Bee-friendly flower strips

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Our cities and communities are becoming more and more colorful, because flower strips are all the rage. And it's not just us humans who are happy about this, but also wild bees, honeybees and other insects. While we admire the aesthetics of the flower strips, wildflowers provide many pollinating insects with nectar and pollen that are essential for their survival. This kills two birds with one stone: we humans can feast our eyes on the flowers - and the wild bees can eat their fill.

In this article, we take a closer look at flower strips: How do I create a flower strip? Why are flower strips mowed? And what are the benefits of flower strips anyway? Because there are not only supporters of flower strips: critics fear that the flower strip hype will not stop insect extinction.

Flower strips are all the rage: where do all the wildflowers come from?

Have you noticed that there are a lot more flower strips and wildflower meadows this year? Red poppies, purple thistles and blue cornflowers adorn many urban areas in 2021. And this is no coincidence: in Germany, municipalities and cities have planted over 100 new wildflower meadows this year. Added to this are the countless private and commercial flower strips that have been created in gardens and on company premises.

Blühstreifen voll im Trend: Woher kommen die ganzen Wildblumen?

Berlin alone has spent over 1.5 million euros on wildflower seeds (unfortunately not from Bee friendly) to create over 50 wildflower gardens over the next five years. There are already dozens of urban wildflower meadows in Munich, Stuttgart, Leipzig and Hamburg - and the trend is rising. You could almost call it a wildflower hype! To ensure that this trend does not become a short-lived fad, cities and municipalities usually sow perennial wildflower mixtures. Every year, the meadows become more colorful as more and more different wildflowers are able to establish themselves. While poppies and thistles dominate the flower strips this year, things may look completely different next year.

Nutzen von Blühstreifen: Bienenfreundliche Wildblumenwiesen

But what do flowering strips actually bring? Sure, they are nice to look at. But even more importantly, their function for insects. Because, above all, flowering strips are meant for pollinators and other beneficial insects. To understand this, we need to take a step back: It has been known for years that the insect population in the world (yes, also in Germany) is drastically declining. This so-called insect decline has many complex reasons and causes: the use of highly toxic pesticides in agriculture; monocultures and soil over-fertilization; but also the sealing of areas.

In principle, two main causes for the insect decline can be identified: (1) The active killing of insects through the use of pesticides, and (2) the deterioration of insect living conditions due to a lack of nesting sites and food. The latter also leads to the extinction of insects because reproduction is severely affected. And this has serious consequences because insects form the foundation of nature. Wild bees, honey bees, butterflies, and bumblebees pollinate 75 percent of our grain, fruit, and vegetable plants. If our diligent helpers are no longer around, we will have to pollinate our plants by hand. Apart from the pollination crisis, the insect decline has other dramatic consequences: What will birds, fish, lizards, and other animals feed on if there are no insects? The loss of insects would cause a domino effect that we cannot even imagine. This so-called biodiversity crisis could cause entire ecosystems to collapse and become uninhabitable.

Blühstreifen voll im Trend: Woher kommen die ganzen Wildblumen?

So will flower strips stop insect mortality? Probably not. But they can make an important contribution. On the one hand, they offer insects shelter and food; on the other, they are a kind of eco-marketing: people see colorful flower meadows, talk about them, get information and can then take action.

How do I create a flower strip?

To create a flowering strip, you don't need any gardening skills or special tools. All you need is bee-friendly seed; nutrient-poor soil; a flower box, pot, or bed; shovel, rake, and roller. Most wildflowers prefer sunny to partially shaded locations. Depending on the light conditions at your site, you will need to choose the appropriate bee-friendly seeds. If the soil is very humus-rich, it would be good to mix it with some sand. The reason for this is that many wildflowers do not like nutrient-rich soil. In other words, you don’t need to fertilize!

Loosen the soil lightly with a rake or garden fork, and then sow your wildflower seeds. Be sure not to sow the seeds too closely together. As a guideline, we recommend 3 to 5 square meters of space per Bee-friendly seed packet. Once you’ve sown your seeds, you can press them into the soil with a roller. This is to prevent birds from picking up the seeds before they have a chance to germinate. Please do not cover the seeds with soil: most wildflowers are light-dependent germinators. For the first two weeks, keep your flowering strip nice and moist to help your seeds germinate.

A wildflower meadow requires very, very little care. If you ever notice that it is infested with pests, you can rely on proven natural remedies: oregano or garlic infusions work wonders on pests. Please avoid using chemical products!

Warum werden Blühstreifen und Wildblumenwiesen gemäht?

You may have wondered why wildflower meadows are mowed. It often happens that the most beautiful flowering strips are massacred and then stand barren and abandoned for weeks. Even if it hurts your heart to see this, wildflower meadows unfortunately have to be mowed.

Blühstreifen voll im Trend: Woher kommen die ganzen Wildblumen?

If a flower meadow is not mowed, it usually doesn't take long for certain plant species to drive out others and the biodiversity decreases. When a meadow is mowed, flower seeds are spread (sometimes quite unconsciously) so that it can bloom again soon after mowing. When mowing, it is very important that the plant remains are completely removed from the meadow. Otherwise they rot and enrich the soil with nutrients that our wildflowers do not tolerate so well.

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