Planting for pollinators

Juana and I are experimenting to create a wildflower pollinator strip on the lower edge of our property. We decide to do this because for the last two years after the Town put in curbs and poor quality soil, nothing grows in this area.

I get a yard of compost to amend the alleged soil with the hope that it will provide enough nourishment for all the seeds we are planting. In addition to wildflowers, we also throw down half a pound of white clover (Trifolium repens) to also attract pollinators as well as break up and fix nitrogen to the ground. As all of these seeds are very tiny, I mix them with 50 pounds of sand, which eases my broadcast chore.

A quick rake over and they are ready to sprout. To minimize run off, I place a thin layer of straw, which used to cover the strawberries and carnivorous plants, over our experiment. I’ll let you know how it turns out.