IN YOUR ORCHARD
THE BEE BOX Flowering Hedgerows: Supporting Pollinators and Almond Production
Pollination is essential to a successful almond crop. Managed honey bees provide much of the pollination during almond bloom, but wild bees can also be highly effective pollinators. 1 Research has shown that orchards visited by diverse pollinators can experience improved fruit set, making it valuable to support both managed and wild pollinators. 2 Establishing flowering habitat in and around the orchard is a way growers can provide these pollinators with essential food and shelter while creating additional benefits for the farm. A flowering hedgerow is a dense planting of perennial vegetation arranged in a linear design to provide a conservation benefit. Hedgerows can be established along orchard edges, roads, waterways, field boundaries, in power line corridors, solar fields or other areas that may not be suitable for crop production. When properly planned and managed, these spaces can become productive habitat while connecting existing areas of vegetation and creating migratory corridors for wildlife. Providing Forage Beyond Almond Bloom One of the biggest advantages of a flowering hedgerow is that it can provide pollinators with food before and after almond bloom. Almond orchards offer an abundant source of pollen and nectar for a relatively short period, but pollinators need resources throughout the growing season. A diverse mix of native flowering plants, shrubs and grasses can provide blooms from early spring through late fall. Early-season flowering plants can offer forage for bees emerging from winter, while mid- and late-season flowers help fill periods when fewer plants are blooming. This extended availability of forage can be particularly valuable for honey bees, helping provide food resources
before and after they are brought into the orchard for almond bloom.3 The same plants can support native bees, butterflies and other beneficial insects throughout the season. For growers, selecting plants with different bloom periods is an important consideration when establishing a hedgerow. A planting that offers a succession of blooms can provide greater benefits than one that flowers for only a few weeks. Selecting species adapted to local soil, climate and water conditions can also improve establishment and reduce long-term maintenance needs.
Native pollinator in on-farm habitat. Photo Credit: Cody Wilson, Pollinator Partnership
Creating Habitat, Not Just Flowers A successful hedgerow provides pollinators with more than one source of pollen and nectar. Different pollinators have different habitat requirements, and incorporating a variety of plant types and structures can help support a greater diversity of species. Many native bees nest in the ground and may benefit from areas of bare, well- drained soil. Other bees nest in cavities or plant stems
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ALMOND FACTS
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