Barefoot Farm in Beaconsfield, Tasmania | Education

Barefoot Farm

Locality: Beaconsfield, Tasmania

Phone: +61 423 637 230

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25.01.2022 The evidence of pollination problems is now showing up in our South Carolina watermelon crop. There are lots of junk melons being left in the fields. The photo... is one that was only a partial failure, that actually came to market, but then was thrown away by the produce man. Spoilage had already started on the poorly pollinated end. Most people don't realize that watermelon pollination is not an on/off switch but a progressive act. People think that the bee goes to the flower, and the flower is pollinated. What actually is needed is many visits by the bees to deliver 1000 grains of pollen, and evenly space it on the three sticky lobes of the female stigma. Each incipient seed needs a grain of pollen to fertilize the germ of the seed, and another grain to fertilize the seed coat. And the flesh of the melon only develops in response to the fertilization of the seeds. Note that this melon has a pointy end, because the incipient seeds were not fertilized. They are white. The other end is OK, as shown by the mature black seeds. Not only do the fertilized seeds control the development of the flesh, but also the sweetness. If you split a melon and see that half the seeds are white, you'll know, even before tasting it, that it will not be sweet. The bees not only create the melon, but they also put the sweetness into it! This is why watermelon growers put honey bee hives into the fields to pollinate the melons. Gardeners may be able to rely on native bees, but there simply aren't enough to pollinate commercial crops. The bee populations that are adequate for pollination in the spring, when conditions are perfect, are not adequate for the summer, when heat kills pollen and bees quit working as the thermometer rises. It takes a lot higher population of bees to get the required number of bee visits early in the morning, on a 95-degree day that it did to work all day on an 85-degree day. This is also the reason commercial growers quit with cucumbers and summer squash during the hot months. Of course pest and disease problems increase, but also it's just too darn hard to get the crop well pollinated! The last photo is of really, really bad pollination; likely only one or two bee visits.

21.01.2022 Shared with Love from Rebecca <3

21.01.2022 Shared with Love from Rebecca <3

10.01.2022 The evidence of pollination problems is now showing up in our South Carolina watermelon crop. There are lots of junk melons being left in the fields. The photo... is one that was only a partial failure, that actually came to market, but then was thrown away by the produce man. Spoilage had already started on the poorly pollinated end. Most people don't realize that watermelon pollination is not an on/off switch but a progressive act. People think that the bee goes to the flower, and the flower is pollinated. What actually is needed is many visits by the bees to deliver 1000 grains of pollen, and evenly space it on the three sticky lobes of the female stigma. Each incipient seed needs a grain of pollen to fertilize the germ of the seed, and another grain to fertilize the seed coat. And the flesh of the melon only develops in response to the fertilization of the seeds. Note that this melon has a pointy end, because the incipient seeds were not fertilized. They are white. The other end is OK, as shown by the mature black seeds. Not only do the fertilized seeds control the development of the flesh, but also the sweetness. If you split a melon and see that half the seeds are white, you'll know, even before tasting it, that it will not be sweet. The bees not only create the melon, but they also put the sweetness into it! This is why watermelon growers put honey bee hives into the fields to pollinate the melons. Gardeners may be able to rely on native bees, but there simply aren't enough to pollinate commercial crops. The bee populations that are adequate for pollination in the spring, when conditions are perfect, are not adequate for the summer, when heat kills pollen and bees quit working as the thermometer rises. It takes a lot higher population of bees to get the required number of bee visits early in the morning, on a 95-degree day that it did to work all day on an 85-degree day. This is also the reason commercial growers quit with cucumbers and summer squash during the hot months. Of course pest and disease problems increase, but also it's just too darn hard to get the crop well pollinated! The last photo is of really, really bad pollination; likely only one or two bee visits.

06.01.2022 https://ukcsc.co.uk/earth-power-hemp-batteries-better-tha/