Participation sought for pollinator garden site preparation study
Summer Goddard
The Lake County Conservation District is looking for landowners interested in establishing a pollinator garden to participate in a site preparation study.
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News from Lake County Conservation District
LAKE COUNTY — Have you ever thought about having a pollinator garden but aren’t sure where to start? Many people who look into Lake County Conservation District’s Pollinator Initiative, which provides pollinator seed to Lake County residents for free, are surprised to find out that it takes an extensive amount of site preparation to properly prepare a seedbed for a pollinator habitat planting. This year Lake County is beginning a Pollinator Garden Site Preparation Study to research the effectiveness of solarization vs rototilling on pollinator plots. Solarization is a non-chemical method for controlling weeds and pests, by harnessing solar power and increasing the soil temperature on the surface of the soil to a point that kills the undesired species. Lake County Conservation District (LCCD) is looking for participants who are interested in transitioning a portion of their property into a pollinator garden this spring as part of the study. LCCD will provide the landowner with weed fabric and assist with the installation of the fabric for solarization, a portion of the plot may also be rototilled for comparison. The plot will be monitored periodically throughout the year to ensure the process is working, and one of the Lake County Conservation District Pollinator Seed Mixes will be provided for a fall planting. This planting will then be monitored during the growing season in 2021 for stand success and comparison between site preparation techniques.
All participants will receive:
- FREE Pollinator Seed Mix
- FREE Site Preparation Technical Assistance
- FREE Monitoring
If you are interested in participating, please contact LCCD directly at lakecd@macdnet.org or 406-676-2811 extension 102.
