Selecting the Right Seed Mix Seeds for Bees ™ offers seed mixes that are designed to be most efficient for growing successfully in drought conditions. PAm.’s Pollinator Brassica mix is a drought-hardy mix of mustards that can generally grow successfully throughout the Central Valley. This mix is designed to grow in harsh conditions, such as in non-irrigated orchard middles, and has been proven to perform well with annual rainfall — no irrigation needed! If you have higher rainfall or water availability, there are other seed options that do well with extra moisture. For instance, PAm.’s Annual Clover Mix and the BioBuild Mix have higher moisture requirements and are well suited for fixing nitrogen and adding biomass back into the soil. Fall Planting — Timing is Everything! Another key consideration for planning cover crops in a dry climate is the timing of planting. PAm. highly encourages growers to sow cover crops within the month of October. Last year, PAm. worked closely with our seed supplier for quick and early deliveries and adjusted the Seeds for Bees ™ application window to maximize the number of growers that could plant during this optimal October window. In the 2022-2023 Seeds for Bees ™ annual participant survey, 75% of growers who responded reported planting in October. Planting within the general time frame of Sept 10 to November 10 is a suitable time to plant cover crops anywhere in California. Planting in time to utilize the seasonal rains can establish a robust, well-growing cover
crop that can stand without the use of irrigation. This time frame ensures suitable soil temperatures, larger plants, better ground coverage and greater likelihood of timing flowering cover crops with the arrival of hungry honey bees. While not necessary for an adequate stand, strategic planting times and irrigation can be used to ensure a more robust cover crop with a greater impact. For example, in orchards with micro-sprinklers and flood irrigation, it is best to sow your cover crop prior to tree irrigation. For drip irrigation, plant your seed prior to the first rain event. While cover crop seed does require water to germinate and establish, studies have shown that even though irrigated cover crop plots produced about 2x more biomass than non-irrigated fields, non-irrigated cover crops were still productive, meaning growers could still reap the soil health benefits.² For growers who might also be concerned about
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