Monarch Butterflies
Location
Waipara, North Canterbury. (See map Tip: try pressing F11 for a bigger map)
Links
Waipara, North Canterbury. (See map Tip: try pressing F11 for a bigger map)
Links
- Monarch Butterfly NZ Trust forum, lots of info about Monarch butterflies, Swan Plants, Giant Swan Plants.
- Monarch Butterfly NZ Trust Google Group mailing list.
- Wikipedia information about monarch butterflies.
- NZ Herald article 5th March 2007.
- Scoop article 11th July 2009.
- Nelson Mail article 19th June 2010.
Diary
20 Jun 10: It is now mid-winter and I've moved the half dozen Giant Swan Plants under the eaves of the house in an attempt to protect them from frosts. Between last December and March this year, there were only two Monarchs that I saw, and only one batch of eggs laid. Let's hope this summer will be more active.
20 Dec 09: With both the Giant Swan plants and the Swamp Milkweed plants, only about 20 percent germinated and they are now around 20cm tall. Spring and early summer have been quite cool and growth seems to have been a lot slower than in other years, but there has been quite an increase in growth with the recent hot weather. No sign of Monarch Butterflies yet.
6 Oct 09: Transferred 4 Giant Swan Plant seedlings from propagator to pots. Observed that 2 Swamp Milkweed seeds have germinated and are now poking up through the seed raising mix.
4 Oct 09: Sowed 37 Giant Swan Plant seeds in mini-propagator (bread roll container).
27 Sep 09: First Giant Swan Plant stem arched out of the seed growing mix.
21 Sep 09: Giant Swan Plant and Swamp Milkweed seeds arrived from MBNZT. Planted 40 of the former and 24 of the latter in Propagators and placed them in warm areas such as the hot water cupboard, the lounge when the heater was running and outdoor in the sun.
21 Sep 09: While visiting Taylors Mistake (small Christchurch bay) saw three Monarch butterflies flitting around some flowers. My first sighting for the season :-)
---------------------------------------Winter 2009----------------------------------------------
Over the following few months had many dozens of Giant Swan Plants grew, many given away or sold, many eaten by Monarch caterpillars who went on to eventually become butterflies.
3 Jan 09: Caterpillars 4mm long observed.
2 Jan 09: A few monarch eggs were discovered on giant and ordinary swan plants, so I guess we have been visited by a butterfly in the past 24 hours.
29 Dec 08: Largest Giant Swan Plants are now around 35cm tall, growing well, there has been some slight nibbling by some or other critter but insignificant.
14 Oct 08: Seeds and stems began emerging from the 11 Oct batch.
13 Oct 08: Sowed 24 Giant Swan Plant seeds in seed raising mix in the propagator and placed it in the hot water cupboard.
12 Oct 08: Purchased a propagator from Bunnings on Marshland Road (Christchurch) for ten bucks, as well as 15L of Black Magic seed raising mix for another ten bucks. Now to plant the remainder of the Giant Swan Plant seeds and maybe get something else going as my wife is interested in Black Russian tomatoes.
11 Oct 08: Alas I didn't transplant the seedlings from the 2L icecream containers quickly enough as I was off-colour, and most were spindly and didn't survive very well in flowerpots. However, today I planted around 150-200 seeds in icecream containers and other plastic containers and placed them on top of the hot water cylinder. Although I have a small number of seeds left I think this will be the last planting, but I might pass them on to friends.
25 Sep 08: A few of the seeds planted on the 21st are showing their stems arching up out of the potting mix already.
21 Sep 08: Planted 49 GSP seeds in a two litre icecream plastic container containing loosely packed potting mix, and placed it in the hot water cupboard.
16 Sep 08: None of the seeds planted on 14 May came up, so using the same pottles and more 'new' ones, I planted 60 seeds. Now that the weather has warmed up significantly, it would seem to be a good time to plant. Fingers
crossed!
----------------------------------------Winter 2008--------------------------------------
20 May 08: Moved GSP pottles into the hot water cylinder cupboard as outdoor temperatures seemed to be far too cold with frosts most mornings. Cupboard is around 20 C constantly.
14 May 08: Planted 28 Giant Swan Plant seeds in small yoghurt containers, placing them outside with a sheet of plastic over the top of them to act like a mini-greenhouse. Not sure how they will go as it is now winter and we sometimes have frosts, but hope to get an early start for our fluttery friends.
29 Mar 08: Three of the eight seedlings looking quite sick, another is not really 100 percent. So it's down to four healthy seedlings :-( Perhaps some weed spray applied nearby a week or two ago by our lawn mower person drifted in the breeze?
21 Mar 08: The 8 SP's in pots are now 10-14cm tall and for some weeks have required daily inspections for baby caterpillars, as their leaves are getting some unwanted attention at this early stage in their life. Also started this page on my website.
