Geting ready for monarchs

Chrissie from Nelson

The Monarchs are coming - be ready for them!

It’s critical everyone understands that when you have hungry caterpillars later in the season you MUST NOT depend on buying plants for food. You need to plant well in advance! Get plants well established before those first butterflies return. Buy or grow twice as many as you’ll think you need – you can keep some out of reach of the monarchs. Keep successive plants growing and flourishing.

I know of two people in Dunedin that have plants lasting for more than one year. Their plants are growing in a warm, sheltered part of the garden. So possibly, in cooler areas, you could get plants going this year which you can keep for later years?

If you are buying seed, now is the time to buy a packet or two and get the seedlings established in pots indoors.