Saving Squash Seed: No Hanky Panky Allowed!
Par Larry Hodgson Squashes are masters at crossing with their neighbors. Even varieties that are very different in appearance, suchContinue Reading
Category: Pollination
A Caffeine Buzz Is Good for Bees… Sometimes
By Larry Hodgson As you sip your morning joe to help bring you out of the grogginess of early morningContinue Reading
Bees Trapped in a Squash Flower
By Larry Hodgson Comment: I just saved the lives of three bees that were trapped inside a female squash flower thatContinue Reading
Only Male Flowers on Cucurbits? Give It Time!
By Larry Hodgson If you’re fairly new at home gardening, you may find growing cucurbits (cucumbers, squashes, melons, etc.) aContinue Reading
Vegetables Cross-Pollinating: Not to Worry!
By Larry Hodgson I regularly receive letters from gardeners concerned that their fruiting vegetables might cross-pollinate, that is, that byContinue Reading
Which Vegetables Self-Pollinate?
Par Larry Hodgson Question: I’ve been told that tomatoes self-pollinate and don’t need bees to pollinate their flowers. What other vegetablesContinue Reading
Lacy Phacelia: Possibly the Best Plant for Pollinators!
By Larry Hodgson If you grow fruit-bearing vegetables like squash, cucumbers, eggplant, okra or melons, you always need insect visitorsContinue Reading
Urban Bee Overload
There are more and more beehives in urban centers. Photo: Manoushka Larouche, mielmontreal.com For the last decade or so, keepingContinue Reading
When Two Different Pears Cross, Does It Change their Taste?
If a Ussurian pear (left) is pollinated by a ‘Flemish Beauty’ European pear (right), will it take on its taste?Continue Reading
Fruit Trees: It Usually Takes Two
For many fruit trees, you need more than one cultivar in order to ensure a good harvest. Photo: Murtagh’s Meadow,Continue Reading