The most important ingredient for a healthy fruit crop isn't water, sunlight or fertilization: it's pollination. And bees are the main pollinators of citrus crops. Dr. John Skinner, an expert on bees, stresses how important these creatures are to fruit production. Honeybees can be moved to the crop in need of pollination. That's where the beekeeper comes in. Rain and cold temperatures encourage bees to stay in the hive. So if your fruit tree happens to be blooming and the weather turns bad, you may not get the pollination you need to see a good crop. There is only one queen bee per colony. The other bees are workers, which go out daily and collect pollen, a source of protein, to feed the colony. In the process of collecting pollen, the bee pollinates each flower it visits. To attract bees to your yard, plant bright-colored flowers in sunny areas. Choose plants with flat blossoms so bees can easily get the pollen. If you have a citrus tree you want pollinated, plant these sorts of flowers nearby. To protect bees, apply insecticides--even milder pesticides such as insecticidal soap--before plants are in bloom. Tip: - Make sure to keep something blooming in your garden throughout the growing season. That way, the bees will still be around later in summer when you need them to pollinate the vegetable crop.
RESOURCES :
For plants from Wolf River Valley Farms
GUESTS :
John Skinner
UT Agricultural Extension Service
PO Box 1971
Knoxville, TN 37901-1071
Phone: 865-974-0209
Fax: 865-974-1068
Email: aes.jskinner@utk.edu
Website: http://www.utextension.utk.edu
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