Nectar Nirvana: Gardening For The Bees
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- Опубліковано 23 бер 2023
- Let's talk about pollinators! Many food crops require pollination in order to produce the fruits or seeds we harvest. Planting flowers that attract pollinators can help ensure that they continue to thrive. While most people think of bees as the primary pollinators, many other insects, including butterflies, hummingbirds, beetles, moths, and various flies, also contribute to this vital process.
One of the most fascinating aspects of pollination is the relationship that some pollinators have with specific plant species. Some insects have a close relationship with a particular plant and are specialized to pollinate only that plant species. A great example s the relationship between bumblebees and blueberries. Bumblebees are important pollinators of blueberry bushes, and blueberry flowers are an important source of nectar and pollen for bumblebees. Large industrial blueberry operations rely on bumblebees for successful crop pollination and production.
Now let's get to the plants that we grow to attract pollinators while adding other benefits to both the pollinators and our gardens.
Marigolds are often considered good companion plants for vegetable gardens as they contain a chemical compound that can repel certain insects like aphids, whiteflies, and nematodes, reducing the potential need for pesticides. Marigolds also have a beneficial effect on soil health, suppress weeds and attract pollinators like bees, butterflies, and hoverflies. The petals of some marigold varieties are also edible.
Nasturtiums are also good companion plants that have the added benefit of being a Nitrogen fixer, meaning they have the ability to fix nitrogen in the soil, benefitting food crops. Nasturtiums also attract beneficial insects like ladybugs and bees, and both the leaves and flowers are edible.
Nicotiana plants, which belong to the tobacco family, can be grown for the benefits they provide to pollinators, especially bees. Nicotiana plants have a unique relationship with bees that has a potential benefit for bee health. Certain compounds found in the nectar of nicotiana plants have been shown to reduce infection levels of a common bumblebee parasite by up to 81%. Nicotiana Rustica is a traditional, ancient seed that has been grown by first nations folks all over turtle island for thousands of years, and it attracts bees with its flowers, contributing to a mutualistic relationship.
Edible Marigolds:
pot marigolds (Calendula officinalis)
French marigolds (Tagetes patula)
African marigolds (Tagetes erecta)
Mexican mint marigolds (Tagetes Lucida)
lemon marigolds (Tagetes tenuifolia)
Bee & Nicotiana Studies:
f1000research.com/articles/4-...
www.nature.com/articles/s4159...
www.sciencedirect.com/science...
f1000research.com/articles/4-880
link.springer.com/article/10....
#Wilderstead #gardeninghomesteadingskills #canadianhomesteaders
Kudos to you guys for pointing out that there are MANY different pollinators.
The honey beekeeping industry has been lucky to promote itself whereas the tiny native bees and even pollinating flies and wasps don't get highlighted. Many people think that 'Save the Bees' means honeybees..... but honeybees are not the concern. Many people don't know that honey bees are actually a non-native, introduced species anyhow. So, thanks for promoting planting to native bees! They are the ones at risk!
We love the native bumble bees, thats for sure! Thanks Glenda!
Always love watching the hawk moths at the nicotiana
They are such cool insects!
Love planting flowers, milkweed and other plants for pollinators here as much as veggies
The nicotiana aspect is something I find fascinating! Natures medicine cabinet!
@@Wilderstead we planted a bunch of tobacco last year and the bees loved it. I gotta do a better job harvesting it as well LOL
It’s pretty easy. We just harvest single leaves and hang them on a line with clothes pins. There are definitely better ways, but we just keep it simple 😂
I love the excellent Canadian content and information you provide. Always worth your weight in gold! Nicotiana rustica is on my list.
If you can't find rustica, there are tons of other varieties that should be easier to find. Cheers!
I actually had my children watch this just now as part of their home-school for science. So informative. Thank you.
Amazing! Did they fall asleep bored? lol! That is really great though. Glad to hear.
@@Wilderstead No, they were very interested and found it very interesting!
@@GardeningWarrior awesome!
fantastic information on this video.
Thanks John!
I learned alot from you. Good sharing my friend.
Good to hear!
Your videos get better everytime, I bought a book The lost book of Herbal Remedies. Bee's have the right of way in our yard and gardens.
Yes, they definitely should be looked after as much as possible.
