I am a 24-year-old teacher from Upstate New York. My life's trajectory shifted drastically since the start of the pandemic. I found myself wanting to follow my passion for science and ecological sustainability and gain new knowledge of farming practices first-hand.
So I came to NZ for six months in 2022 and enjoyed my time WWOOFing as I travelled around. WWOOF stands for Willing Workers on Organic Farms, and I got the chance to stay with Jacqui from the Moths and Butterflies of NZ Trust where I was able to participate in the work of the MBNZT, such as this environmental education activity at Auckland's Botanic Gardens in the school holidays.
I had a great time in NZ, looking around your beautiful country.
I double-majored in biology and education during undergrad and taught 7th and 10th-grade science classes for two years. Being a strong believer that scientific literacy is crucial to a functioning society, I am grateful for having the opportunity to communicate science material in a classroom. I like creating engaging lessons rooted in cultural responsiveness and equity -- allowing for my students' identity and wellbeing to be supported so they can focus on learning super cool science stuff! I now intend to share my WWOOFing experience in the classroom with the next generation of learners.
As a science teacher I understand the importance of having a strong foundation in scientific processes. Therefore, I am always looking for new experiences that continue my growth as an educator and amplify my scientific skill set. WWOOFing provided me with an opportunity to continue learning about the applications of farming practices and sustainable methodologies and the cultural backgrounds of a particular area and its people. Through volunteerism, we can do amazing things; we can learn about our planet, farming practices, and about each other and the communities we come from.
When I returned to the USA I gave further thought to an activity which could be a hook and introduction leading into discussions on nature and ecology, which I hope would be useful to teachers. Butterflies and moths are an excellent model for discussing the significance of environmental conservation. Humanity should always consider the importance of the invertebrates' pollination and species biodiversity in every decision made as a society. Furthermore, using the butterflies' and moths' natural aesthetic beauty may help facilitate the collective efforts to ensure a sustainable future for these species in NZ.
We live in turbulent times regarding human-caused climate change, a threat that looms over everyone, especially young people, who will be battling the extremes of the problem in the years to come. Anyone with access to the internet knows of this threat. I've had countless conversations with students concerned about this; it has become a nihilistic shadow that can quickly instill students with trepidation and apprehension about the state of tomorrow.
When discussing this in school, I think teachers need to maintain a delicate balance to offset the problem's negativity with a healthy dose of practical measures we can all take to remedy it -- not to downplay severity, but critique myopic views and reintroduce hope into students' lens of understanding. Effective action is always an option, and there is still time to mend the long-lasting impacts of climate change. An auspicious world can bloom from our effort we make today, and butterflies are the perfect candidate for continuing this endeavor. The activity aims to spark a dialogue about environmental understanding, juxtaposing students' background knowledge of flagrant consumerism and the awareness of humanity's place in the natural world. If we don't take the time to learn about how we can preserve the beauty, we will risk losing it.
The activity is in the Resources section here.
We receive many requests throughout the year about raising healthier swan plants. I have been picking the brains of some of our horticulturists – although not many profess to be experts on boring old swan plants! If swan plants were roses or popular food crops, no doubt there would have been in depth analysis of the diseases that affect them. But they’re not. So while we monarch lovers can’t identify many of the issues affecting the plants we can at least do what is within our power to raise healthier plants.
If you are starting out encouraging monarch butterflies you will find that most of the plants available in the spring in garden centres are “seedlings”, about 15-30cm tall. There is nothing wrong with that – but do not think these are fully grown swan plants. The seedlings have been started by commercial nurseries over the winter and into the spring and kept protected from aphids and monarch butterflies so they are in great condition when they go on sale. Quite probably insecticides or fungicides have been used in their production.
A large, fully-grown swan plant could be 2 metres tall or even more and having them established before the monarchs return from overwintering is a huge boon. So as you buy or grow your plants, think about them for next year and subsequent years.
