I haven't had good results with Calotropis gigantea seeds and I've tried them from a couple different sources. I had a few germinate but lost them to something (maybe damping off?) before they got the first set of true leaves. I'd tried sprouting them in soil and using a coffee filter and baggie. The ones in the baggie just rotted. I've finally given up and ordered a couple plants from a nursery.
Karyn

Anyone had any luck growing this stuff from cuttings?? For a weed, it seems rather difficult!

Found this old thread and wondered if any of you are successfully growing this milkweed. I was able to get germination from seed, and my plant is now about 8-10" tall. The leaves at the bottom were starting to yellow, so I potted it up to a larger pot, but the leaves continue to turn yellow and then drop off.

I can't seem to find the right balance of water for it. If I let it get too dry, the leaves droop and then turn yellow. If I wait until it is dry down to about 2" the leaves still turn yellow and fall.

I am using Sta-Green potting soil. I want to grow it in a pot so I can bring it in to overwinter. I keep potting it up as the roots reach the bottom of the container. I've not let it get rootbound. Maybe the soil is too rich? The mix has some fertilizer in it, so I've not added any additional fertilizer to it because most milkweeds do fine without a fertilization program.

Anyone have any suggestions?

Susan

I think the problem I had previously was the seeds. I bought more seeds from Thailand 2 years ago and have had excellent results, even with the leftover seeds I sowed this season. I just pressed them into moist soil and covered the tray. They sprouted within 2 weeks.

I keep mine in pots and don't move them up much in size. I have blooming plants in 1 gal pots and will keep them in that size for about 3 years before moving them up. I let mine go kind of dormant over the winter so they haven't gotten huge. I assume if I moved them into large containers and allowed them to continue growing over the winter they get quite large.