The Logan Soil and Water Conservation District, 324 County Road 11, Bellefontaine, will collect milkweed pods Sept. 1 through Oct. 30 in conjunction with the Ohio Pollinator Habitat Initiative.
Milkweed is the only host plant for the Monarch butterfly for egg lay- ing and caterpillar rearing. It also serves as a food source for Monarchs as well as many other pollinator species.
Before collecting seed, become familiar with the common milkweed to avoid harvesting pods from similar plants such as hemp dogbane and swamp milkweed and follow these suggestions:
• Collect pods when they are dry, gray or brown
• They can be harvested when the center seam pops with gentle pressure
• Store the pods in a cool, dry area until they can be delivered to the soil and water office.
Questions may be directed to (937) 404-3150
Watch a video about milkweed at http://u.osu.edu/beelab/milkweed-seed/.
