Tool up: Do you know the difference between a spade and a shovel, a pitchfork and spading fork? Find out at PlantAmnesty’s “show and tell” tool class from 10 a.m. to noon April 13 at Magnuson Park at the Brig (Building 406) 7400 Sand Point Way NE, Seattle. Professionals will talk about common and uncommon tools, including the care required and the best places to purchase them. Attendees can bring tools they’re curious about to the class, which costs $10 ($5 for PlantAmnesty members). See www.plantamnesty.org/classes.htm for a full list of pruning classes. Call 206-783-9813 with questions.
Bring back the bees: Western Washington’s native bees are about to begin nesting. If you grow fruit or vegetable crops, now is the time to encourage a variety of these friendly pollinators in your backyard.
Most neighborhood nurseries offer bee nesting boxes and hibernating bees, usually sold in tubes, to easily jump-start native bee populations for the home gardener.
Mason bees, also known as orchard mason bees, are incredibly efficient pollinators of spring fruit blossoms, giving a major boost to early berry, apple, pear, sweet cherry and plum crops.
Though you can buy mason bee supplies now, don’t delay. Mason bees, which are docile and solitary, have a short season, typically between mid-March and mid-May.
If you need help with pollination of later-season crops such as peppers, tomatoes and squash, fear not. There is also a summer version of the mason bee, known as osmia californica, which thrives June through August, said Lisa Novich with Knox Cellars Native Pollinators of Sammamish, which sells a variety of bees and nesting supplies at www.knoxcellars.com.
Native bumblebee queens, meanwhile, are emerging now too. Unlike mason bees, their native colonies won’t hit their stride until June, which makes them good for pollination of summer crops too.
You can encourage bumblebees to hang around your yard by putting out a Humble Bumble Home, which comes equipped with upholsterer’s cotton, a favorite nest material for native bumble bees.
Find a wealth of bumble bee information at snohomish.wsu.edu/garden/bumble.htm.
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