Exploring and Celebrating the Pollinators that allow so much of our world to bloom, fruit, and function.Pollinators are an integral part of the food web, without them many of the plants that feed us (and other animals, including the animals that many of us eat), would not produce... or would not produce as much... so, even if we aren't thinking of anyone else, *we* need them.
In some places the populations of pollinators have been so damaged that people hand pollinate fruit! That means that *each* apple blossom would have to be hand pollinated so that it can create an apple (that is ONE single apple!)... that's a lot of work for a bushel of apples!
What can YOU do to help them out?
- if you need to use pesticides /herbicides, read and follow the instructions carefully!
- compare pesticides!
- some pesticides stay in the plant for a very long time.
- put in plants that the different pollinators use! (get some ideas from the list in our post Bees: Flowers for Every Season!)
- some plants are poisonous to pollinators! (see our list!)
- be aware that pesticides are frequently on the plants you buy at stores/nurseries... ask whether the plant is pesticide free...
- if it isn't maybe try growing it from seed OR
- ask what pesticide was used so you know when you can safely make it available to your pollinators!
See our Previous Post for a large version of the Pollinator Chart!
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| http://quest-x.blogspot.com/2016/06/pollinator-chart-us-plant-x-pollinator.html |
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