs to be protected? The monarch eggs, the caterpillars and the chrysalis, and the butterflies when they are hatching. If you plant it in a pot, keep in mind that milkweed has a long tap root and needs a deeper pot.
If you live in Lake San Marcos and you want a free plant in March, or if you want seeds before then to grow your own native milkweed plants, CLICK HERE to go directly to our Contact Us page and in the message box, let us know you want a plant or seeds, and give us your name,
email and phone number. We encourage you to grow some plants from seeds, because we only have about 150 plants to give away, and we will need lots more than that to make LSM a monarch butterfly haven.
HOW TO PLANT & GROW MILKWEED
The Garden Club will be giving out Narrowleaf Milkweed plants. These grow to be 2-3+ feet high and bloom in May-September. The flowers are showy clusters of white to pink.
Plant the milkweed after the threat of frost has passed, generally late March for San Diego. Milkweed plants grow best when they get full sun or at least 6 hours of sun a day. Water the plant deeply when you first plant it outside, and then it only needs to be watered about once a week. Put mulch around the base of the plant. Plant it near other flowers, or near a butterfly bush if you have one. Click on the links below for more info on planting milkweed.
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Milkweed Care: San Diego Native Milkweed Project’s leaflet on how to sow and care for milkweed seeds.
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Planting Milkweed: a quick guide on how to plant milkweed, by Luca and Micaela Nursery 3012 Oleander Avenue Vista, CA 92081 760-410-8640.
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Theodory Payne Foundation's - How to Plant Milkweed (video)