Ken encourages in
digenous, native pollinators. About a third of our produce requires pollination – the nightshade family of tomatoes, peppers, eggplant and the cucurbit family of summer and winter squash and cucumbers, and legumes like peas and beans. All these crops flower and once pollinated they set fruit, and we eat the fruit.
Two things Ken does – well, actually the first is what he doesn’t do . He doesn’t use any chemicals. Chemicals that kill pests also kill the good guys. The second thing he does is to encourage constant bloom so there is always access to nectar and pollen. Right now there is dill and cilantro and yarrow blooming.
Crops like tomatoes and squash are blooming.
And we let a portion of the herbs bloom.
For flowers we have clover, daisies, and
soon there will be bee balm. We try to have several options for the pollinators!
