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www.thelandonline.com — “Where Farm and Family Meet”
THE LAND — SEPTEMBER 18/SEPTEMBER 25, 2020
Luckily, pollinators come in all shapes and sizes What is a pollinator? A pollinator is Many pollinators visit flowers to drink anything that carries pollen from the the nectar each flower contains. Pollen is anther (male equivalent) to the stigma picked up accidentally in the process and (female equivalent) of flowers of any left on other flowers as the pollinator visgrowing plant. Pollination happens when its them. the pollen is moved by the wind, water, or The bumblebee visits flowers and its any kind of wildlife — which includes vibrating wings pick up pollen from one insects and mammals. Frequently, polliGREEN AND flower and then leaves it on the next nation involves insects such as bees, GROWING flower. Ants do not fly, but walk from wasps, ants and butterflies. Some less flower to flower, so they are less efficient well-known pollinators include bats, flies, By Linda G. Tenneson in spreading pollen from plant to plant. midges, mosquitos, moths and beetles. Mosquitoes pollinate certain orchids and may polliPlants known as self-pollinators use the wind to nate other plants while the males drink nectar from move pollen from a male flower to the female flower flowers. Butterflies are well-known daytime pollinawhich is growing on the same plant. tors, but moths (many of which fly at night) also visit a lot of flowers. Hummingbird moths may be seen in the daytime moving from flower to flower just as hummingbirds do. Hummingbirds and hummingbird moths Standard all round have long bills designed 30 COLORS 26-29 GAUGE durability to reach the nectar in flowers with deep throats that other insects would not be able to access. Beetles do not drink nectar, but they visit many plants simply to eat the flowers and leaves. Midges are a type of fly which pollinates the cacao trees that produce cocoa beans Standing seam architecture 30 COLORS 26-29 GAUGE look for half the price which are used to make chocolate. Bats pollinate the tropical flowers when they drink the nectar. Pollen is spread by accident just as it is by other pollinator activity.
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Humans are pollinators when they move pollen from plant to plant. Sometimes this is done on purpose to breed a new variety of plant. This purposeful pollination is often done under very controlled conditions so that the genetics of the plant are known. Humans may also be responsible for a small amount of pollinating by accident if we brush against flowers in the process of gardening. Pollinators are important because many of our fruits, vegetables and nuts would not grow without their work. The same foods we eat are also eaten by wildlife. Plants which are pollinated are then able to produce seeds which in turn grow into the next generation of those plants. Pollinator activity is an essential part of plant life and plants are an essential part of life on this planet. Growing a variety of plants which flower at various times of the year is a good way to encourage the survival of insect pollinators. We may not notice the flowers that trees have each year, but they also benefit from pollinators. Trees in turn provide food, shade, building materials and may modify some of the effects of climate change. The use of pesticides should be limited and done only according to the package directions because pesticides are often fatal to the insects that do the essential work of pollination. Linda G. Tenneson is a University of Minnesota master gardener and tree care advisor. v
Free fall gardening event available online The Stearns County Extension Master Gardeners invite you join them for Fall Gardening Knowledge for Free. This year’s event will be held as a two-part webinar series on Sept. 30 and Oct. 1 from 7:00-8:00 p.m. each day. Each session is taught by a Stearns County Extension Master Gardener and there will be time for questions at the end of each session. The Sept. 30 session gives insight into the success and lessons learned from an Extension Master Gardener who put in a pollinator garden this year. Topics include removing the sod, choosing plants, dealing with weeds and a successful first year. The Oct. 1 session will be a guide on evaluating this
year’s growing season. As the season begins to wind down it is important to map out where you had things planted to create crop rotation guides, what grew well and what was a miss. We can learn something from each year’s garden. What did yours teach you this year? Register for the event at z.umn.edu/GKFF. If you have questions or would like assistance with registration, call (320) 255-6169 or email extension@stearns.co.mn.us. This article was submitted by University of Minnesota Extension. v
