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Calling all Pollinators

2ndHand

2ndHand

5 year old buck +
image.jpeg

I am trying a few things this year to try and help with the pollination of my developing orchard. Namely with planting wild flowers (Butterfly Weed, Cone flowers, and a few others) grown from collected seed, adding a few areas of Buck Wheat, and adding a few Mason Bee hives (which I haven't made yet).

What is your "B" plan or suggestions?
 
I have a lot of flowers in my yard so that helps. Was hoping to put in some more this spring, we will see if time permits.
 
We plant lots of wildflowers on our property. Most bloom well after my orchard does. However, I hope creating an environment favorable to pollinators helps attracting them to our property, as well as spending more time there.
 
We plant a large patch of buckwheat each year. It attracts all kinds of bees - big and small. BW seems to attract a large number of bumble bees, as well as little, odd bees and flies that also go into the apple blossoms. We haven't had any problems with pollination - even in the years we didn't have honey bee hives. ( which we do now ).

Something else we have a couple of is wild viburnum. They bloom like crazy and they require NO CARE !! You can smell them all over when they are blooming. Small white & yellow flowers on them.
 
Never had a problem nor do I worry. Have apple, pear, crab, plumb, cherry. No issues. Actually kind of interesting how many different pollinators there are. Fun to watch.
 
Don'tWorryIHuggedItFirst said:
Never had a problem nor do I worry. Have apple, pear, crab, plumb, cherry. No issues. Actually kind of interesting how many different pollinators there are. Fun to watch.
Click to expand...

What variety of pears do you have? I would be interested in planting a few, my property is located in Jackson County. Thanks!
 
Your biggest thing would be to provide pollen all season long. If you've got a fairly natural selection of plants then you'll be alright. Native pollinators don't need THAT much help, as long as they have their habitat.

Check out the xerces society. They have a lot of guides to habitat for pollinators. They're a great resource if you're into bug/insect things!

One "side-effect" of increasing the pollinator habitat is that you'll also increase the amount of habitat for beneficial/predatory insects that will feast upon your apple pests!
 
I checked on my neighbors bee hives a couple weeks ago and saw no sign of life. This was the first winter he left them on my property. I fear they are toast. Hopefully he replaces them before the apple blossoms come out.
 
2ndHand said:
What variety of pears do you have? I would be interested in planting a few, my property is located in Jackson County. Thanks!
Click to expand...

Currently I have Early Gold and Golden Spice. I am planting Shenadoah and Harrow Sweet this spring.
 
Rally1148 said:
Your biggest thing would be to provide pollen all season long. If you've got a fairly natural selection of plants then you'll be alright. Native pollinators don't need THAT much help, as long as they have their habitat.

Check out the xerces society. They have a lot of guides to habitat for pollinators. They're a great resource if you're into bug/insect things!

One "side-effect" of increasing the pollinator habitat is that you'll also increase the amount of habitat for beneficial/predatory insects that will feast upon your apple pests!
Click to expand...

Hey Rally, Thanks for the FYI regarding the Xerces Society!! I ordered their book on attracting pollinators from Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Attracting-Native-Pollinators-Protecting-Butterflies/dp/1603426957/ref=sr_1_1?s=tradein-aps&srs=10825010011&ie=UTF8&qid=1458687335&sr=8-1&keywords=attracting native pollinators
 
2ndHand said:
Hey Rally, Thanks for the FYI regarding the Xerces Society!! I ordered their book on attracting pollinators from Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Attracting-Native-Pollinators-Protecting-Butterflies/dp/1603426957/ref=sr_1_1?s=tradein-aps&srs=10825010011&ie=UTF8&qid=1458687335&sr=8-1&keywords=attracting native pollinators
Click to expand...

Check out their fact sheets as well. Adding native plants (plugs, gallon pots, etc...) from local native plant producers is what I've been doing. In addition to that I'm trying to grow a bunch from seed (with varying success). The best way I can describe what I'm making is a "patchwork mosaic". Just blocks of things all over. Now for deer I did do a NWSG + forb mix... unfortunately I think most of the grasses in it are switch.... but either way. This isn't really for deer, but I just find insects, and nature in general, really interesting so I figure why not.
 
Rally1148 said:
Check out their fact sheets as well. Adding native plants (plugs, gallon pots, etc...) from local native plant producers is what I've been doing. In addition to that I'm trying to grow a bunch from seed (with varying success). The best way I can describe what I'm making is a "patchwork mosaic". Just blocks of things all over. Now for deer I did do a NWSG + forb mix... unfortunately I think most of the grasses in it are switch.... but either way. This isn't really for deer, but I just find insects, and nature in general, really interesting so I figure why not.
Click to expand...

My approach will be similar a patch here and a patch there. The others thing I am adding is ten Manchurian Crab whips for wind break and pollinating. Hopefully the turkey and grouse will find the fruit beneficial.
 
Rally1148 said:
Check out their fact sheets as well. Adding native plants (plugs, gallon pots, etc...) from local native plant producers is what I've been doing. In addition to that I'm trying to grow a bunch from seed (with varying success). The best way I can describe what I'm making is a "patchwork mosaic". Just blocks of things all over. Now for deer I did do a NWSG + forb mix... unfortunately I think most of the grasses in it are switch.... but either way. This isn't really for deer, but I just find insects, and nature in general, really interesting so I figure why not.
Click to expand...
Hey Rally, considering starting a thread on planting for pollinators and saying more about using 'plugs' to get plants started.
 
2ndHand said:
I started a number of cells of Butterfly Weed and Cone flower over the last couple of weeks. The Butterfly Weed is starting to sprout.


View attachment 8558 View attachment 8559
Click to expand...
Butterfly weed or milkweed? Those seeds looked like what I call Milkweed

Either way, it's just fun to add diversity, Some of the stuff I caged using some of my neighbor's christmas tree baskets. The kind that go in the ground around the roots. I'll take them off in a year or two so that I know they are established

Lot2Learn said:
Hey Rally, considering starting a thread on planting for pollinators and saying more about using 'plugs' to get plants started.
Click to expand...

I've already got a bit going on here. Some of those are plugs that I bought from a native plant nursery that uses locally collected seed. It's more pricey, but since I'm not doing a huge number of them it's worth it to me.

http://habitat-talk.com/index.php?threads/grin-project.2754/

As of now I don't have any flowers going, but I DO have some switch, elderberry, and big bluestem. I'll get those pictures on here in the next day or two. The rest of my shrub seeds are stratifying. This summer I'll really be looking hard for local seed sources, as we have a nice 15 or so mile bike path that goes through some prairie habitats. Wildflowers are really my next step, as I'm still working on adding shrubs for cover.
 
Rally, I know it as Butterfly weed, smaller seed pods. Looks like this:

image.jpeg
 
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