EL PROYECTO MARIPOSA MONARCA
La mariposa monarca está en camino hacia la extinción, con una disminución del 99% en su población en los últimos 40 años.
En Missouri, la mariposa monarca se puede encontrar en una amplia variedad de hábitats, desde campos y pastizales hasta plantaciones urbanas junto a carreteras.
Debido a que la mariposa monarca juega un papel tan importante en todos los ecosistemas que atraviesa durante la migración, le recomendamos plantar algodoncillo para las larvas y una variedad de flores silvestres nativas que suministran néctar durante toda la temporada de crecimiento para la mariposa monarca adulta .
STARTING YOUR BUTTERFLY GARDEN
The best time to plant milkweed seeds is in the fall so the cold temperatures and moisture that come with winter stimulate germination. You can also plant milkweed in the springtime.
Milkweed seed can be planted directly in soil, or started indoors.
STARTING OUTDOORS
You can sow milkweed seeds by scattering them on the soil surface 1/4-1/2 inch apart, and then cover them with about 1/4 inch of additional soil. Water the area frequently after planting until plants become established.
STARTING IN POTS
Fill some small flower pots with potting soil. Place a few seeds on top of the soil (about one seed per inch). Sprinkle a little soil over the seeds and press down firmly.
Set the pots outside in an exposed, sunny location. Cold weather won’t kill the seeds. In fact, ice, snow, and rain will help “wake” them up so they’ll sprout in the spring.
TO THE GARDEN
When the sprouts have grown at least three pairs of leaves, you can transplant them to a sunny, weed-free location in your yard. Select your location carefully. Young plants at least six hours of sunlight each day. Milkweed is a perennial, which means it will grow back every spring.
Monarchs return to Missouri by May and begin laying eggs.
Watch for females fluttering above your milkweed patch,
and check each plant closely for tiny eggs and caterpillars.