The process begins by soaking the milkweed seeds in water on paper towels. Keep them moist every day and cover with plastic wrap.

An alternative starter mix is PERLITE, obtained from nurseries as shown here – this can create a mini-greenhouse effect as the seeds bask in the afternoon sun for about a week. Perlite is a gentle medium that allows the 2-inch baby seedling roots to be easily removed with tweezers as you replant them in starter seed mix….

Once placed in the starter mix the seedlings become stronger.

Cover them at night to keep the moisture in, but make certain they are exposed to lots of sunlight and fresh air throughout the day. TRANSFER to individual seed containers as the last step – fill the segments with starter soil and gently place the little plants into the mixture – they can remain here until they are planted outside when the weather is warm and free from frost.

Using PERLITE as the second medium of growth was simply an option – It was chosen as an experiment for gently moving the baby seedlings, and it worked. Going straight to the starter soil (skip the perlite) avoids transplanting twice. HAPPY GROWING!!