Olive and almond crops rely heavily on the diligent work of bees and other pollinators, but these aren't the only insects providing their services to orchards. Growers are increasingly looking to attract a myriad of beneficial insects for their valuable pest control services.   

Andrew Petrini knew that if he was going to successfully transition his 440-acre olive and almond orchards away from pesticides, he was going to need some help from natural enemy insects. “We want to try and attract as many as we can since we’re going to be limited on what can use if we have any issues,” Andrew said. 

Andrew and two other crew members installed a 2,350 ft. hedgerow made up of over 400 native shrubs and flowers.

With financial support from California’s Healthy Soils Project (HSP) and planning assistance from WFA’s Nick Filannino, Andrew and two other crew members installed a 2,350 ft. hedgerow over the course of a few days near the orchards. It’s made up of over 400 native shrubs and flowers, including Manzanita, Milkweed, Yarrow, Coyote brush, Oregon grape, California lilac, Buckwheat, Coffeeberry, Toyon and Lupin. 

The irrigation of the hedgerow is tied into the irrigation for the almonds and olives, so other than occasional weeding as the plants get established, it’s maintenance-free. Andrew is impressed by how easily the plants have grown and looks forward to seeing the insects and birds the hedgerow attracts this spring.  

See a short tour of the hedgerow here: