[MEBC-Butterfly] FW: Gardening thoughts

From: "Gary & Nancy Barrigar" <barrigargn@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: "Aubrie Abernethy & Jim Gorny" <aubriejim@xxxxxxxxxxx>, "Carolyn Martin" <jcmartin@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>, "Lee Kirkwood" <leek505@xxxxxxx>, "Rebecca Nunley" <rebekalu@xxxxxxxxxxx>, "Mountain Empire Butterfly Club" <mebc-butterfly@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Mon, 16 Mar 2009 12:07:58 -0400

Something to consider for your butterfly plants.

-----Original Message-----
From: Charles Cameron [mailto:ccamer@xxxxxxxxxxxx] 
Sent: Saturday, March 14, 2009 6:43 PM
To: dplex-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [DPLEX-L:35981] Gardening thoughts

Folks,

The following by Jim Nottke was just printed in the 2009 #1 issue of the 

Carolina Butterfly Society's newsletter "The Chrysalis".

A Caterpillar Garden vs. a Butterfly Garden

As you plant your 2009 Butterfly Garden, I suggest that you separate your 

caterpillar host plants from any nectar plants by as much distance as 

practical.

Ten years ago I planted my host plants in my flower and vegetable gardens 

wherever they fit with regard to their needs for sun, water, space, etc. 

While butterflies deposited many eggs, the loses of eggs and caterpillars to

predators was very high - in fact I got some good photos of caterpillars 

being preyed upon by a variety of other insects and spiders.

Then about 5 years ago, I thought about isolating my host plants from other 

plantings, so I started a Caterpillar Garden in a large grassy area of a 

former cow pasture.  The 20 x 20 foot host plant garden is separated from 

pasture weeds and fruit orchard by about 75 feet of closely mown grass (aka 

urban desert).  While the host plant selection has varied a bit 

year-to-year, it always contained Hackberry saplings, Common Milkweed, 

Tropical Milkweed, Fennel, and Parsley.   I hand picked any flower buds that

formed and seldom saw a wasp, hornet, praying mantis, assassin bug, ant or 

spider in the area.  In this environment, caterpillar survival was very 

high, with host plants often being completely defoliated due to large number

of caterpillars!

Last year, instead of keeping flower buds removed, I let the milkweed bloom,

and caterpillars quickly disappeared.  The insects and spiders drawn by 

flowers find that caterpillars make a good meal.  Anyone who has kept 

caterpillars in screened containers will tell you stories about wasps and 

hornets trying to find a way to get at the caterpillars.

Now go plant your Butterfly Garden and your Caterpillar Garden.>

Charles Cameron

Greensboro, NC

c-cameron@xxxxxxxxxxxx

ccamer@xxxxxxxxxxxx

[MEBC-Butterfly] FW: Gardening thoughts

Other related posts: