Monarch butterflies are departing from their locations in Mexico for their long journey north. Read about it at Journey North. Also click on the migration map on the right to see where they are now.
Prepare for their arrival!
Many MEI members planted seeds late last fall that will begin growing as soon as spring conditions are right. Others are or have started milkweed seeds indoors, in addition to other flowers that monarchs use for nectar. Some are using seeds they collected last fall, and others are ordering seeds.
It is important to order seeds and plants that are from Iowa, or at least are native to your ecoregion. Find your ecoregion from The Habitat Network pages by plugging in your zip code. You can then see your ecoregion and scroll down the page for more resources. See our Seed & Plant Sources page for suggestions on where to order. Also check our calendar (tabs above) for upcoming plant sales.
Here is an excellent brochure from Wildones.org with lists of flowers, shrubs and trees that benefit Monarchs.
Start a Monarch Waystation on your property. Order a kit from Monarch Watch and be certified as a Waystation. See details at Monarch Watch.
If you look for milkweed plants or plugs at local nurseries, make sure they are "clean" and are neonicotinoid free. Also make sure they are native to your area. Here is a list of milkweed native to Iowa.
While you're at it, plan to eliminate spraying your lawns and flowers with insecticides and herbicides. Those dandelions and other spring "weeds" provide an early source of nectar for butterflies and bees. Sprays are real killers to our Monarchs as well as to essential honey bees and native bees. Be kind to all pollinators!
3/23/2017
12/20/2016
Our friend and MEI member, Kelly Guilbeau from Milweed Matters, will be the keynote speaker for a Sustainability & Self-Reliance Workshop on Saturday, Feb. 18th. She will be speaking about Milkweed Matters, what you can do to help monarchs, and how to make milkweed seed balls. There will also be a variety of other speakers on topics such as urban homesteading, backyard chickens, home dairy/cheese making, and a few others. More information and registration can be found by clicking the below link..
http://www.hartmanreserve.org/sustainability-workshop.html
http://www.hartmanreserve.org/sustainability-workshop.html
11/06/2016
Winter sowing
If you decide to winter sow, grow extra plants and SHARE with others!
This is a great way to start milkweed plants for Monarch butterflies, as well as nectar source plants such as new england asters, purple coneflowers, etc. for planting next spring. It provides natural cold stratification of the seeds and they will begin growing when the conditions are right.
Late October & November are good months sow seeds on bare ground. Just make sure the soil temperature below 50 degrees but before the soil is frozen. Here is a info from the Iowa State Extension that shows current soil temperatures.
http://extension.agron.iastate.edu/NPKnowledge/soiltemphistory.html
Strip off any sod, weeds or grasses. Cultivate the soil to a fine tilth, firm the soil by treading on it, and rake lightly. Sow the seed (you can mix it with sand if you are broadcast-sowing). Some people just spread the seed on bare ground and walk on it to ensure seed/soil contact.
When conditions are right in the spring, your seeds will germinate!
Trudi Davidoff recommends sowing seed in miniature greenhouses (made from recycled water and milk jugs) and placing them outdoors. Please visit the below links to find out more.
http://www.wintersown.org/
and Step 2 http://monarchbutterflygarden.net/winter-sowing-milkweed-seeds-prepare-containers/
Here is a ,pdf brochure that explains Trudi's method
Other links:
Winter Sowing - A step by step guide from "Get Busy Gardening"
A Step to Step Guide to Winter Sowing from Bacman's - in the Minneapolis area
There are also a number of videos on YouTube about winter sowing from which to learn!
WINTER SOWING
Winter Sowing (also called dormant sowing) is a propagation method used throughout the winter
where temperate climate seeds are sown on the ground or into protective vented containers
and placed outdoors to foster a naturally timed, high percentage
germination of seedlings.This is a great way to start milkweed plants for Monarch butterflies, as well as nectar source plants such as new england asters, purple coneflowers, etc. for planting next spring. It provides natural cold stratification of the seeds and they will begin growing when the conditions are right.
WINTER SOWING DIRECTLY IN SOIL
http://extension.agron.iastate.edu/NPKnowledge/soiltemphistory.html
Strip off any sod, weeds or grasses. Cultivate the soil to a fine tilth, firm the soil by treading on it, and rake lightly. Sow the seed (you can mix it with sand if you are broadcast-sowing). Some people just spread the seed on bare ground and walk on it to ensure seed/soil contact.
When conditions are right in the spring, your seeds will germinate!
WINTER SOWING IN CONTAINERS
MINIATURE GREENHOUSESTrudi Davidoff recommends sowing seed in miniature greenhouses (made from recycled water and milk jugs) and placing them outdoors. Please visit the below links to find out more.
http://www.wintersown.org/
and Step 2 http://monarchbutterflygarden.net/winter-sowing-milkweed-seeds-prepare-containers/
Here is a ,pdf brochure that explains Trudi's method
Other links:
Winter Sowing - A step by step guide from "Get Busy Gardening"
A Step to Step Guide to Winter Sowing from Bacman's - in the Minneapolis area
There are also a number of videos on YouTube about winter sowing from which to learn!
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