Overview
Milkweeds (Asclepias spp.) are perennial plants which generally require a minimum of four months of care before they can be hardened-off, winterized or out-planted. Many gardeners and restoration efforts utilize milkweeds for projects because there is a species of milkweed for most every environment, they do well in gardens and in disturbed areas, many species have beautiful flowers that provide nectar to pollinators, and milkweeds along with some related genera are the larval food source for Monarch and Queen butterflies. 

 

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Bract Milkweed

Bract milkweed (Asclepias brachystephana) has not been studied, however it is possible to glean information from their wild populations. From my own observation of wild populations, bract milkweed should do well in similar growing condition to A. asperula, A. latifolia and A. virirdis. Many milkweed species do not do well after their roots have been disturbed, so it is best to minimize root disturbance by growing plants in large containers and out-planting before the plants become root bound. The best time of year to out-plant is late winter to early spring, when plants are dormant and can respond to growing temperatures naturally, while being checked on in case they need water or have pest outbreaks. If the plants have not been winterized, the best time to out-plant them is spring once the threat of frosts have passed

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Materials and Methods
Materials
 
• 1 gallon pot
• Dawn dish soap
• Water source
• Fans to create air flow and light breeze     
• Equal parts sand and Top soil
• Growing space
• protection from extreme elements

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Soaking seeds

 

Milkweed seeds do best when sown after soaking for a minimum of 24 hours, a maximum of 96 hours when roots begin to sprout. 

Step one: Mix one drop of Dawn dish soap into a cup of room temp water and place seeds in water. 
Step two: Mix soil and sand, 1:1 ratio and moisten thoroughly.
Step three: Fill 1 gallon pots with soil sand mixture. Leave about 0.5” from the brim of the pot. 
Step four: Make a small 0.25” depression in the center of each pot and place one soaked seed in the depression. Cover with soil and water. 
Step five. Place pots in well lit, well ventilated area, protected area where the soil can be kept damp for the first month. 
Step six. Monitor plants as they grow. After the first two sets of real leaves have grown, start to taper water off and let the soils dry out. Plants need to adapt to water regiments, and these plants will eventually be out in the summer heat. 
Step seven: Begin hardening the plants by increasing air flow with fans after the plants have ten to twelve leaves. Start with a few minutes a day and progress to full days of direct air flow. 
Step eight: About two weeks prior to outplanting, begin to harden the plants off by exposing them to outdoor conditions. Start by increasing airflow on the plants and increasing exposure to direct sunlight, slowly. The plants must grow a cuticle and adapt to the harsh condition of growing in direct sunlight.

 

Harden off gradually, so that plants can adapt to conditions in the area such as scorching sunlight, high winds, etc. This should be done over a course of 7 to 14 days. On a mild day, or early morning, start with 2-3 hours of sun in a sheltered location and return the plants to their protected area. Repeat the following days and increase the amount of time spent outside. Protect seedlings from strong sun, wind, hard rain and cool temperatures at first, but by the end of the prccess plants should be able to withstand these conditions.
Increase exposure to sunlight a few additional hours at a time and gradually reduce frequency of watering, but do not allow seedlings to wilt. Keep an eye on the weather and bring the plants indoors or into protected areas if harsh weather is expected. After transplanting to the garden, use a weak fertilizer solution to get transplants growing again and to help avoid transplant shock.  Be sure to water plants after hardening them off.