On April 14th, we had gorgeous weather for our work party, and we busied ourselves, learning about the hows and whens of hand pollination. It was a bit early for many of the trees, but we worked on several pear trees that haven’t set fruit for the past several seasons. In addition to brushing pollen into blossoms, we hung up a bucket of pear blossoms with some sugar water in one of the trees near the mason bee house to attract the bees to pollinate the old fashioned way. Don also placed some pollen near the mason bee house so the bees could transport it to pear blossoms. We also weeded around the base of a number of trees and placed mulch around them.
Don places pollen in front of the mason bee house in hopes that some will make it to a waiting pear blossom.
Kathy brushes pear pollen into one of the blossoms.
We're examining blossoms to better understand the blossom components and where the pollen needs to go.
And we're pollinating.
Friends of Pipers Orchard 
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