MONARCH NURSERY
Leave newly-purchased milkweeds in their original pots.
Transplanted milkweeds will often die within a couple of days.
If you insist on transplanting milkweeds:
the best soil for milkweed plants is:
three-quarters composting soil
one-quarter dirt from your yard
If you insist on transplanting milkweeds:
Don’t use an excessive amount of fertilizer.
Too much fertilizer attracts ants.
Ants, at the very least, irritate the caterpillars.
Distressed Adult Monarchs:
Newly-emerged adults may need a long time to fully deploy.
Newly-emerged adults will not be able to fly in cold weather.
It may be necessary to put a distressed new adult on a potted milkweed.and bring it indoors.
Adults will stay quiet at night on the potted milkweed if the room is dark
Newly-emerged adult Monarchs can go at least 48 hrs without eating.
If you offer a sugar-water mixture that is too concentrated, adults will not be able to suck it in.
The concentration of sugar water should be one TEASPOON to one CUP of water
Place a tiny drop of the sugar/water on each of the open flowers of the potted milkweed
Which milkweed is best:
Some literature says that using the milkweed ‘cassaivea’ is not good because it carries a virus.
These sources say that it is best to use native California milkweed
Beware of California milkweed seeds
Usually, these seeds have been treated with insecticide.
The plants that these seeds produce will kill caterpillars.