Remembering pollinators during fall garden chores
As days get shorter, temperatures continue to cool and summer’s blossoms wither, it’s tempting to cut everything to the ground and tidy up before winter sets in.
You may, however, want to resist the temptation.
Just as your flowering plants supplied nutrition for pollinators during the summer, they also can provide vital nesting sites for bees over the colder months.
The University of Minnesota Extension offers guidance for how to help pollinators through the fall and winter. Among the suggestions:
- Cut stems of plants such as milkweed, aster and goldenrod to about 18 inches rather than to the ground. The hollow stems provide nesting sites for bees.
- Collect stems that have fallen, bind and place them where bees looking for a nesting site can find them.
- Consider making a simple bee house.
- Leave leaf litter on soil under plants such as hostas and catmint to create a habitat for beneficial insects. In spring, the leaf litter will decompose, adding important nutrients to the soil.
Extension educator Julie Weisenhorn provides more details on these pollinator-friendly gardening ideas in the video below.
Other fall clean-up tips include:
- Cut back or remove spent annuals and diseased or pest-ridden plants.
- Prune trees and shrubs sparingly, focusing on dead, damaged, or diseased branches. Many trees and shrubs are best pruned in last winter or early spring when dormant.
- Apply mulch around plants to insulate them from extreme temperature changes. Leave small gaps in the mulch to allow ground-nesting bees access to the soil for nesting.
- Prepare your lawn for winter with pollinators in mind. The U of MN Extension recommends setting the lawn mower to a three-inch height and leaving the clippings in the yard to decompose and fertilize the soil. Aerate the lawn to improve soil drainage and minimize compaction. Use grass or clover to overseed bare or thin spots. The clover attracts pollinators and improves soil health.
- And finally, as you clean up for fall, remember that the next gardening season is only several months away! Make notes of any changes you want to make in spring and consider designing to support pollinators by planting native flowers and creating inviting habitats.