A new study has discovered that bumblebees actually bite plants to induce flowering so they can get to the business of pollinating. “In a sense, the bees are signaling, Hey, we need food. Please speed up your flowering, and we’ll pollinate you.”
It’s an incredible discovery. Bees can actually force plants to flower up to a month early! “The mutually beneficial relationship between insect pollinators and flowers extends back some 130 million years. Plants provide the pollinators with food; in exchange, the pollinators fertilize their flowers. But neither benefits if they’re out of synch with each other, so they’ve found ways to communicate.”
As any gardener knows, you need bees in your garden. From peppers and tomatoes to berries and flowers, pollinators are essential. Personally, I’ve discovered a go-to pollinator plant for my garden. The African Blue Basil.
This herb plant is super easy to grow, attracts bees by the hundreds and will ensure your garden is THE place to be for bees. Interestingly enough, the African Blue Basil is sterile, meaning it won’t produce seeds.
Want more? Learn to propagate! By using cuttings, you can have all the African Blue Basil your heart (and bees) desire!
These students learned the art of propagation and now understand, like bees, they can coax plants to their liking.
Simply cut a stem, remove all leaves except for two. Cut those leaves in half. Moisten cut stem with water, then dip in rooting hormone. Place in soil and keep moist. You can also propagate in water. A few weeks later, when your stem forms roots and develops new leaves, you can transplant to larger container or straight into the ground.
Whichever plant you choose, you can attract bees to your garden. Even weeds (like the one shown above) can provide attractive pollination options.
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