In many parts of the country, it is possible to raise swan plants which will last for two or three years. In cooler areas you could try them on the sunny side of the house, under the eaves, but you might need to offer protection from frosts or snow of course. And you could try getting Asclepias incarnata established. This is very successful in colder areas as the shoots appear soon after winter weather retreats, and grow much quicker than any swan plant seedling. It establishes with an underground root system and the patch will get bigger each year.
Here in Auckland, and towards the end of the season I take stock of my swan plants and remove any that do not look healthy: actually, I do this throughout the season, putting branches inside the butterfly house so that the leaves are eaten before I dispose of the bare branches. I do not compost them if I think they may have a plant disease. (A plant disease will not affect the caterpillars but could spread to other plants of course).
I am not well disciplined enough to sow from seed but depend on a very good friend to provide me with seedlings. However, check out the method Gus Evans uses in his guest editorial in the blog. There is no right or wrong way.
And here is a very useful leaflet from Yates about growing swan plants from seed.
Once I have seedlings, I ensure they get a good feed of Nitrogen once a week and I only repot them when there are roots coming out the bottom of the pot. Remember, swan plants are weeds or wildflowers and have not been fussed over or improved by plant breeders over the years, so you should not fuss over them either. There are different ways you can give them Nitrogen. Nitrogen encourages healthy leaf growth.
You could try Tui® Nitrophoska-K or Yates® Thrive Natural Fish and Seaweed, a concentrated plant food. Or sheep pellets, blood meal, diluted human urine (10:1), compost tea, seaweed tea, worm wee. Worm wee makes soil far richer than it could ever be on its own. I have heard that worm castings have five times more nitrogen than regular soil! Unlike chemical fertilisers worm tea will never burn plant roots, no matter how much is applied. If you have access to comfrey or Tithonia diversifolia, these leaves are also rich in nitrogen.
As your swan plants grow it is absolutely natural that the older leaves go yellow and drop off. You will also notice that the stem gets thicker and taller… and there are new leaves at the top. It is fascinating watching the plants grow. When they are about 20cm or so, you might want to pinch out the top of the plant. This will mean that two lateral stems will start growing out at angles, so your plant has just become twice as productive. After those laterals are 10-15cm, you might want to repeat the exercise. Now your plant will provide four times as much food for caterpillars. There is a video on our YouTube channel with some more tips for swan plants as well.
If you see curled leaves or leaves with black spot you can remove them. Do not compost these as you run the risk of spreading fungus or bacteria spores to other plants or into the soil. Diseases can be spread by ants, aphids and passionvine leafhoppers, so control these pests. In ongoing humid weather the problems become exacerbated.
Spots on stems and leaves can be a symptom of a fungal disease. Get in early to start controlling it on young plants. A copper fungicide will kill bacteria on contact. Yates® Liquid Copper is an easy to use, broad-spectrum copper fungicide and bactericide. Check that other copper products are not mixed with an insecticide.
Spray the plants before the monarchs return from overwintering and your plants should stay healthy throughout the season.
You might have heard of the monarch disease referred to as Oe (short for Ophryocystis elektroscirrha) which is carried by female monarch butterflies. As she lays eggs, if she is infected, she will also leave behind spores of Oe on the egg shell. When the caterpillar eats his way out of the egg it will be infected.
The disease can become most apparent when monarchs are raised in cluttered or unhygienic conditions as the disease has a chance to spread. The result will be sick and dying caterpillars, butterflies that struggle to eclose or malformed butterflies.
If you suspect your plant is carrying Oe, left behind by monarchs on the leaves, or other plant diseases, you can spray them with a bleach solution of 1 part of bleach to 19 parts of water. Ensure you buy regular bleach (not with other ingredients such as lemon) and wash the bleach solution off the plant with fresh water after ten minutes.
If you have plants in pots you will need to water them. But in the garden, always water at the base of the plants and invest in sustainable practices to ensure you minimise the need for water. This is not only good for your garden but good for the environment too. I recently watched an excellent series on the soil food web, restoring nature to the soil and highly recommend it so you can understand sustainability in your garden..
