Time to collect milkweed seed

Photo courtesy of Laura Columbus

Harvest and Storage of Milkweed Seeds

From Monarch Watch   "The timing of the collection of milkweed pods or seeds is critical. Mature pods are those that are within a day or two of opening.  If you squeeze the pods and they don’t open easily, they usually do not contain mature brown seeds.  Seeds well into the process of browning and hardening will germinate when planted the next season. Pale or white seeds should be not collected.

Photo courtesy of Laura Columbus

Freshly collected pods should be dried in an open area with good air circulation. Once the pods are thoroughly dry, the seeds can be separated from the coma, or silk-like ballooning material, by hand. Separation of seeds can also be accomplished by stripping the seeds and coma from the pods into a paper bag. Shake the contents of the bag vigorously to separate the seeds from the coma and then cut a small hole in a corner of the bottom of the bag and shake out the seeds.

Store dried seeds in a cool, dry place protected from mice and insects - a plastic bag (re-closable) or other container in the refrigerator works well."

Helpful links
Collecting and Harvesting Common Milkweed, Asclepias syriaca, seeds
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fhjkC1Mbzlg (Mona L. Miller video)

Here is a link to many videos about collecting milkweed seeds.
https://www.youtube.com/results?q=collecting+milkweed+pods+seeds

How to harvest milkweed seeds
https://monarchbutterflygarden.net/harvest-milkweed-seeds-no-fluff/

Monarch Joint Venture - scroll down to "Tips for Hand Harvesting"
http://monarchjointventure.org/news-events/news/milkweed-seed-harvesting-and-prairie-restoration

Scroll half-way down this page to see “Gathering Milkweed Seeds”
http://www.ourhabitatgarden.org/creatures/milkweed-growing.html

Plant in the fall!
Late October through November is the time to plant seeds in the fall.

If you save the seeds until spring they will first need to be "stratified" or cold-treated.

You can find out more by running searches on how to plant milkweed.  Check out this link from the Pollination Station to get started.  http://www.pollinationstation.org/planting-instructions.html