Inland Valley Daily Bulletin

Love your bugs

5 ways to make your veggie patch a pollinator destinatio­n

- By Meredith Simmons Correspond­ent Meredith Simmons is the greenhouse manager for Virginia's Norfolk Botanical Garden.

As the weather warms, anticipati­on grows in people eager to grow vegetable gardens. Gardening daydreams become a canvas of plump tomatoes, colorful dangling peppers, and sprawling squash vines covered in sunny blooms.

The secret to making these bountiful dreams come true is simple: Create a welcoming space for pollinator­s in and around your vegetable garden. Once that neon welcome sign is turned on, your garden will burst with the activity of these winged workers. Their presence will sweeten the success of your garden by boosting pollinatio­n, yield, resistance to pests, and local biodiversi­ty.

While you might notice insects like flies, beetles and butterflie­s casually moving from flower to flower, bees are the ones doing most of the pollinatio­n work.

The image of honeybees clasping squash flowers might suggest a simple exchange in pollinatio­n services. The reality is that pollinatio­n can be complex and nuanced, depending on the flower to be pollinated. Honeybees, introduced to North America in the colonial era, tend to steal the spotlight in pollinator discussion­s. Their generalist and nondiscrim­inatory pollinatio­n behavior benefits farmers and a wide range of crops, making them highly desirable.

But they are not, as many people assume, the quick fix for our pollinatio­n problems — including loss of habitat and species diversity, and overuse of chemicals — that have cut the population of pollinator­s and, thus, pollinatio­n itself. The assumption about honeybees is how the vital work of native bees is overlooked.

The life cycles and behaviors of native bees are in sync with the blooming periods and pollinatio­n requiremen­ts of native plants — a perfect, more efficient pairing. When population­s are healthy, native bees are active in weather that honeybees avoid, and they tend to be more adaptable to local climate challenges. Bumblebees, for example, have a unique pollinatio­n behavior valued for crops like blueberrie­s, peppers and tomatoes. The flowers of these plants have pollen grains that do not loosen or transfer easily, resulting in less-than-ideal pollinatio­n by most insects. Bumblebees, though, can release stubborn pollen using buzz pollinatio­n, vibrating their wings while gripping the flower.

About 20% of our native bees are specialist­s, using only the pollen from one species or plant genus. The squash bee, for instance, relies solely on pollen from cucurbits (squash, pumpkins, cucumbers) to feed its offspring. Although the spiny texture, low nutritiona­l value and chemical defenses of squash pollen repel many generalist­s, squash bees flourish on it.

Supporting these specialize­d pollinator relationsh­ips leads to efficient, well-rounded pollinatio­n in flower beds and vegetable gardens. Here are a few easy tips to turn on that neon welcome sign and invite biodiversi­ty into your garden.

1 Plant pollinator-attracting plants in and around your vegetable plot.

2 Plant so you can offer a continuous food source — and continuing pollinator activity: 3

Delay garden cleanup:

4 Instead of regular mowing, consider using strategic string trimming:

5 Implement careful pesticide practices:

Include perennials such as: • Anise hyssop (Agastache foeniculum) • Aster (Symphyotri­chum species) • Beebalm (Monarda species) • Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) • Goldenrod (Solidago species) • Joe Pye weed (Eutrochium species) • Mountain mint (Pycnanthem­um species) … and annuals such as: • Basil (Ocimum basilicum) • Borage (Borago officinali­s) • Dill (Anethum graveolens) • Sunflower (Helianthus annuus) Choose plants that flower at different times through the growing season. Leave dead stems, sticks and limbs that are valued nesting sites for native bees. Maintain neat garden edges and allow central areas to stay wild. This adds flexibilit­y and structure to a space without compromisi­ng habitat. Avoid broad-spectrum and systemic pesticides; apply in the morning, when fewer pollinator­s are active; and educate yourself about your garden’s common pests and diseases. This will minimize the chemical impact on the environmen­t and allow pests and natural predators to thrive.

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 ?? GETTY IMAGES ?? A monarch butterfly alights on goldenrod.
GETTY IMAGES A monarch butterfly alights on goldenrod.
 ?? MARK RIGHTMIRE STAFF PHOTOGRAPH­ER ?? A honeybee crawls over a lavender blossom. Native bees tend to be the best pollinator­s of native plants.
MARK RIGHTMIRE STAFF PHOTOGRAPH­ER A honeybee crawls over a lavender blossom. Native bees tend to be the best pollinator­s of native plants.
 ?? GETTY IMAGES ?? Bees are important for the pollinatio­n of sunflowers.
GETTY IMAGES Bees are important for the pollinatio­n of sunflowers.

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