Yellowing leaves further up the plant, or stunted growth can be a sign of nitrogen deficiency so keep up the regime of feeding your plants. Do not expect all of your plants to thrive, but if you follow the above ideas you should have more successful swan plants. And feel free to add comments below with your own ideas. As I said, there is no right or wrong way. What will work for me may not work for you. But it is great to learn what others do.
Also, have you checked out the video on YouTube with tips for getting more out of your swan plants?
Over the summer Brian Patrick has been tripping around the South Island looking for butterflies and moths. Here are some of the notes he has made:
Tues 3 Jan
I’m with Brian Lyford in field on way up to Awakino ski field in North Otago on perfect day! Coppers and NZ blues abundant at site of photograph. Have a wonderful 2023!
Glade, boulder and common coppers here together with NZ blue and tussock butterflies below ski field and in abundance.
Fri 6 Jan
I’m at road’s end at Jackson Bay on West Coast checking out local coppers. Common and glade coppers abundant so far on my travels down coast: wonderful biodiversity here and not too many visitors in contrast to Queenstown where it was too hectic!
Weather mproving but warm and calm so good for our butterflies… Weather perfect now following heavy rain. Common coppers and blues flying!
Major discovery here at Neils Beach, Jackson Bay - new southern limit for long-tailed blue butterfly here! Feeding on nectar on coast in calm sunshine.
A new large common copper here too! This area has been under researched.
Sat 7 Jan
Undescribed boulder copper locally common on small area of river bed below Franz Josef Glacier with its larval hostplant, mat Pohuehue also abundant: Aussie blues also common but sadly the new day-flying daphne moth I found here in 1998 is gone as no hostplant Pimelea surviving. Needs area survey as no other known sites for this gorgeous Notoreas new species: Weather perfect.
Fri 13 Jan
Still travelling and meeting neat people and introducing them to butterflies around them! This Canterbury common copper was abundant at Waihi Gorge inland from Geraldine and met family from Dunedin who were intrigued by them!
I’ll send a photo of one on a girl’s finger next: Williams family - father Shannon is school teacher in Dunedin and trained marine biologist who studied Hookers sealion at Otago University.
Sat 14 Jan
Now in the Ashburton Gorge in warm, misty weather with common copper on yarrow flowers in foreground and larval hostplant Pohuehue climbing over another rich hostplant for our Lepidoptera - the small leaved Olearia lineata; paradise for me with Coprosma species abundant and even lichen-covered rockfaces. These sorts of habitats are so rich in our endemic Lepidoptera.
Tues 24 Jan
Five undescribed common coppers on roadside flowers in Ashley Gorge in my recent travels; great to see so many with much Pohuehue nearby for their caterpillars.
Sun 29 Jan
At Rangitata River mouth huts where NZ blues and yellow admirals abound! Hot day here. I’m on my way to meet up with fellow entomologists Brian Lyford from Queenstown and Bill Chisholm from Manapouri at Lake Ohau where we’ll explore a few of the surrounding alpine areas for black mountain butterfly and tussock ringlets.
Tues 31 Jan
Brian and I really enjoying wonderful day on mountain: ski field at Lake Ohau is good balance of biodiversity and recreation resulting in lots of biodiversity: black butterflies, day-flying geometrids of several genera and tussock butterflies all abundant. Weather calm and warm so great day to be here!
Wed 1 Feb
Image of mat Pohuehue on shore of Lake Ohau with abundant boulder coppers over it; Road on Ohau Range to ski field in background
Fri 3 Feb
We’re on Mount Dobson ski field now checking out diurnal moths and alpine butterflies.
Wonderful mountain with great facilities and amazing butterfly and moth fauna with alpine flora!
Here’s Paranotoreas ferox, a diurnal geometrid - the striped orange underwing: uncommon species here at 1780m on Epilobium flowers along with black butterflies.
Many diurnal moths flying here up to 1850m altitude: here’s one of the three daphne moths flying; Notoreas, Aponotoreas and Dasyuris flying along with black and boulder copper and tussock butterflies along with Orocrambus grass moths! A Lepidopterist’s paradise!
