Fall is a great time to consider sowing seeds of native wildflowers. Some seeds, such as those from common milkweed, need to go through a freeze-thaw cycle in the winter before germinating in the spring. Seeds should be planted in bare ground, covered in a quarter to half inch of soil. Keep debris cleared from the area in the spring and watch for seedling sprouting up in May and June.
Not ready to plant this fall? Don’t worry, common milkweed can be planted in the early spring, but it will take a bit of prep over the winter. Milkweed seeds must go through a cold stratification process to break the seed’s natural dormancy process. To do this, place the seeds in a damp paper towel or sand inside a zipper bag and keep the bag in your refrigerator for 3-6 weeks or about 30 days. Make sure to choose a spot where the seeds won’t be smashed or damaged.
Once the 30 days are completed, the seeds can be planted inside and grown until they are ready to be transplanted in the spring, or the seeds can be planted straight into the ground once the risk of frost has passed. Learn more about different types of milkweeds and their importance for monarch butterflies at http://wildlife.ohiodnr.gov/…/id%2…/Milkweeds%26Monarchs.pdf.