Make your yard a kingdom for monarch butterflies

Q. Recently I read about the plight of monarch butterflies (severe weather, illegal logging in Mexico, etc.). What can I do in my garden to attract and help these beautiful winged creatures?A. The future of the monarch looks a bit shaky with continued use of herbicides and habitat destruction. Since the monarch's life cycle revolves around the milkweed, gardeners can help monarchs by growing this plant. Monarchs will only lay eggs on milkweed, and their caterpillars will only feed on milkweed. While consuming milkweed, the caterpillars and butterflies ingest cardenolides, a substance that renders them toxic to predators. While the common milkweed (Asclepiassyriaca) may be a rambunctious grower, many butterfly gardeners wouldn't be without it since it's the plant of choice for monarch caterpillars. However, there are other milkweeds native to our area that will also help the beleaguered monarch. These include the prairie milkweed (Asclepius sullivantii), and the Sullivant's milkweed (Asclepius sullivantii) which is similar to the common milkweed, but is not a rambunctious grower. It creeps slowly by rhizomes. The butterfly milkweed (Asclepiastuberose) grows to 3 feet with showy orange, red or yellow flowers. For moist areas in your garden, try planting red milkweed (Asclepius incarnate) and swamp milkweed (Asclepiasincarnate), which is deer resistant.During the fall, as monarchs begin their migration to their overwintering site in Mexico, they need plenty of nectar for energy. Good sources of nectar-rich flowers that bloom in fall include goldenrod (Solidago spp.), New England aster (Aster novae-angliae), black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta), blazing star (Liatris spp.), cardinal flower (Lobelia cardinalis), purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea), sedum (Sedum spp.), Joe-Pye weed (Eupatorium spp.), lantana (Lantana spp.), phlox (Phlox spp.), salvia (Salvia spp.) and zinnia (Zinnia spp.) To complete your monarch buffet, don't forget that butterflies do get thirsty. Provide water in a shallow pan. And, when they are not feeding, they like to lounge on flat, sun-warmed stones positioned in the sun. Finally, do not use pesticides or herbicides in your garden (the "cide" means kill). Butterflies are extremely sensitive to such poisons.Q. Last year I think I had iris borers in my bed of bearded iris. How do I prevent or get rid of the borers?A. The iris borer is the larval form of a moth that lays eggs on the overwintering bearded iris plant. The eggs hatch when temperatures reach 70 degrees and the larva enters iris leaves when new growth is 4- to 6-inches high. Bacteria carried on its body results in bacterial soft rot in the leaves and rhizome (underground stem) as the borer moves to the rhizome where it continues to eat until it is a mature larva.Prevent iris borers by thoroughly removing debris and old dried stems and leaves off iris in fall and again in early spring (March) before new growth begins. You can't be too thorough in repeated cleanup. Removing debris and dead leaves in late fall should eliminate eggs laid in the fall. In spring cut leaves down to the rhizomes before new growth begins to rid the plants of any newly laid eggs. Do not compost the iris debris.Organic controlbull; During spring and summer, carefully flattening the length of each iris leaf between your fingers. This should squash any borers in the leaves.bull; If a portion of a rhizome is soft and appears rotted, dig it up (include a fan of leaves,) remove the soft portions and dip the rhizome into a 10 percent bleach solution. Let it dry in sunlight for several hours and replant so the top of the rhizome is visible after watering-in the plant.Chemical controlIn spring when fans are 4- to 6-inches high, apply an approved insecticide that contains at least 0.2 percent imidacloprid. Grub control products typically contain this ingredient. Granular forms can be spread around each clump (1/2 tsp. per clump) and watered-in. Carefully follow product directions and precautions on the product label.bull; Provided by Mary Boldan and Donna Siemro, University of Illinois Extension Master Gardeners. Send questions to Ask a Master Gardener, c/o Friendship Park Conservatory, 395 W. Algonquin Road, Des Plaines, IL 60016, (847) 298-3502 or via e-mail to cookcountymg@sbcglobal.net.