Sat 4 Feb
In addition to gorgeous black butterflies, we’ve found many diurnal moths on Mt Dobson above 1720m; here’s Notoreas galaxias and Asaphodes clarata.
We are at Fox Peak ski area now in perfect conditions; tussock butterflies and diurnal moths abound!
Some diurnal Lepidoptera from alpine area at Fox Peak on perfect day: underside of Dasyuris anceps, Janita’s tussock and Aponotoreas insignis.
Sun 5 Feb
Now exploring inland Mid Canterbury - Lake Lyndon Road with Lake Coleridge in backdrop: two species of tussock butterfly and common coppers flying with diurnal moths Paranotoreas brephosata and Aponotoreas insignis: wonderful landscape and biota here.
Mon 6 Feb
Today at Porters Pass with lots of tussock butterflies; boulder copper Lycaena spp. and diurnal moths Aponotoreas insignis and Notoreas simplex from above pass to 1450m on hot day; at 650-800m. So many common coppers on yarrow flowers by track; amazing to see tens of them courting and feeding.
Sat 11 Feb
I’m out again this time at Porters Pass one of the few passes over the Southern Alps; it’s hot and calm with tussock ringlets Argyrophenga antipodum and Canterbury common Copper Lycaena new species both abundant to 1050m taking nectar from flowers; lots of interested members of public watching me and asking good questions:
I’ve given out MBNZT brochures to several prospective members too: glorious summer day in the mountains; many have been intrigued to hear that the South Island is the 16th largest landmass on the planet and the tenth highest and that nine species of endemic butterflies live and breed in the mountains around here!
There are many people in NZ who love monarchs and want to see the numbers increase. But there are some important points to remember.
Monarchs are part of an ecosystem; they are part of the food chain. Everything in Nature has pests, predators and parasites. A basic understanding of ecology and biodiversity is so important.
Monocultures
After World War II, with the development of artificial fertilisers and the introduction of large-scale farming machinery, "monocultures" became popular. Before that time farmers typically rotated crops to preserve soil productivity. Farms became bigger and "more efficient". But this method of farming (monocultures - the cultivation of a single crop or organism) had a negative impact on biodiversity and the long-term future of agriculture and biodiversity. The increased demand for food led to the clearing of forests, grasslands, and wetlands to make way for agriculture.
Another example: some gardeners wanted to have "rose gardens" or large areas of sweet peas. Production was always about profit and people.
But today people are realising that monocultures are unhealthy. Monocultures significantly increase the risk of pest infestations, disease outbreaks and environmental damage due to the lack of biodiversity. And we're not only talking about farming... we're talking about home gardens as well. Popular terms today are sustainability, rewilding, reforestation. And sustainability is all about the triple bottom line: profit, people, and the planet.
Ecosystems
Let's use our wētā for an example of an ecosystem. Wētā are mostly vegetarian but may also eat insects. Wētā get eaten by tuatara. Tuatara get eaten by kāhu (harriers) and ruru (moreporks). And so on – this is an example of a food web.
Monarch butterflies are in fact pests of milkweed, as are aphids! Because we love "monarchs" so much it is only natural to want to see their numbers increase (or at least NOT decrease). Effective ways can be as simple as planting more milkweed (swan plant) and nectar sources.
Some people want to develop a more intensive relationship – and it is very important that this is done responsibly.
The milkweed community
Milkweed (swan plant) is not just for monarchs alone. In a milkweed community you will also find aphids, Aphidius colemani wasps, ladybirds, milkweed beetles, the swan plant seed bug, the swan plant flower moth, social wasps, tachinid flies and many other species interacting – all living in relative harmony in the wild. As soon as one species arrives, one of its foes arrives soon after. Only the healthiest survive. And that is the way Nature works: survival of the fittest.
All of these species can have diseases. Infectious diseases are caused by pathogens (including bacteria, fungi, protozoa and viruses). With monarchs you may have heard of black death, NPV (nuclear polyhedrosis virus) or Oe (Ophryocystis elektroscirrha). These diseases will limit the number of monarchs on a milkweed so that the milkweed has a higher chance of survival. The diseases are all a part of the natural cycle and only build up when there is overcrowding.
