How do you prune milkweek plants after caterpillar ate all the leaves?
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Don't prune them until you are sure the caterpillars weren't of Monarch butterflies . Look carefully to see if there are any chrysalises hanging from the branches. If there are you can leave them or if they are in the way, cut them and put them in a sheltered out of the way place in the garden. RScott
I hope the caterpillar is gone now. The leaves should re-sprout, as long as the caterpillar is gone. I wouldn't worry about pruning it, maybe trim it just a bit, so to stimulate the roots to grow new leaves. You may want to consider an insecticide, either spray or systemic, or remove the cat's when you first see leaf damage.
The sap of the milkweed plant is toxic. I got it on my hands and face when I was young and my eyes swoll shut. I would not prune it. It will either sprout new leaves or die. Let nature take its course. The milkweed is the favorite food source of the Monarch butterfly caterpillar. I would assume they have fed on it and since they cannot fly are now possibly in a cacoon on or near the plant.
I have found that milk weed is one of the plant that haste butterflys. You should have alot of them in your garden this year. as for you plant . . . What i do is prune it back to about 3-4 inch from the ground. make sure you keep it watered and it will regrow
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