Organic Gardening- How To Increasing Crop Yield by Inviting Pollinators (bees):

Organic Gardening-Increase crop yield by inviting pollinators:

Small space gardening has become a popular method of growing organic food in smaller spaces. My garden is twelve feet by twelve feet. I somehow manage to supply most of my neighborhood with vegetables. I practice square foot gardening methods. I also grow more crops on the vertical plane rather than horizontally plane. These methods all work really well for cramming a great deal of plants into a small space. Having a larger number of plants is only part of the solution to growing a bountiful harvest. Amid the squash, tomatoes, basil and other plants, are a mixture of flowering plants that attract bees, humming birds and other small beneficial insects that help to pollinate the rest of my garden.

Pollinators are important. It is one thing to plant twelve pepper plants and quite another to have the twelve pepper plants produce to their maximum potential. This is where pollinators become beneficial. Bees, are one of natures most productive pollinators, and I owe the bee community a great deal. They make sure that all of the flowers on my twelve pepper plants produce a pepper. It is their tiny and dedicated efforts that increase the amount of my harvest. This in turn, allows my tiny garden to help feed the neighborhood.

The idea is simple, and yet so many people miss the boat. Newer gardeners tend to thing that because they have only a small space in which to plant, that they must fill every square inch up with vegetables, fruit, etc. Allowing room for flowers in a small garden will increase crop yield because the pollinators will work over every blossom. Sharing the garden with plants that attract pollinators boosts harvest.

Plants That Attract Pollinators:

One poppy plant will not only add a great deal of beauty to a small garden, but it will attract a large number of insects that look for nectar. Bee's are a gardeners best friend. I know that a lot of people are afraid of bees, and I can only offer this advice. In the thirty some years that I have been gardening I have never been stung by a bee while gardening. Besides bees, flowering plants attract butterflies, hover flies, hummingbirds and many of other beneficial insects. Some of these insects are predators and earn their keep by killing off harmful insects such as Aphids.

Marigolds: I lot of people do not like marigolds and I am not sure why that is. They are not my favorite of flowers, but as a plant, I must say that I am quite fond of them. Marigolds do two things in my garden. Marigolds bloom a great deal which attracts bees and other pollinators. They also produce a chemical that keeps harmful insects away. The other great thing about Marigolds is that they are smaller plants. Marigolds allow gardeners to attract pollinators, deter pests and require very little space. In my book, these are one of the best flowering plants to grow.

Collengula is another compact flowering plant that is of great merit. They are smaller plants with long bloom cycle and are beneficial at keeping aphids out of the garden. Collengula reseed easily. They can also take over, so it is important to limit the number of new plants. These plants work well and sometimes even blossom in winter.

Flowering herbs are also a great asset to a garden. Basil, Thyme, and camomile work really was and provide a harvest. If you have not discovered the joy of fresh herbs, than it is high time that you do. Growing herbs is a culinary boon and they help to attract pollinators.

The job of the pollinator:

What is it that pollinators do? Their job is to collect nectar and other plant products. Their beneficial aspect to gardening is a byproduct of their labor. As they gather nectar, their bodies become covered in plant pollen. When they move from flower to flower, some of that pollen that collects on the pollinator is transferred to the reproductive system of similar blossoms and the host plant then creates a fruit or vegetable. The more your garden in pollinated the more the plants that you grow will produce. Pollinators help to increase the production of plants. This translates into a higher yield from your garden.

In closing this article, I would like to point out that without pollinators the price of goods in the market would rise considerably. Organic gardeners have known this for years and that is why we try to protect and attract pollinators to our gardens. The benefit of having pollinators is seen in the amount of food that can be harvested from a small garden. There are a lot of insects that are beneficial. Enjoy gardening by attracting a few pollinators and watch your garden grow.