20 Mar 08: Joined the Monarch Butterfly NZ Trust Google Group.
19 Mar 08: Discovered the Monarch Butterfly NZ Trust website.
19 Mar 08: Big beautiful Monarch flew around the back yard in the bright sun, what a magnificent sight! I don't get to see many around here. Maybe it was attracted by my seedlings?
16 Dec 07: Transplanted the ten SP seedlings that came up into pots.
06 Dec 07: Planted many dozens, if not hundreds, of SP (Swan Plant) seeds of unknown age from a friend, in plastic trays.
20 Dec 09: With both the Giant Swan plants and the Swamp Milkweed plants, only about 20 percent germinated and they are now around 20cm tall. Spring and early summer have been quite cool and growth seems to have been a lot slower than in other years, but there has been quite an increase in growth with the recent hot weather. No sign of Monarch Butterflies yet.
6 Oct 09: Transferred 4 Giant Swan Plant seedlings from propagator to pots. Observed that 2 Swamp Milkweed seeds have germinated and are now poking up through the seed raising mix.
4 Oct 09: Sowed 37 Giant Swan Plant seeds in mini-propagator (bread roll container).
27 Sep 09: First Giant Swan Plant stem arched out of the seed growing mix.
21 Sep 09: Giant Swan Plant and Swamp Milkweed seeds arrived from MBNZT. Planted 40 of the former and 24 of the latter in Propagators and placed them in warm areas such as the hot water cupboard, the lounge when the heater was running and outdoor in the sun.
21 Sep 09: While visiting Taylors Mistake (small Christchurch bay) saw three Monarch butterflies flitting around some flowers. My first sighting for the season :-)
---------------------------------------Winter 2009----------------------------------------------
Over the following few months had many dozens of Giant Swan Plants grew, many given away or sold, many eaten by Monarch caterpillars who went on to eventually become butterflies.
3 Jan 09: Caterpillars 4mm long observed.
2 Jan 09: A few monarch eggs were discovered on giant and ordinary swan plants, so I guess we have been visited by a butterfly in the past 24 hours.
29 Dec 08: Largest Giant Swan Plants are now around 35cm tall, growing well, there has been some slight nibbling by some or other critter but insignificant.
14 Oct 08: Seeds and stems began emerging from the 11 Oct batch.
13 Oct 08: Sowed 24 Giant Swan Plant seeds in seed raising mix in the propagator and placed it in the hot water cupboard.
12 Oct 08: Purchased a propagator from Bunnings on Marshland Road (Christchurch) for ten bucks, as well as 15L of Black Magic seed raising mix for another ten bucks. Now to plant the remainder of the Giant Swan Plant seeds and maybe get something else going as my wife is interested in Black Russian tomatoes.
11 Oct 08: Alas I didn't transplant the seedlings from the 2L icecream containers quickly enough as I was off-colour, and most were spindly and didn't survive very well in flowerpots. However, today I planted around 150-200 seeds in icecream containers and other plastic containers and placed them on top of the hot water cylinder. Although I have a small number of seeds left I think this will be the last planting, but I might pass them on to friends.
25 Sep 08: A few of the seeds planted on the 21st are showing their stems arching up out of the potting mix already.
21 Sep 08: Planted 49 GSP seeds in a two litre icecream plastic container containing loosely packed potting mix, and placed it in the hot water cupboard.
16 Sep 08: None of the seeds planted on 14 May came up, so using the same pottles and more 'new' ones, I planted 60 seeds. Now that the weather has warmed up significantly, it would seem to be a good time to plant. Fingers
crossed!
----------------------------------------Winter 2008--------------------------------------
20 May 08: Moved GSP pottles into the hot water cylinder cupboard as outdoor temperatures seemed to be far too cold with frosts most mornings. Cupboard is around 20 C constantly.
14 May 08: Planted 28 Giant Swan Plant seeds in small yoghurt containers, placing them outside with a sheet of plastic over the top of them to act like a mini-greenhouse. Not sure how they will go as it is now winter and we sometimes have frosts, but hope to get an early start for our fluttery friends.
29 Mar 08: Three of the eight seedlings looking quite sick, another is not really 100 percent. So it's down to four healthy seedlings :-( Perhaps some weed spray applied nearby a week or two ago by our lawn mower person drifted in the breeze?
21 Mar 08: The 8 SP's in pots are now 10-14cm tall and for some weeks have required daily inspections for baby caterpillars, as their leaves are getting some unwanted attention at this early stage in their life. Also started this page on my website.
20 Mar 08: Joined the Monarch Butterfly NZ Trust Google Group.
19 Mar 08: Discovered the Monarch Butterfly NZ Trust website.
19 Mar 08: Big beautiful Monarch flew around the back yard in the bright sun, what a magnificent sight! I don't get to see many around here. Maybe it was attracted by my seedlings?
16 Dec 07: Transplanted the ten SP seedlings that came up into pots.
06 Dec 07: Planted many dozens, if not hundreds, of SP (Swan Plant) seeds of unknown age from a friend, in plastic trays.