What do you think?

[JBtheExplorer]

This year I'll be adding one or two Swamp Milkweed plants to my bog. I'll be growing them from seed and I'm trying to figure out the best way to do it, since I'm thinking switching it from potting soil to pea gravel in the bog might kill it. I'm wondering if I would have success trying starting it in pea gravel & water indoors, or maybe a mix of potting soil + pea gravel... I'm not really sure the best way of going about it and I wonder what you all might think...

 

[Lisak1]

We had milkweed in our bog last year and it was beautiful! We bought it already planted in potting soil - the plants were about 6-8 inches tall when we planted them in the bog. I just knocked the dirt off and planted them right in the gravel, like I would any other bog plant. My bog water is a bit deeper than most, so I planted them along the edge so they would be in the water but not too deep. They did great!

 

[Lisak1]

I meant to add - the species we planted was tropical, so we'll have to plant new ones this year. But they sure did attract the butterflies!

 

[sissy]

I know milkweed around here explodes and you have that stuff blowing every where .Is it the same with those .If it rains it sticks all over your vehicle .Makes it nasty to drive when it gets on you wet wind shield .You have to get out and wipe it off

 

[addy1]

Or make a mix of pea gravel and kitty litter, just stick that in the bog once they grow. I have done that with some plants.

But with potting soil, I did plant once with the soil,, don't............makes a mess, flows into the pond every time you mess with the plant. I dug it out soil, pea gravel etc, tossed it over the hill lol

 

[JBtheExplorer]

I know milkweed around here explodes and you have that stuff blowing every where .Is it the same with those .

Milkweed generally doesn't blow around too much, at least not nearly as much as the Cottonwood "cotton" we get blowing everywhere. Milkweed is one of the easiest plants to control the seed, since it takes time for the large seed pods to form, you get a lot of time to cut them off before they'll open. Of course, I'm a huge pro-milkweed person, since the Monarch Butterfly needs it to survive. Any seeds mine produce will be scattered in the wild.

 

[addy1]

I gather the seeds, some of them, some get to blow around. Then I plant the seeds around the sides of the yard, in the gardens etc.

 

[sissy]

I just know that over by the coors miller plant in Eden NC they got lots of them growing in the mucky water all along the side of the road there and twice in 10 years of living here i have gone by there and wind and rain and they were stuck all over my truck .Over 2 miles of them on both sides of the gate entrance to the plant .I went by there today and they seem to be growing already .So weather I guess has been good for them .

 

[JBtheExplorer]

I went by there today and they seem to be growing already.

Wow! I won't be seeing plants growing for at least another two months around here. Now I'm sad.

but I get to start some seeds indoors in about three weeks, so I guess I'll see some greenery