A gardener on Reddit asked fellow gardeners about a bag of mixed seeds they had just bought.
Users came to the gardener's aid, warning them against using mixed-seed bags.
The Redditor posted an image in the r/NoLawns subreddit of the Pollinator Mix they had purchased at Lowes, asking what other users thought of the seeds.
The original poster said: "I found these cheap Pollinator Mix (all season) bags at my Lowe's, thought it would be a good start to chuck a few of these over my land."
The seed mix has a picture of flowers, a bird, a butterfly, and a bee.
According to the Native Plant Coalition, many pollinator mixes include non-native plants. These seed bags aim to increase the declining pollinator population. Unfortunately, the non-native plants tend to overpower native plants and, in some cases, wipe them out. When non-native plants take over, it can destroy the ecosystem.
While increasing pollinator populations is a good goal, non-native plants don't always provide enough nutrients for pollinators.
These pollinators are crucial to human survival. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, 80% of crops grown for food and plant-based products rely on these pollinators.
While seed mixes aren't the best way to attract pollinators, there are ways to create a friendlier place for pollinators. You'll want to remove non-native and invasive plants. You can also rewild your yard using native flowers that attract pollinators.
You don't need a large space to create a place for pollinators on your lawn. For example, an apartment tenant shared a photo of a bench with potted plants around it.
The Redditors echoed the issues of using these mixed-seed bags with non-native seeds in the comments.
One user said: "I scrutinize each one and do my research before buying. I've seen too many where you get some garbage annuals that don't reseed or do any good, or even contain invasives."
Another gardener advised: "It's best to go with a native seed mix that's specific to your area."
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