An abundance of pollinators in your vegetable garden is an indicator of its overall health; but how can we attract them?
Plant flowers that bloom early in the spring, throughout summer and into fall for maximum pollinator appeal. Pollinators love brightly-colored blooms with long tubular shapes. A mix of annuals and perennials would make an excellent garden.
Plant the Right Flowers
Flowers attract pollinators, which in turn fertilize your vegetables, helping them to expand and produce more fruit. Therefore, it is crucial that flowers and herbs accompanying vegetable crops during their growing seasons – giving you the chance to take in their vibrant beauty while contributing to plant health and production.
To attract the highest number of pollinators, select flowers that are native or at least familiar to you in terms of climate and bloom during spring, summer, and fall with various hues, shapes, and scents. Planting blooming flowers concurrent with vegetable crops will further ensure their pollinator visitors stay nearby and continue their visits.
Look for flowers that attract bees, such as zinnias, sunflowers and cosmos. Bees also enjoy pollinating nasturtiums, marigolds and chrysanthemums – these blooms can easily be grown from seeds or transplants and planted alongside or between your vegetables for maximum pollinator attraction!
Bumblebees are especially adept at pollinating nightshades like tomatoes and eggplants by using “buzz pollination”, which releases tightly bound pollen faster and more effectively than other pollinators can. Bumblebees also enjoy pollinating other vegetables such as strawberries, peppers, cucumbers, squash gourds watermelons and apples; in addition to your vegetable garden you should also stock your flower beds with lupine wildflower mixes and vetch for maximum bee activity!
As you plan your garden, keep pollinators in mind when adding native plants that provide food sources for butterflies and caterpillars like milkweed – an essential food source for Monarch butterflies but its population has been rapidly decreasing in recent years. You could also include a pond or birdbath in your vegetable garden to provide regular sources of water throughout the growing season for insects to drink from regularly; additionally it would be wise to avoid spraying herbicides and pesticides until absolutely necessary (after extensive research into potential impacts on pollinators species).
Provide Shelter
Many popular fruits, nuts, and legumes rely on pollinators to ensure successful development and yields. Gardens that attract pollinators all year provide these essential insects with food, water, and shelter – thus aiding their own vegetable plants’ success!
Step one in creating an ideal habitat for pollinators involves cultivating a diverse mix of flowers, shrubs and herbs that bloom from spring to fall season. Choose flowers in various colors, shapes and sizes so as to attract as many pollinators as possible – pollen and nectar plants for adult bees and butterflies can serve as larval host plants for caterpillars; select trees, shrubs and perennials which provide sturdy shelter such as willow or birch for example; additionally herb and vegetable plants may supply nectar; do leave areas of bare ground or natural leaf litter for nesting, egg-laying and resting!
If you have a pond, water feature, or bird bath on your property, keep it filled and within easy reach of plants for maximum butterfly and bird attraction. Hummingbirds especially appreciate hummingbirdbaths where they can perch while sipping nectar from rocks or foliage while sipping nectar from nectar-rich rocks and foliage.
Finally, avoid spraying your garden with pesticides – even organic ones – as these can harm or kill pollinators. When spraying is absolutely necessary, follow instructions closely, use only minimal amounts and attempt to apply when winds are calm to reduce drifting. Furthermore, treat vegetables and fruits when they’re not in bloom to ensure effective results.
Once the fundamentals are in place, your veggie garden can become an even greater pollinator destination by creating separate pollinator gardens or just including some flowers and shrubs in among your existing vegetable planting beds. When creating dedicated pollinator gardens, be sure to fill them with top quality soil that pollinators prefer; Miracle-Gro(r) Raised Bed Soil and Garden Soil for Flowers can provide just such an environment for flowering and fruiting plants!
Keep the Water Available
Gardens full of flowers and vegetables are an integral component of any home landscape, yet when you nibble into a juicy tomato or harvest the seeds from vibrant zinnia blooms, remember it was pollinators, such as bees, butterflies, or hummingbirds, that brought these flavors and colors into existence. Pollinators require three essential things in order to thrive: food, water, and shelter – with all three provided, you should expect an active pollinating scene!
Start by choosing plants that pollinators enjoy. Bees especially appreciate brightly-hued blooms with bell-shaped petals; examples of such plants would include foxglove, canna lilies, trumpet vine and petunias – though any that produce nectar all year-round will also help bring more bees to your yard!
As part of your garden planning process, select both seeds and starter plants. Seeds tend to be cheaper but take more time to germinate; starter plants offer faster returns.
Avoid spraying pesticides, as these can harm pollinators and their friends. Instead, introduce predatory insects or parasitic wasps into your garden as these will reduce the number of unwelcomed guests that you kill off with regularity.
Once you’ve chosen your plants, arrange them in rows or blocks throughout your vegetable garden. Remember to plant flowers in sunny, sheltered locations so they provide maximum benefits to bees. Long-blooming varieties like butterfly milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa), blazing star (Liatris), purple prairie clover (Dalea purpurea), and black-eyed Susans (Echinacea) provide pollen and nectar production long into late summer when most other plants have stopped doing so – these native species provide pollen and nectar sources where many other sources have stopped providing pollen/nectar production altogether!
Plant in Big Batches
To attract pollinators, diversifying your garden is the key. Include flowering plants native to your region that can easily draw in pollinators such as bees, hummingbirds and butterflies as these will more readily entice local pollinators like wasps, dragonflies, beetles or even ants!
Make the most of your vegetable garden space by planting multiple varieties of flowers that bloom at different times, providing sources of nectar throughout the growing season. Groupings of similar flowers also make it easier for pollinators to spot them; hummingbirds prefer long and tubular shapes while bees favor round ones.
Maintaining healthy soil is another essential component of successful vegetable gardening, and should include plenty of organic matter like compost and well-rotted manure to provide essential nutrition both to your vegetables as well as pollinators pollenation efforts.
Avoid spraying pesticides in your vegetable garden as these chemicals can be hazardous to pollinators and other insects. If necessary, spray at dusk, when pollinators will likely not be out foraging for food.
Create special areas in your vegetable garden dedicated solely for pollinator plants. This could involve creating wildflower or shrub borders that do not interfere with vegetable production; such borders tend to grow more naturally and will be easier for you to manage, while at the same time helping reduce pest numbers lingering near your vegetables.
Plant Native Plants
Selecting native flowers, herbs, and shrubs is one surefire way to draw pollinators to your vegetable garden. Since many of these species co-evolved with local insects, birds, and wildlife, they provide both food and shelter that pollinators need while adding color and beauty to your landscape.
Choose flowers that bloom throughout the season to provide pollinators with a steady source of nectar, and increase diversity within your garden by including more species that produce nectar and pollen in equal amounts; Asteraceae flowers (daisy family) provide bees with plentiful pollen for their offspring while goldenrod (Solidago) offers easily accessible nectar sources.
Unless absolutely necessary, try to limit the use of herbicides or pesticides in the vegetable garden, using them with care following package guidelines and on windy days when pollinators activity is at its highest. If spraying must take place be sure to use products like Sevin that won’t penetrate plant tissue.
Starting your pollinator garden should begin in a sunny spot that’s protected from strong winds; butterflies prefer areas without gusts for resting and feeding, and once started you may want to expand it further around sheds, walkways, etc. Don’t forget to share what you have planted with friends and neighbors; the more pollinator gardens there are in various spots the greater its benefit can be felt by everyone!