There are many different species of bees. The ones we are familiar with at Marigold are the Blue Orchard Bee. Others are Osmia lignaria, the blueberry bee, O. ribifloris, and the hornfaced bee, O. cornifrons. The former two are native to the Americas and the latter to Japan, although O. lignaria and O. cornifrons have been moved from their native ranges for commercial purposes. The Red mason bee, Osmia rufa, is found across the European continent. There are over 300 species across the Northern Hemisphere, and more than 130 species of mason bees in North America. Species are usually metallic green or blue, though many are blackish. Most have black ventral scopae which are difficult to notice unless laden with pollen. They have arolia between their claws unlike Megachile or Anthidium species.

Mason bees are not like honey bees, (Apis) or bumblebees. Each female is fertile and makes her own nest, and there are no worker bees for these species. Solitary bees produce neither honey nor beeswax. They are immune from Acarine and Varroa mites, but have their own unique parasites, pests and diseases.

Bees emerge from their cocoons in the spring, with males the first to come out. They remain near the nests waiting for the females. When the females emerge, the first thing they do is mate. The males die and the females begin to search for a suitable nesting site. Once she finds a nesting cavity she begins foraging for her nest.

Mason bees need small dry nesting holes without a second entrance, and will nest in any potential hole made out of material such as wood, masonry, or plastic. Bee prefer a hole about 5/16^th” in diameter but will nest in both smaller and larger nest cavities. Pollen is also essential for nesting bees as it provides food for the mother bee as well as food for their developing young.

Nests and Nest Placement

You want to make sure your nesting holes are 5-6” deep. This ensures that the correct proportion of males and females are produced. Shorter nesting tunnels produce abundant males and few females. Place your nests in the sun, and out of the wind and rain. (An east or south facing wall is best). Make sure you have a continuous bloom for your bees which will translate into lots of offspring the next year and improve pollination when they emerge from their nests the following spring.

Mason bees also need mud to build their nests. Making sure you have a source for them to gather mud from is also very beneficial for the bees. The mud provides protection from predators, and parasites.

There are many different ways you can provide nesting sites for Mason Bees. You can achieve this by drilling holes into an old log, or by purchase nesting trays tubes/straws, and nesting houses at your favorite garden center. (Mason Bees cocoons can also be purchased from your garden center as well to get you started.)

Preparing your Nests for Spring

One of the most important parts of your spring management is to make sure you have a nest ready for the bees. They start emerging from and looking for nesting spots in early spring prior to spring bloom. In costal British Columbia, Canada you should be setting your nests out in February. Natural emergence happens when the Pieris Japonica begins to bloom, usually after the willow and before the dandelion.

Make sure you place your nests in the vicinity of your garden. You can place your nests higher up so that some predators can not get to the nesting bees. It is not recommended that you move your nests due to dislodgement of bee larvae from the pollen food which can cause starvation and death. Also you should not move your nest during the foraging season as females can get lost and not find their way home. If you have to move the nest it is recommended to do this after the nesting season or in early summer. Try not to jostle the nest around so that you do not harm any of the larvae in the nesting tubes. In September nest can be moved into a non heated storage area like a shed or a garage until the nests and cocoons are cleaned or moved to next year’s spring location.

Bees really are the harbringers of spring. Find out more about bees at our upcoming Mason bee seminar Saturday March 17, 2012, or ask your favorite garden center about mason bee and what they can do for your garden.

Wondering when you should start your seeds indoors. Well that completely depends on what your frost free date is in you area. We are a Zone 6-8 on the West Coast of British Columbia, so typically our frost fee dates range from March 30-April 30. You want to follow the instructions on the back of your seed pack as to how many weeks in advance to start your seeds before transplanting. This being said we can get funny weather anywhere. If it seems like it is going to be an early spring go ahead and count your weeks back from March 30^th, however you’d probably be better off averaging dates from April 15^th and counting back from there.

You have a couple choices as to how you can grow your own food and flowers. You can start them by seeds, by pre-started transplants, or to propagate them from cuttings you’ve taken from established plants. Here are some helpful tips for starting your plants from seed.

To start your seed you are going to need a few supplies.

1. Containers: Either you can purchase pots, seed flats, or use containers you have saved from the recycling like egg cartons, and yogurt cups. Used pots should be cleaned and disinfected by soaking them in 1 part bleach to 10 parts water. (not recommended for the egg cartons)
2. Potting Mix: Seeds do best in a soilless mix where there are fewer problems than with garden soil. ( it’s not as heavy and lets the seeds breath so that they can germinate)
3. Seeds: Your choice.
4. Labels/Markers: You want to know what you’ve planted.
5. Plastic bags/Covers: These will trap the heat and humidity where the plants need it.
6. Water
7. Light Source: A bright window, a florescent or high density plant light.

