How to Stop RABBITS...Permanently❓🌿🐇

Greetings Good RAISEr,

Spring has sprung, but the cold isn’t quite done with us here in Minnesota with a wintry rain/snow mix for the weekend ☔️☃️

Stuck indoors during wintry weather is the perfect time to get started with milkweed seeds…


Starting Seeds Indoors...in March? 📆

Some people like to start seeds indoors months in advance, but over the past years I've found it takes less time/effort to start milkweed seeds in late March/ early April, then seedlings outside after the final frost so they can get acclimated to the growing conditions with less risk of breaking off.

Planting small seedlings works well because:

1. small seedings aren’t leggy and have stronger stems from the start

2. Miss Lucy is (mostly) a good dog 🐶 and doesn't dig around the garden and because our rabbit fencing keeps most seedling-seeking rabbits out…although two have recently penetrated our deFENCE, so we’ll need some reinforcement this spring. (We could also fence the seedlings.)

Fencing was wildly successful for our last garden and was the best option (we found) to keep them out permanently...the vacant lot next to our new garden lot has plenty of fresh vegetation for the garden-munching brats to feast on 🌿🐇🐇🐇

The deer who were in our garden (regularly) over the winter are more worrisome, but they’ve been more infrequent since the snow has melted. Hopefully, they’ve moved on to greener pastures 🌿🦌🤞

Our goal is to live in harmony with nature, but rabbits and deer sure can destroy your garden dreams quickly 😖

Starting ANNUAL Milkweed Seeds Indoors 🌱❓

We typically start annual seeds indoors, because they have the greatest potential to reach maturity in one season (for native and perennials we use other propagation methods I will discuss in upcoming newsletters). But, for this week...

How To Start Annual Milkweed Seeds Indoors ⬅️

While you can start seeds for the purpose of raising butterflies, I recommend also having mature plants available so you don’t run out of milkweed ⬅️

For more ideas to support the struggling monarch population this season:

5 Ways to Support Monarchs in 2025 ⬅️


Have a Serene Sunday,

Tony your Butterfly Guide 🦋🦋🦋