Harvesting and planting Butterfly Milkweed pods.

When choosing which milkweed pods are ready to harvest here are some tips. Put an elastic band or twist tie around the pod so it can begin to break open without losing all the seeds. As soon as the pods begin to split open then you can cut them off and bring them inside.

Separating the seeds from the fluff. When you open the butterfly milkweed pods you will find seeds and lots and lots of fluff. To separate the fluff and the seeds some tricks are to wash or spray the pods with water. When the fluff gets wet it will be easier to separate from the seeds.

Another method to separating the seeds is to put the contents of the pods (fluff and seeds) into a paper bag with a few pennies. Shake the bag, this will separate the seeds from the fluff. after enough shaking cut a hole in the corner of the bag and shake the seeds out of the corner of the bag.

How to store your seeds after you separate them from the fluff. If you are planting them in the spring, store them in a fridge until you can plant them. They can be stored in a plastic or paper bag.

Happy Planting!