June is a busy month for Delta’s farming community and the month that we associate with strawberries, the first of the U-Pick berry crops.
If you were berry picking at Emma Lea Farms last summer, you probably noticed the large plantings of sunflowers.
The Husband family, owners of Emma Lea, regularly participate in Delta Farmland and Wildlife Trust’s stewardship programs.
They plant cover crops that improve and protect the soil while providing habitat for wildlife. They have also introduced floral strips, planted in field margins, to increase pollinator habitat. Their strategic planting of sunflowers around the berry fields last year gave us an opportunity to conduct research into sunflowers’ benefit for soil health and pollinators.
Our first soil samples revealed that sunflower stands contained high populations of earthworms – 21 worms/ft2 on average.
That was more than double the 10 worms/ft2 threshold which is considered a good population in farmland. Earthworms play a crucial role in enhancing soil structure and fertility. They feed on decaying plant material, fungi and bacteria. Their waste, known as worm castings, contains vital nutrients and beneficial bacteria. Just by moving through the soil worms help to loosen it, improving aeration and water filtration.
Bumblebee surveys showed that sunflower strips supported a good density of bumblebees, with 0.47 bumblebees recorded per survey minute. In addition to brightening the fields to the human eye, the sunflowers provided an excellent source of pollen for bumblebees, especially in late summer and early fall when most other plants have finished blooming.
Sunflowers will provide the same benefits to your home garden as they do on the farm. You can enjoy the flowers knowing that worms are working to improve your soil and you are providing a much-needed late season pollinator habitat.
We will be out again this summer doing more research in the sunflower patch.
Editor’s note: Nature Notes is a monthly column produced by Delta Naturalists and its community partners. For information on monthly meetings and more see: www.deltanaturalists.org and www.facebook.com/deltanats/.
