What Does Pollination Mean?
Pollination is the term used to define the transfer of pollen from the male part of the flower, the stamen, to the female part of the flower, the pistil. It is one of the most important processes when it comes to plant reproduction and is a crucial part of the ecosystem. There are different types of pollination, depending on the type of agents involved, such as wind pollination, insect pollination, and hand pollination.
In vertical gardening, where people want to minimize the number of pests and insects, pollination can be a bit of a demanding job as one needs to manually transfer the pollen.
Pollination is very important as without this process, several flowers would not be able to multiply. Pollinator gardening, which helps provide a suitable environment that invites insects to come and pollinate, is gaining in popularity.
Maximum Yield Explains Pollination
Pollen contains male gametes and is crucial for plant reproduction. When the pollen goes to the pistil and reaches the ovary of the flower, it fuses with the female gametes to form a seed. Along with plant reproduction, pollination is one of the major facilitators of hybrid plants. Hybrid plants are created when the pollen from one kind of plant is transferred to the pistil of another type of plant.
Since people opt for manual pollination of plants. There are two main types of hand pollination techniques. One technique, used mostly for pumpkin, squash, and zucchini, requires a gentle snip of the male flower off of the plant and a snip of the petals without touching the stamen. The next step is to touch and roll the stamen forth to the stigma on the pistil.
The second technique, used mostly for small flowers like cucumber, uses a dry paintbrush or ear buds. The brush or swab can gently swirl around the stamen and swirl the pollen collected onto the stigma of the pistil. Using collections from multiple stamens for each pistil is recommended for a better success rate.
To create a pollinator garden, avoid using any type of pesticide that might kill the pollinators. The use of native plants, colorful plants, and plants with beautiful fragrances to attract the pollinators is recommended, as is building nesting structures for the pollinators.