Note: When you are raising a large number of monarch butterflies it is much easier for an infection to spread.
Sometimes deformities are not due to a disease but physical circumstances. When a monarch ecloses without sufficient room for it to expand its wings, or it falls while eclosing and is unable to climb up to extend its wings down, the result can be a deformed butterfly. Without scientific intervention (lab, microscope etc) you cannot be absolutely certain as to the cause of the deformity. For the sake of the other butterflies and caterpillars it is important that a deformed or sick monarch is isolated as you do not want to spread any infection.
It is essential that they are not kept as pets. Monarchs are wild animals, and you are doing the species a disservice by keeping them. Contagions are invisible – it is so easy for them to spread.
So how can I "help" monarchs
As stated above, the easiest way is to have healthy host plants and nectar plants growing in your garden, and in different parts of your garden. A female monarch will be able to smell a milkweed from 2 km away and will come and lay eggs. If you have a number of milkweeds in your garden, male monarchs will hang around waiting for the females. Have healthy soil, and add mulch to protect the soil throughout the year. So long as you keep your plants lush and healthy you need do nothing more than enjoy their beauty.
Do not feed monarch caterpillars anything besides milkweed (e.g. swan plant). In the past we have suggested that other vegetables in the cucurbit family are fine as food for hungry monarch caterpillars. While some of the butterflies may eclose and look perfect, there is no evidence as to the long-term biological effects. It could make monarchs more vulnerable to predators, for example. It is important that if you are going to be involved in raising more monarchs, that you do so responsibly and plan ahead. Yes, accidents do happen – ask any farmer!
Euthanasia
The recommended way of euthanasing a monarch butterfly is to put it into a container and put the container into the freezer. Within a few minutes they are dead, and you have reduced the likelihood of other monarchs being affected.
Hygiene
If you are raising a large number of monarch butterflies, to reduce the likelihood of diseases you need to have a high standard of hygiene. Dispose of spent milkweed stems, tissues etc responsibly. Use a bleach solution to clean rearing containers regularly – follow the manufacturer’s directions. And rinse everything well.
Remember also that pesticides like plug-in pest controls and flea collars on pets are insecticides and may well affect your monarch caterpillars.
Outdoor Plants
If you suspect that a swan plant may be carrying the disease, i.e. that monarchs have left a disease on the leaves and as a result monarch caterpillars are picking up the disease, you can disinfect the plant. Do this in a cooler time of the day: Use a 20% bleach solution and spray on the plant. Spray the undersides of the leaves as well. Leave it on for 20 minutes and then wash off.
You can also bleach eggs if you want to have a more hands-on relationship with your monarchs. Check out this video here. (and please follow our YouTube channel for more helpful tips).
Saving Seed
If you want to save seed to share - or to help us with our fundraising - these instructions will be useful.
Instructions for seed collection
Deadheading is the term used for the removal of flowers from plants when they are fading or dead. It’s done to keep the garden looking attractive and to encourage the plant to create more flowers.
Regular deadheading directs energy into stronger growth and more flowers. Once the flowers are pollinated seed heads, pods or capsules will develop – and the plant, if it’s an annual, will die, having fulfilled its job.
Perennials can also be deadheaded. A perennial is a plant that persists for many growing seasons. Herbaceous perennials have foliage and stems that die to the ground at the end of the growing season and show only primary growth. Woody perennials persist with stems above the ground with primary and secondary growth, while evergreen perennials have persistent foliage without the woody stems. Some die back every autumn and winter – you would hardly know that it had been in your garden, until in the spring it sprouts again from the rootstock. Others remain above the ground but just stop flowering at the end of the summer.
In a butterfly habitat, having flowers to provide nectar for the butterflies (and other pollinators) means that the butterflies will stay around rather than going elsewhere to find nectar.
There are different methods you can use – you may need secateurs, scissors or a knife, but sometimes you can just pinch off the blooms with finger and thumb. Aim to remove the flower with its stem – right down to the next bud or leaf. The cut needs to be made just above the axil or node.
