Calling all Pollinators

[CrazyEd]

I started a number of cells of Butterfly Weed and Cone flower over the last couple of weeks. The Butterfly Weed is starting to sprout.


View attachment 8558 View attachment 8559

One thing that should be considered when growing butterfly milkweeds in a container like this is that these milkweeds grow a white carrot like root. My father grows a lot of butterfly milkweed. He starts it in June when it is hot as hell. Water it every day. Transplant the carrots to the farm the following year in the fall when the start going dormant, 1-2 year old plants work well. You can break the carrots apart to split plants. We've done hundreds of plants that way.

 

[Rally1148]

One thing that should be considered when growing butterfly milkweeds in a container like this is that these milkweeds grow a white carrot like root. My father grows a lot of butterfly milkweed. He starts it in June when it is hot as hell. Water it every day. Transplant the carrots to the farm the following year in the fall when the start going dormant, 1-2 year old plants work well. You can break the carrots apart to split plants. We've done hundreds of plants that way.

It seems as though a lot of those good drought resistant plants have those "carrot" roots. Pretty amazing what has evolved. It makes complete sense though, when you consider the surface area to volume ratio of the roots themselves. A larger fatter root has a lower SA:V ratio, and thus less area to lose moisture. Same idea as a whale vs. a seal. A whale has a much lower SA:V ratio than a seal, and thus it is able to keep heat longer.

The wonders of nature!

 

[CrazyEd]

They do go great in our beach sand in central wisconsin!

 

[Rally1148]

They do go great in our beach sand in central wisconsin!

Check out rattle snake master. I was amazed at the roots on those things. One year old plants that I bought had roots the size of my fingers.

 

[CrazyEd]

Check out rattle snake master. I was amazed at the roots on those things. One year old plants that I bought had roots the size of my fingers.

I just planted a bunch of rattlesnake master in my new orchard on saturday. :)

 

[Rally1148]

I just planted a bunch of rattlesnake master in my new orchard on saturday. :)

Great plants. If I am remembering correctly, compass plant was another one with a big root. I was planting these on top of what we call our "sandpit". It's literally just a 25 foot hillside of pure beach sand. So we're on the same page as far as that goes, you've just got a little bit colder winters since you're on the East side of Lake Michigan.

 

[Rally1148]

Sorry I didn't update this earlier! So I don't have many wildflowers at this point, but next year I will. So these aren't necessarily plugs, since they are in RM18's, but it's the same idea. Here is switch, big blue, shrubby st. John's Wort, and elderberry. All from seed.

 

[Merle Hawggard]

That's awesome. Do you collect your own seed each year or buy it somewhere? With the sad state of bees in my area I'd like to add a little more variety as well.

 

[Rally1148]

This year is really my first at attempting it. I received a lot of seeds from the GRIN website. Most of these are shrubs (different dogwoods, nannyberry, ninebark, etc...). In the future I plan to go out every week or so on state land, as well as along a bike trail and look for seeds from flowers. My problem will be ID'ing them and then knowing which they were when it comes time to get the seeds. I find this kind of stuff fun, though. I also planted a bunch of natives from a nursery that grows everything from Michigan sourced seed. I plan to use those as seed sources in the next few years as well.

the big bluestem I got from another source in Michigan that also sources all of their seeds locally. I had to buy a pound of it (their smallest size), but it will last me for years. I know I planted a lot of switch in a recent NWSG seeding that I used an old pheasants forever mix. I'm hoping that I get a good mix of all the grasses, but if I only get the switch I'll have no problem using this seed to make some pockets of Big Blue. The switch I got from my neighbor's planting.


I'm really still experimenting with all of the different types. I find it cool/important to use local sources (mainly because I have the ability to do it). If given the choice, I'll use it. If I couldn't find anyone that sold that seed, I'd get it from a neighboring state.

 

[rocksnstumps]

Bit of a lull in this thread but noticed today that my big patches of goldenrod are really heavily being used by the bees right now. Honey, bumblebee, and yeah a few wasps too. They have their choice, goldenrod or thistle is about it for flowers by me. Actually even into late Sept the bumblebees really do like the thistle even though I'm trying to get rid of the stuff....

 

[CrazyEd]

Butterfly milkweed is just starting to be ready to be picked at my house. Open a pod and see if the seeds are dark brown. If they are still green it is not ready. Usually pods will Crack open when ready, exposing the goods. If they are brown, pick the whole pod and put them in an open brown paper grocery bag or between 2 window screens. They will pop open.

 

[Maya]

Never had a problem nor do I worry. Have apple, pear, crab, plumb, cherry. No issues. Actually kind of interesting how many different pollinators there are. Fun to watch.

Same here don't Don't Worry. So long as we have some decent weather (light wind), everything gets pollinated very quickly.

 

[JFK52]

I restored a 12 acre prairie with 5 grasses and 20 different forbs. The forbs come into bloom at different times during the summer. Some forbs I have in the mix are bergamont, white false indigo, purple coneflower, milkweed, butterfly weed, joe pie, rough blazing star, compass plant, lead plant and others. I also have 30 mature apple trees on my land.