Monarch Butterfly Perennial Wildflower Seed Collection

Step-by-Step Wildflower & Asclepias (Milkweed) Seed Planting Instructions

1. Asclepias (Milkweed) seeds have built-in dormancy mechanisms to protect the seedlings from frost and drought and will germinate after a 30 day stratification period. In fall: Planting after frost will provide necessary cold stratification. In spring: For best results, mix seeds with equal amounts of damp sand and place the mixture in a sealed plastic bag. Store in a refrigerator for 30 days before planting.
2. Check for your last frost date and plant after this has passed. Choose a spot on your property that gets 6 or more hours of direct sun a day unless you are planting seeds for shade.
3. Prepare your soil by clearing the area of all existing growth. Simply dig up everything that is growing, turn the soil and rake the area flat. If this is an area that has never before been gardened, you may need to till the area up to remove growth.
4. Mix the seeds with sand* for better visibility and scatter the seeds directly on top of the soil. If you are sowing a larger area, we recommend using a seed spreader; if not, you can sow by hand.
5. We recommend lightly compressing the seeds into the soil, making sure not to bury them. You can either walk on them, use a board or if you are sowing a larger area, rent a seed roller.
6. Water so that the soil is moist, not soaking wet, until the seedlings are about 4-6" tall. After that, the seedlings will survive on natural rains. If you are experiencing very dry weather, we recommend watering occasionally.