Some flowers will keep flowering for months over the course of the summer if you deadhead every few days. It is not serious if you must leave the deadheading for more than a few days while you are on holiday or are otherwise busy. But as soon as you can, get back out into the garden and trim off the dead heads. You can either collect the prunings in a bucket and add them to the compost, or you can simply drop them where you cut them, adding a layer of mulch to the soil below the plant.
Towards the end of the summer, you might like to leave the plants to set seed. If you want to keep your seed, you can put the flowers into the little mesh bags available at discount shops to let the seeds develop and mature while they are still on the plant. In this way the seed won’t be eaten by birds and won’t blow away into other areas of the garden or neighbourhood.
Two women approached me after a presentation at the Rotorua Library. They had a very large and healthy stinging nettle patch and were hopeful of raising admirals. Instead, they were being plagued by a parasitic wasp devastating the butterflies.
They told me that from the outside of the chrysalis it looks as though the caterpillar is changing into a butterfly but inside, the cells are instead feeding developing wasps.
Probably the most common parasitic wasp in NZ is Pteromalus puparum, which was introduced here in the 1930's as a biological control for the cabbage white butterfly. Females are shiny black and the males a metallic greenish bronze, usually smaller than the females. They can deposit anything up to 200 eggs inside a pupa or prepupa!
As the eggs hatch and grow they devour the contents of the pupa. The first adult chews a hole in the pupal case and on average 23 wasps will emerge. They mate immediately and start searching for fresh pupae.
Admiral pupa infected by P. puparum - photo by Kathy Reid
If you want to see P. puparum at work, this video on YouTube is very informative.
Here is another parasitic wasp: Echthromorpha intricatoria. Also known as the cream-spotted ichneumon, the female waits for a butterfly caterpillar to pupate, and immediately injects its eggs into the soft chrysalis with its long ovipositor. It doesn't have a sting - that's the ovipositor you can see. And fortunately, with this wasp, it only lays one egg per pupa! This wasp, I believe, was self-introduced from Australia.
Thanks to Reiner Richter for this photo of E. intricatoria
After I had left the Rotorua Library it occurred to me that whenever we come up against a pest and want to do something about it, the first important step is to learn more about it. Common names can be confusing and when someone tells you it's a fly, someone else will tell you its a wasp - or a bee. So the first step is to identify the enemy!
Then you need to think about ways of outwitting it. And there is no right way or wrong way - so much depends on your lifestyle, the size of your property, and your means. These were my thoughts.
They had told me they had a very large patch of stinging nettle. They were collecting pupae and bringing them indoors, raising them individually in jars... and had a huge collection of jars, but most of the pupae would be infected.
It was, of course, the nettle which was bringing the admirals into their garden. The admirals attracted the parasitic wasps. Effectively, what they were doing with their beautiful nettle patch was... breeding wasps. The problem would be solved if they eliminated the nettles...
So, why not plant nettles somewhere else in a parasite-proof area. It could be inside the house, or in a caterpillar castle (or similar) or a butterfly house - any area protected with parasite-proof netting. Then, when this was established, temporarily remove most of the nettle patch outdoors, just leaving sufficient which was easily accessible so they could search for admiral larvae and transfer them to the protected nettle.
Having nettles means that there is at least a chance for successful emergence of adults. Without nettles that opportunity is eliminated.
Presumably the life cycle of the wasp is about 30 days. So if they wait two months - two cycles - for the wasps to 'die out', it should give them a head start before wasps found their nettle patch again. The nettle of course would recover after a few months of being mown or covered.
They will never be wasp-free in the wild, but this method should boost their admiral numbers sufficiently.
I would be interested in feedback on this suggestion from those of you already raising admirals.
The Spring school holidays begin next week and we have some treats for you.
We work with a team of AUT students who are in their final year of a degree in PR/communications. As part of their studies and final exam Antonia, Kubra, Madison, Skylar, Tia and Yianna are working on a PR project for a charity. They are promoting our #sprayfreeleavesplease and #ApprovedByButterflies campaign.