Fascinating! Thank you!
Pretty neat, eh! The subtle intricacies of nature!
Very interesting! Thank you.
You're welcome!
This was a great video loaded with valuable information. Thanks!!
Cheers Red!
I've been working on this at my house too! The humming bird butterfly is pretty cool! Great info Dave!
Yeah, those things are REALLY cool man!
I just discovered you. I knew within 8 seconds you're canadian. True North! 🇨🇦
I can appreciate the time and effort that went into researching this video. Excellent 1
I’ve been reading about this relationship for a few years now. Find it so interesting!
Clover my yard is full of bees in the summer they love the clover. Thanks for sharing all your knowledge it is considerable.
Tons of clover here too. Makes a great early summer feast for the pollinators before the bigger plants start to really reach up for the sun!
Good information
Thanks G ma!
Amazing information! Thank you Dave for doing all this research. The nicotiana plant we grow is called sacred nicotiana and has pink flowers. It can easily reach 10 feet tall. We get so much joy watching the bees and hummingbirds all over the flowers. Take care 🙂
They are such neat plants with a very diverse visual appeal across varieties!
Fascinating presentation, thank you! 🐝🌱
Pollinators in all forms are very important. It is one of my goal to provide pollen and nectar during the whole season. For now it's beginning with willow and finishing with few wild flowers and herbs
Perfect!
So much useful information!! Thanks for this video! We're def going to plant some of these in our homestead garden. 🌺🐝
You'll love them!
Great information Dave, I hope you guys have been doing well.
Been doin great Joey! Spring is in the air!
@@Wilderstead yes it is, finally.
Awesome information there eh! Lots to try will incorporate more flowers... thanks for sharing
Especially nicotiana! 😉
I've been searching for this glad that I found you👍very well informed thanks for sharing this knowledge❤❤❤
Awesome!
We planted catnip by our tomato patch since bees love catnip
Especially honey 🍯 Bees 🐝💕💕💕
Borage is another pollinator fav and the flowers are edible
Edmonton 🇨🇦
Hello there! I think I am going to like this!
Love this! It's so important to give pollinators as many reasons to come to your garden as possible. Sometimes we forget that bees arent' the only ones, but they're so crucial to so many of the things we eat. Thanks for this!
Especially our native bumble bees!
@@Wilderstead Sure thanks ,How’s the celery doing?
@@mynorthernfarm7324 lookin great so far
What a great video I'm a new subscriber and love the video learned a few new things thank you
Welcome aboard Terry!
Well done! This could be a segment in a course!
Wow very interesting video! I'm surprised about bumble bees and blueberries. I have at least 2 bumble bees nest on my property from what I can see and yet my blueberries don't do good because of my soil!
Blueberries are one thing we don’t bother to grow here. There’s just so many wild ones available. We harvest probably about 10-15kgs, sometimes more, every summer from the wild. You should go take a walk on the tracks between Benjamin and New Mills 😉
@@Wilderstead train track?? 😮😮 Hehe I decided to stop worrying about them too. Like you said, some many wild ones I don’t need to grow them. I will switch them for haskaps
a lot of good info there thanks, hopefully my bees make it this year.
Fingers crossed for ya. I can send some seeds with you if you like.
I love marigolds and nastruims I will have to add tobacco to my list of companion plants 😊
Great video! You reminded me that someone gifted me some tobacco seeds last year! I have them tucked in a little bag in safe place but kinda forgot about them. Never grown tobacco before but I'm gonna pull it out and start the seed. Any tips for starting from seed and growing?
Sow the seeds directly on top of the soil in your trays. Don't cover them with any more soil. A heat mat and a clear cover for your tray are a huge benefit. The seeds need some light to germinate.
We’d like to mail you some organic catnip seeds.
No charge of course
We love bees 🐝 ❤🇨🇦
Great info thank you Dave. Just purchased some organic seeds! Q: are they perennials? Or do they self seed?
They self seed. I find it's also a good idea to save some seeds each year and sow more of them just in case they have trouble self seeding. Some years are more prolific than others with self seeding.
yeah, but what zone and location are you in? this matters. a lot.
Zone 3.
We’re you in Men in Black? 👍🏻 Do you mean honey bees instead of bumblebee?
Nope, and yup, bumblebees is right.