As the fall garden continues to buzz with activity, maybe you will consider some tips to prepare for the 2026 Southeast Pollinator Census. You could be be one of the citizen scientists adding to the data collected by the University of Georgia that now includes North Carolina, South Carolina, Alabama and Florida.
Started in 2017 as a pilot project that included 50 gardens, the census has continued to evolve broadening its scope and increasing participation by interested gardeners. In 2019 it first opened to the general public in Georgia with 4000 participants. South Carolina joined in 2022, North Carolina in 2023, Florida in 2024, and Alabama was welcomed this year - 2025. The August project was easy enough for anyone to participate in and allowed them to learn something about insects while collecting useful data in the process. Read more about the project here: https://gsepc.org/about/. If you think you might want to impact the number of pollinators in our region there are some tips to make your landscape beautiful and beneficial year-round.
We each have our own unique goals and preferences; however, it is important to consider not only your desires but also what is best for your garden and the wildlife that benefits from it. Fall is a great time to thin out plants that have spread where you don’t want them. It is also the optimal time for planting perennials because the soil is still warm enough for roots to get established and get a head start for the next spring. Even a “completed” pollinator garden can continue to evolve.
Usually, the best months for planting are October and November but depending on the weather, in some years you can still plant in December. Start once the temperatures have consistently cooled a bit and hopefully not during a drought. It can be helpful to mark planting by flagging tagging or placing a metal spike to note location. I am guilty of digging up one perennial to put in another!
To assure good root development give new plantings a good watering each week until they go dormant in winter. After the first year they should require no supplemental watering. Weeding can be done year-round. In the fall, warm-season weeds like Bermuda grass and cool-season weeds like Creeping Charlie, vetch and chickweed need to be controlled. Some will overwhelm the garden in the spring if you don’t control them in the fall.
Think beyond the flowers. Pollinators require shelter and nesting sites throughout their life. Plant stems, leaf litter, brush piles, dead wood and bare ground all provide habitat for insects throughout the year. Since leaf litter and plant stems provide vital habitat, save some hard work and leave them. A layer of fallen leaves provides shelter for insects and other invertebrates; the insects, berries, and nuts found in the leaf layer are important for birds, mammals, turtles and other critters. The nutrients from the decomposing material go back to the trees and other plants, and can help with soil erosion, suppress weeds and improve moisture retention.
The pollinators you see in the summer are often hidden from view amongst the fallen leaves throughout the year, many are camouflaged. Some butterflies overwinter in their egg stage laid on fallen leaves that become a food source for the caterpillars when they hatch in the spring. Luna moths form papery cocoons wrapped in dead leaves and can fall into the leaf litter. If possible, don’t cut back the stems when flowers are done flowering - they provide structure and visual appeal through the winter. See them as beautiful!
In North Carolina, we have over 560 species of native bees. About 30% nest in cavities like hollow or soft plant stems or in the ground. If you think you can just cut the stem and stack them, they can produce mold that is harmful to pollinators. It would be better to wait until early spring after bees start emerging. Artificial bee hotels are hard to maintain and when improperly maintained they can harbor diseases and parasites. Stem management is a much better option.
Now you are ready to help with the pollinator census in August. There will be much more information available as the census gets closer.
References:
Fall Chores in the Garden.NCSU Debbi Roos Extension Agent Chatham County
A History of the Census from project Coordinator Becky Griffin, UGA Extension
- Mary K Buranosky
Extension Master Gardner