As part of this they have designed two colour-ins for children, one is Billy the butterfly and the other is Bailey. Click on either 'Billy' or 'Bailey' below to download one for the kids to complete and be in to win. Please add a mail address when they've finished, so we can then mail them their prize.
Gus Evans is now retired but for many years ran his own nursery at Waikanae on the Kapiti Coast, where he grew swan plants. Read about the adventures he had:
Swan plants? We grew them for over 40 years. I always said swan plants are like alcohol and cigarettes … I know you will be back for more!
We grew them in a totally covered house to avoid monarch attacks. But apart from monarchs, pretty much the only other thing that ever bothered them was the little orange aphid, Aphidius nerii.
Our top tip to people was, at the end of the season, to plant 3-4 close together and make a total shade cloth cover over them to allow the plants to grow into something quite substantial and be able to sustain the first invasion of caterpillars in the new season. The cover needs to be large enough to not touch the leaves on the plants as butterflies could lay on them.
An old guy who lives not far from us had an old swan plant that had a real stem on the bottom of it – I would say about six or seven years old. Maybe you’d call it a ‘trunk’. Every year that could sustain 600 caterpillars at any one time. It was massive, and every year totally covered.
We built up a real clientele over many years. Garden centres and the public trusted us implicitly that our plants had never been sprayed. For that reason, we had huge pre-orders year after year. We grew the same amount every year, about 6,000 in 1.5L pots. We would plant three per pot, so customers got their money’s worth and were satisfied.
We would give away many to schools and kindergartens (until they were notified it was poisonous), and people we knew who loved them but couldn’t afford it for their kids. How many kids have you seen eat swan plant leaves? Yet in our laundry sink cupboard we have far more potent dangers.
Over the years we have shared so many monarch stories. People make such a hobby of raising monarch caterpillars. One Christmas Day I got a call from a lady who said her monarchs had run out of feed, and could I open up, and get her some urgently? We did!
The funniest story is this: One year a large garden centre asked us for 600 plants with the proviso that each plant would have a caterpillar. No problem, I thought. I put them all outside about a fortnight before delivery, and sure enough heaps of caterpillars!
So, we dutifully set about putting a caterpillar on each plant. However, on the journey into Wellington they decided to migrate all over our van. The caterpillars were on my neck, crawling up the windows, on the roof … everywhere. Amazing! When I arrived, I said to the boss lady, I have good news and bad new.! The good news is there are all your plants but … there are all the caterpillars. You are going to need to grab them.
It was hilarious, all their staff coming out and re-introducing all the caterpillars to the plants.
We have met so many interesting people over the years sharing the love for monarchs. One lady would buy hundreds off me every year but insisted on picking her own plants. For maybe 100 plants she would spend at least an hour. She used to crush the orange aphids in her fingers. We used to drown them by immersing the plants in a deep bath, eliminating the use of sprays, which was the golden NO NO! She used to discuss with me breeding first and second-generation monarchs.
Another funny story was when we first got into swan plants, the first time we potted them up was outside. We went for lunch and when we came back, they had been invaded. Eggs everywhere. We spent many weeks picking off caterpillars, as the damage they caused with their voracious appetite made the plants unsaleable. Lesson learnt: only pot inside in future.
Pretty much it is very expensive to buy small plants every season as within two days the plants are stripped bare and we have hungry caterpillars. Some people even cried that the caterpillars were hungry, such is the emotional attachment people have to monarchs.
Try hard to grow some big plants to sustain the attack of the monarch butterflies. If you have been buying small plants each year, check out the tips on the website here and see if you can modify your garden to accommodate larger swan plants.
Here’s Gus secret to growing his plants:
We always sowed seed. We always used Daltons Seed Sowing Mix, lightly covering the seed. We would start sowing our first batch in July, and every month afterwards, with the final sowing in November. That way we had continuity and guaranteed ongoing supply.
We would put the seed trays on bottom heat for germination. When they had germinated, we would prick these out in about three weeks into 5 cm tubes, and then finish them off in 1.5 litre pots. It was essential to have good light after germination so as not to draw the plants and make them spindly.
