Have you caught milkweed? Drop the pod into the Akron bottle

Are you raising a monarch butterfly to save it? Or do you know where common milkweed grows in the wild?

The time to harvest the pods is approaching.

The Summit Soil and Water Conservation Area is encouraging local residents to participate in the Ohio Pollen Habitat Initiative Milkweed Pod Collection, which runs through November 1.

The Ohio State University Extension Office has installed an outdoor milkweed pod collection bin at the Akron County Urban League Summit office at 440 Vernon Odom Blvd. The green bin is in front of door 19.

However, don’t cut these pods until you’re ready (and dry).

Milkweed is the monarch’s only host plant. After the butterfly lays an egg on it, the caterpillar hatches and feeds on the leaves.

The leaves also help protect the monarch from predators. The natural chemicals in plants make caterpillars unpleasant to many of their enemies.

The more dairy weeds, the more monarchs there are. The more seeds you have, the more milkweed you have.

The Ohio Pollen Breeder Habitat Initiative, which consists of nearly 80 Ohio agencies, nonprofits, and businesses, improves and creates Ohio pollen material habitat and discusses the importance of the materials pollen. Our mission is to make people known.

So why are they important? Only the planets are in play.

According to state groups, pollen matter makes up about a third of the world’s food supply. They move pollen from plant to plant, resulting in the pollination needed to bear fruit.

Meanwhile, bee and butterfly populations have plummeted over the past decade due to habitat loss. Milkweed plants can help turn the tide.

Before cutting these pods, the Ohio Pollen Matter Habitat Initiative gives some important tips. Find the right plant and don’t harvest the seeds too early.

People should be familiar with common milkweed to avoid harvesting the pods of similar plants such as bog milkweed and oleander. The collection is for general milkweed only.

It’s a good idea to make sure the pods are dry, gray, or brown. September is the time to find milkweed plants to monitor their pods while the milkweed matures.

Here are some other tips from the initiative:

• Find an area full of milkweed plants with harvestable pods.

• Watch these areas for pods in September.

• If the pods start to appear browner or grayer, they may be ready to harvest.

• Pods can be harvested if the center seal pops out with slight pressure.

• Leave two pods for each plant to ensure natural regeneration.

• When harvesting pods, use paper bags or cardboard boxes and wear gloves.

• Store the pod in a paper bag. Plastic bags collect unwanted water.

• Store pods in a cool, dry place until they are delivered to the collection point.

• When submitting the bag, write the date and country collected on the bag.

For more information, please email [email protected], visit http://www.ophi.info, or call 614-620-9830 during business hours. Please contact the OSU Extension Summit County office at https://extension.osu.edu/summit-county-office or 330-928-4769.