Spring Opening of the Garden Farm

We've been steadily seed-starting throughout the winter.  Trays and trays of milkweed have sat in heated, well lit comfort only to be summarily exiled to the real world in a few weeks time. These poor little stunted plants are just waiting for the weather to warm and the soil to begin its slow and steady ascent to coziness.

This is the first year we are selling milkweed plants from the Buzzing Blossoms garden farm.  There is no telling what kind of demand there will be for our milkweed, but we're hopeful that there will be a steady stream of customers needing milkweed for their butterfly gardens.  

How do we prepare ourselves for a successful season?  We started by purchasing milkweed seeds from the Florida Wildflower Cooperative at www.floridawildflowers.com. The seed we bought includes Butterfly Weed (A.tuberosa) and Swamp Milkweed (A. incarnata). After receiving the seed packets we started cold stratification.  This is done by placing the seeds in a plastic bag with some moist soil and then shoving them in the back of the refrigerator. Then we waited.

The seed packets typically say we should cold stratify for 30 days, but we have had great success with a 14 day stratification period.  After 2 weeks in the fridge, we pull out a baggy of seeds. We then place that bag on a plant heating mat set to 77 degrees. Then we wait.

In about 36 hours, the seeds will start to germinate.  A little white shoot appears coming out of the pointy end of the seed.  As soon as the shoot is visible, it's time to plop that seed into some soil.  Then it's business as usual!

After about 2 weeks in their little seed starting tray, the tiny plants are ready for a change of scenery. It's time to move outside to the big kids milkweed playground. This is a large raised bed where hundreds of other young milkweeds are hanging out, soaking up the sun. They will spend the rest of their lives there, until it's time to be potted up and sold to someone who needs milkweed.  

So if you'll be needing milkweed for the monarchs in your garden, think of Buzzing Blossoms this season!