Pollinators account for over a third of crops and three quarters of flowering plants worldwide. So it’s important to do everything you can to help them. How to attract pollinators to your garden? Avoid common mistakes like growing non-native plants, using pesticides, over-tending your garden, and not having a water source.
Content The Importance of Plant PollinationHow to Attract Pollinators to Your Garden: Don't Overdo It with PesticidesMistake 2: Choosing the Wrong Plants or Planting Them IrrationallyHow to Attract Pollinators to Your Garden: Don't Neglect Their Needs
WomanEL will go into detail about what you should and shouldn't do. You'll also learn why it's important to attract pollinators in the first place.
The importance of plant pollination
Pollinators are a vital part of our ecosystem, and their importance cannot be overstated. They are responsible for transferring pollen from one flower to another, which leads to the appearance of fruits and seeds. Without pollinators, we would not have the beautiful and diverse plants that we enjoy in our gardens, writes Jimbosnursery. Benefits:
- Increased yield.
- Improved quality.
- Biodiversity.
- Beauty.
By attracting pollinators to your garden, you can create a healthy and thriving environment for both plants and animals, Source: vecteezy.com
How to attract pollinators to your garden: don't overdo it with pesticides
Reducing your use of pesticides is one of the easiest ways to make your garden more attractive to pollinators while supporting their survival. These chemicals can harm or even kill pollinators, so only use them when absolutely necessary.
Instead, opt for eco-friendly solutions. For example, plants that work as natural pest control, repelling unwanted insects or attracting natural predators – common garden pests.
One of the most noticeable insects you will want to attract is the ladybird, which is harmless to humans but feeds on lepidoptera, aphids, beetles and other garden pests. In addition to pests, they are attracted to small-flowered species with readily available nectar, such as dill and coriander.
Mistake 2: Choosing the wrong plants or planting them irrationally
You may have heard that bees are attracted to shades of blue and purple. However, it's not just about getting them to notice your garden. You want them to keep coming back. While colorful blooms may attract their attention, if they don't provide nectar, they'll fly away in search of a better food source.
Try to choose native plants, as they tend to provide more nectar, are more beneficial to wildlife, and are easier to maintain. Avoid invasive species – they can crowd out native plants that pollinators rely on not only for food, but also for shelter and even egg-laying.
Even if you don't have a large garden to fill with pollinator-attracting plants, a little planning is all it takes to make the most of a small backyard. First, choose several varieties of flowers with different bloom times to offer pollinators nectar from spring to fall. Also, bees and butterflies have different diets, so planting plants of different shapes, sizes, and scents will attract a wider variety of beneficial insects and animals.
To support entire generations of butterflies, make sure at least one of the plants you choose is a host plant, such as cottongrass, which is the sole food source for the monarch butterfly.
How to attract pollinators to your garden: don't neglect their needs
Providing plenty of nectar is one way to attract more pollinators to your garden. But you’ll have better luck if you meet all of their needs. Like all animals, they need access to water to survive, but birdbaths and other common sources aren’t ideal for bees, butterflies, and other insects. Instead, they seek out shallow areas where they can safely drink or cool off without the risk of slipping or drowning.
To make a drinking station for small pollinators, fill a shallow container with water and add lots of smooth, colorful rocks and a few twigs for the insects to land on. The water level should be slightly below the rocks so that they are comfortable to sit on and their bodies don't sink into the water.
In addition to food and water, pollinators need a place to rest, build nests, and shelter from predators and harsh weather. To create the right habitat for pollinators, try not to make your garden too neat, as a low-cut lawn and perfectly manicured flower beds don’t provide much shelter for insects. To provide bees with nesting sites, leave some areas of your yard untouched by adding dead stems, a pile of brushwood, or logs.
We also talked about which plants should not be planted next to zucchini. Not all gardeners know about these tricks in planting them.