You want to loosen and dampen you potting mix before you put it into you seed staring containers. It’s easier to get a uniform level of moisture to do it this way. It should be wet but not dripping with any dry lumps. Do not pack your potting mixture into the containers. You don’t want to fertilize your seeds until their first true leaves appear.

Once you have your containers prepared you can start planting your seeds. Make sure you read the package instructions. Some seeds require pre-soaking, or chilling before being planted. Small seeds can be sprinkled on the top of the soil; larger seeds can be counted out and planted individually. Use at least three seeds per container, since not all seeds will germinate, and not all that do germinate will survive. You can thin extras later. Top up your soil in your containers, and even though you have pre dampened the soil, water your seeds. This helps compact your seeds and gives them the appropriate contact with the mix.

This is where those plastic bags or covers become helpful. Cover your seeds loosely with some type of plastic. You can put your container into a plastic bag or simply lay a plastic sheet over the container. You can also purchase seed containers with plastic lids. Place you containers to a warm draft free area. Most seed germinate best when the temperature is between 18º-21ºC. The top of the refrigerator is a great place for purchased heat mats especially made for germinating seeds. Heating mats go under potting containers. (Caution: use heating mats certified for seed starting use)

You need to make sure the air around your seeds has good flow or you may encourage mold growth. Generally seed don’t require a lot of light until you start seeing them emerge from the soil. Once you start see growth from your seeds remove the plastic bag/cover and move the plant into indirect sunlight. Make sure the soil stays moist but not wet.

When the first signs of life emerge from your containers you want to make sure your plants have 12-18 hours of light a day. This may sound extreme, but artificial light and even low rays of the winter sun are not as intense as the summer sun. The best way to ensure regular doses of light is to use florescent or high intensity lighting on a timer.

When you plant starts emerging it will grow what looks like two little leaves, this is part of the plant and not their first “true” leaves. These will emerge later.

As your seedling grows its first little leaves will wilt and two new leaves will emerge from your plant these are the plants first “true” leaves. Your plant is now ready to be fertilized on a regular schedule. Using a specialized fertilizer for the type of plant you’re growing will help give it the proper N-P-K to encourage good roots and healthy growth. Plants may stay in their containers until you move them into their permanent spots. However plants are not recommended to be transplanted until the have a several sets of leaves have formed and they are a couple inches tall.

When the temperature outside warms up your plants should be big, stocky, healthy, and ready to plant.  As your plants are ready to be transplanted you need to harden them off. Hardening off a plant requires you to gradually introduce it tot their new growing weather conditions. It takes about a week or two for hardening off to take effect. Transplant into your plants permanent spot and enjoy.

Have fun and give growing things for yourself a chance. You may find it greatly rewarding and fun. Think of all the beauty you can create from just one seed.

What is dormant spraying? Dormant spraying is the process of spraying your trees and shrubs while they are dormant “resting period” during the winter. A plant “breaks” its dormancy when the buds swell up and the leaves start to emerge. Dormant spraying should not be done when this happens. Dormant spray is typically comprised of two ingredients that can be applied together or separately. One is Horticultural Oil and the other is Lime Sulfur. Horticultural Oil is used to prevent insects. Essentially, the oil smothers overwintering insects and/or their eggs. Lime Sulfur is natural fungicide and it kills dormant fungus spores on the plant. All in all, it tries to get rid of garden problems before they start.

Conditions around spraying your plants with a dormant spray can be a bit more complex and hard to time.  The temperature needs to be mild, above 5°C. You would want to apply it earlier on in the day so that it doesn’t freeze in colder temperatures, which can cause the oil to be less effective and need reapplication. A pressure sprayer is recommended for spraying. This allows you to get the solution into every nook and cranny of the plant, and allows for even coverage.

When applying dormant sprays, it’s important to remember that it is a very messy job. Suit up in a complete rain-suit or cover yourself in garbage bags. When applying the spray, it should be to the point the plant is dripping so you will probably get some on you. Sulfur is also a rather smelly substance and the oil makes it stick quite well so make sure you're prepared. It can also be beneficial to spray the ground or flower beds around your plants with any leftover spray from your tank. This kills those occasional other critters that hide in the soil or on the mulch around your garden.

Typically fruit plants or anything in the rose family should be sprayed. Apples, cherries, roses, plums, pears, and even raspberries are actually members of the rose family and benefit from dormant spraying. Maples and evergreens do not like and sometimes cannot tolerate dormant spraying.

To conclude users should take all safety precautions while using these products. Although they are considered organic we should still treat them just as we would other products that would used to kill insects, and fungus.