How To Transplant Milkweed

[Twin Tiers Living 428]

 

[Chris 2,774]

Yesterday I finally got in contact with the guy who owns some property down the road to ask if I could dig up some milkweed for our pollinator garden. He said to take all I need. 

Today the county is mowing the roadsides. I caught up to the guy doing it and asked him if he could give me some time to dig some plants up first. Or, ideally, kind of "miss" the entire area altogether. He was nice and said he would. Still, I need to get my butt down there ASAP after work just in case. Hopefully the weather cooperates. 

 

[Chris 2,774]

I transplanted about two dozen plants today. This is where they came from:

I tried to find clumps of two to three plants so each dig was worthwhile. As I dug, I made sure to fill in the holes with soil I took down with me. 

I planted them on the damper side of things, incorporating them into the "Monarch mix" plot where more and other varieties of milkweed will pop up. You can see the sprouts in the background

:

This clump like to have broken my back, but there were a lot of plants in it. I counted ten altogether, and some wild mint, which was growing all over that section of field. So much that just walking around smelled like a chewing gum ad. 

When I was done ( physically and with the job ) I watered the plants good. I also spread a bunch of milkweed seed that's been in the freezer. A lot of it floated away, but there was enough that I could plant it there in the patch of soil. If it comes up, great. If it doesn't, oh well. 

I've also been locating patches of milkweed around the general area of the wildflower garden and clearing all the weeds from around it to give it a better chance. 

I continue to be bothe strangely and stupidly excited about this endeavor. I have to remind myself occasionally it's a work in progress and will take a couple years to get it as I envision it.