Birds, butterflies, bats, moths, and bees are some of the most common examples of pollinators. Most flowering plants on our planet need additional pollination than what they can do on their own, meaning that they greatly depend on pollinators to succeed. They help plants by carrying pollen from one plant to the next which allows for successful fruit and seed production. We commonly recognize butterflies and bees as pollinators, but it is important to remember birds and bats as they often transport pollen across further distances.
Unfortunately, pollinator populations continue to decline because of specific human activities. One of the leading causes of population decrease is the destruction of important pollinator habitats. As we continue to replace natural ecosystems with developed areas, pollinators have less space to thrive. The improper use of certain insecticides and herbicides has also been a leading factor in population decline because of how they directly impact the pollinator. If pesticides are sprayed directly onto small insects, is can kill them or cause severe damage. It is important that we keep in mind the importance of pollinators when working in our lawns, gardens, and on farms.
Although pollinator populations are in decline, there are a lot of ways that we can help to restore their habitats and overall population. By practicing responsible use of pesticides, or moving toward more natural controls, we can prevent killing our pollinators, and ensure that plants can provide them with the habitat that they need. We can also add pollinator habitats into our landscapes to give them a refuge, especially in highly developed areas.
Planting pollinator friendly plants is a great way to support the population and promote healthy systems in your garden! Milkweed, mint, joe pye-weed, clover and many other plants are great options if you are considering adding some pollinator plants to your landscape. There are also several annual flowers such as sunflowers and zinnias that are easy to grow and very attractive to many different types of pollinators. Cover crop mixes that include clover and chicory, along with certain grasses are also a great way to both improve your soil and promote pollinators all at the same time.
Give our Bee Grass Plus Mix a try for a fun new way to add both clover and alfalfa to your garden, lawn, or flower beds!
]]>As of today, August 18th, we have approximately 67 days before South Central Pennsylvania sees its first frost. This means that any varieties I plant today will need to have a maturity time of 67 days or less, and so on as the days continue to pass. Depending on which zone you are located in, you may experience an extended growing season, which allows you to continue to receive yield into the “Winter”, or you may not have a Fall crop, as some zones experience very early frost. For us, in Zone 6, we plant Fall crops in July and August and harvest through mid-late October. Certain vegetables are known to grow well in the Fall, and some grow even better in the Fall than in the Spring.
Commonly grown Fall crops include lettuce, kale, cabbage, beans, carrots, radishes, turnips, broccoli, spinach, and squash. Peas can also be grown in the Fall, but will not have as productive a yield as a Spring planting. Brussels sprouts are another option as they handle light frost well, but they have a long maturity time, so it is best to start them in trays indoors and transplant into the garden in July. This year I will trial cucumbers, peas, and Brussels Sprouts as Fall crops, so stay tuned for an update! And as always, please feel free to share any Fall planting tips you may have on our Facebook page!
]]>Hello Everybody! My name is Grace, and I am the Retail Store Manager at Rohrer Seeds in Lancaster, PA. This “Not so Graceful Gardening” blog will focus on all the ups and downs of gardening and hopefully allow readers to gain useful knowledge about how to care for their garden and everything in it. We will be connecting with both gardeners and farmers alike, to learn about the best practices and share ideas about the world of gardening! I encourage readers to reach out and share their gardening stories, as I feel it is important that we work together to both enjoy the pleasures and conquer the challenges of gardening.
If you haven’t heard of us before, Rohrer Seeds is a one-of-a-kind seed company located in the beautiful Lancaster County Pennsylvania. Our company has been around for over 100 years, after being established by P.L. Rohrer in 1919. Today the company is still family-owned, with Doug Rohrer as our current president. Although we continue to grow and change in many ways, we continue to focus on our goal of providing the best seeds for gardeners and homeowners. If you ever have the chance to come to our store, you will see an impressive selection of seeds, including garden, turf, wildlife, and cover crop seed.
We pride ourselves in offering over 1,600 different varieties of seeds and are thankful to have the opportunity to offer seeds from several other companies, in addition to our own. Bringing a large selection and variety to our customers all in one place is extremely important to us, as it allows customers to understand what options are out there and gives them more choices as to what they want to grow. We also offer a large amount of gardening supplies to provide the best growing and gardening experience possible. In addition to our retail store, we also focus on retail sales through our easy-to-use website and colorful catalog. We also act as a wholesaler to many home and garden stores throughout the northeast.
Joining the Rohrer Seeds team back in November of 2019 was an exciting and challenging new endeavor for me! Although I grew up heavily involved in the agriculture industry, vegetable and flower production were never on my radar. Passionate about a little bit of everything having to do with agriculture growing up, most of my experiences revolved around the dairy, livestock, and equine industries. I completed my degree in agricultural business and found myself unsure about what I really wanted to focus on as a career. One thing I knew was that I was passionate about business, and I have always loved a good challenge!
Finding the chance to try something new and to be involved in the growth and improvement of a successful business, stood out to me as a unique opportunity for a young graduate looking for my first professional career. Since then I have found myself immersed in learning the inner workings of the company as well as challenging myself to absorb as much information about everything we sell at Rohrer Seeds. As you can probably imagine, working in a seed store instilled a lot of desire in me to have my own garden and form my own opinions and knowledge about the products.
Starting out, I made some of the most common and basic gardening mistakes, even though I knew better. My first classic mistake was making the garden too big! Although thankful to have land and resources available to me, I probably got a little ahead of myself for my first year. From there, lots of trial and error and A LOT of weeding have brought me to the middle of the summer, where I find myself enjoying the harvest and planning how I can do things better next year.
With a passion for soil health and sustainable agriculture, I hope to help home gardeners understand the real meaning of producing food at home and being able to properly care for the soil. Local food production cuts out a lot of unnecessary waste, transportation, and processing that surrounds the food industry today, making it increasingly important for homegrown food. Many home gardeners find soil health to be a tricky subject, but with a little understanding of basic nutrients and the other basic principles, anyone can create a good impact on their soil. On top of that, gardening is FUN! Spending time outside and finally reaching that point where your favorite flower or vegetable is ready to harvest is always so rewarding.
As a fun play on words, and my name, this blog will allow you to explore gardening in its entirety. We will talk about the challenges and the “not so graceful moments” but also about the positives and the amazing phenomenon’s that surround gardening! I look forward to learning with you and, hopefully, helping you GROW!
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