Habitat assessment by francism

francism's picture
Assessment results
Answer givenOur advice
Are there areas with sandy loamy soil?: 
No
Consider increasing the amount of sandy loamy soil. Ground nesting bees often prefer sandy loamy soil as it is easier to dig and drains well. Sandy loam is made up of 10-50% silt or organic matter, 50-75% sand, and less than 20% clay. So if you have 15% sand in your existing soil, you will need to add enough sand to make it at least 50%. If you have 30% clay, you will need to add enough of the sand or compost to bring that percentage down to less than 20%.
Are there areas dead wood, brush piles or snags present?: 
No
Leave some dead wood, brush or snags in your habitat. Cavity nesting bees spend their winters in the holes found in these items.
Are there areas with pithy twigs (elderberry, cane fruit, sumac, etc…)?: 
No
Add some plants that have pithy stems to your habitat. Cavity nesting bees spend their winters in the center of the stems of these plants.
Do you have native bunchgrasses?: 
None.
Increase the amount of bunch grass in your yard. Many bees nest and overwinter at the base of these grasses.
Are there bee nesting blocks?: 
No
Supplement your habitats with nest blocks. Learn how to build them here.
What is the main type of vegetation in the area you are evaluating (park, garden, yard, farm...)?: 
Other
Having a lot of native plants that flower in your habitat will really increase the quality of the habitat for bees.
How much of the whole yard, park, farm or green space is garden space or wild/natural vegetation?: 
A lot. More than 40%.
You are doing a great job managing for pollinators!
Are the flowering plants that you have pollinator friendly?: 
Not much (1-25%)
Considering adding more pollinator friendly plants.
Are flowers planted in clumps?: 
No.
Consider planting flowers in clumps. Bees are more likely to be attracted to larger patches of flowers of the same type.
Is there fresh, clean water always available with a perch that bees could stand on and drink?: 
No
Consider adding a water element. This can be as simple as a bowl with some rocks thrown in for bees to stand on while drinking.
Does the garden use herbicides?: 
Yes.
Consider reducing your herbicide use and be sure it is an herbice that is not toxic to pollinators.
How many different pollinator counts will your contribute this year?: 
More than one.
We'd love to see pollinator counts from any of the plants in your garden as many times as you can contribute. Thanks!

Score: 107 (out of a possible 210)

We have some base plantings/established plants: 2 Albizzia Julibrissens, 7 Jackson Perkins Roses (can't remember the varieties), 1 Jasminum polyanthemum, one grape vine, one dwarf peach, one ribes (?) and a lot of weeds (stinging nettle and mallow) at this time in the planters. We will be cleaning the planter beds and planting in the next two-three weeks (by mid-March), Hopefully we will have the following plantings: Tomatoes, beans, peas, carrots, squash, pumpkins, marigolds, and sunflowers (bed nearest the future native garden/butterfly garden). We will also be adding California poppies and lupines to the open area.

Which garden or space are you describing?: 
Martin Murphy Environmental Study Area
How large is your yard?: 
1 980.00
square yards
Are there areas with bare ground and very few plants?: 
Yes
Are there low traffic areas where the soil is not turned over, tilled or plowed?: 
Yes
How many flowers in your garden bloom in spring?: 
10 or more
How many flowers in your garden bloom in fall?: 
10 or more
How many flowers in your garden bloom in summer?: 
10 or more
How much mulch is on the ground?: 
Some.
Are pesticides used in the garden?: 
No