After they were potted, they would be for sale at about 800 mm high in seven weeks.
We never fertilised again as it was a quick crop to produce, but it is essential to use a top-quality potting mix with all the good fertilisers in it, such as Daltons Potting Mix. The cheapest mix is not necessarily the best.
Sometimes yellowing may occur. For us this would be caused by overwatering as there was definitely no nitrogen deficiency. Perhaps if established plants are turning yellow, they may need some good slow release fertiliser around the drip line.
We would feed the plants twice a year if outside, and as a rule of thumb feed them as they are going to sleep (say late March) and again as they are waking up in September.
Thanks, Gus!
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.
There are more useful hints on the webpage designed specially for the purpose of helping our monarchs: click on the link. And also watch out for 'Top Tips' like these, in our weekly e-news.
Everyone who becomes a financial member of the MBNZT (while stocks last) receives a FREE copy of George Gibbs' book about the Monarch Butterfly in New Zealand. It's so helpful learning about monarchs.
An Exquisite Legacy was mentioned in despatches recently and we’ve since been asked for copies in our shop. So here’s your opportunity. This is the illustrated biography of G V Hudson (1867-1946) one of this country’s greatest pioneer naturalists and artists. The illustrations of NZ insects are remarkable – a national treasure. Note: we have a limited number of copies so this is not on our website. Only $55 plus $10 P&P. Order now by emailing your name, address and payment details and paying into the MBNZT bank account with Kiwibank 38-9009-0654693-00 to .
During winter, frosts occur on clear, still nights. As the air outdoors gets closer to freezing (0o C), the surface temperature of your plants can go below freezing causing ice crystals to form, just as dew forms on warm nights. Of course, temperatures vary just above ground level so frost can also form even when the thermometer isn’t at 0o C.
Wherever your live in NZ your plant might continue to grow throughout the winter, even if it's slower. If the plant is in a pot, make sure it’s not rootbound. If there are roots coming out the bottom it is time to find a larger pot, and you can feed the plant well at the same time.
If you have a swan plant in your garden that you want to protect for next season, and during previous winters you’ve experienced frosts, snow and freezing conditions, you might find these tips helpful.
Cut off any old growth, dead stems, discoloured leaves. When you cut the stem, cut on an angle away from the ground so that any moisture is more likely to drain away, rather than sit on the open wound. Also make the cut just above a node, where the buds are located.
This area has great cellular activity and growth. New buds will form in the spring and develop into stems with more leaves. Each cut is going to provide twice the amount of growth. You should be able to feed twice as many caterpillars!
Almost any type of covering will work, but old blankets, sheets, and even burlap sacks are best. Drape the covering loosely and use stakes, ties, rocks, or bricks to keep it in place. Plants growing under the eaves of your house and on the northern side (usually more sheltered and getting more sun) already have the advantage. You’ll have to put some thought into placing the covering … you don’t want to squash your plant, but the pruning will have helped eliminate the weaker stems. Spring-loaded clothes pegs are really handy. Put the covers over in the evening and that will keep in any heat from the day, and remove the covers when the sun comes out the next morning. You don’t want your plant to suffocate.
Mulch helps to lock in moisture and, during cold weather, holds in heat. Try to keep it thick, about 5-10 cm is ideal. You can use loosely-piled leaves, straw, pine needles, bark or shredded paper.
If you have a good warning system that a frost is on the way, water the plants well before frosty weather arrives. Wet soil holds more heat than dry soil – but don’t saturate your plants while temperatures are low as this could cause the soil to swell when it freezes.
If you see seedlings in your garden, you could pot these up and put them in a cold frame. Cold frames can easily be made from old windows and bricks – basically they are four walls with a glass ‘ceiling’. I have seen a cold frame made with old hay bales which are great insulation. A great opportunity to recycle old materials.
We hope these tips are helpful to those of you living in colder climes. Some of our members in Dunedin manage to overwinter their plants … so perhaps you can do so too (even if people say you can’t).
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