arf@chinet.chi.il.us (Jack Schmidling) (09/17/89)
hum/e9
HUMMINGBIRDS AND JEWEL WEEDS
Several hummingbirds have been regular visitors since my original posting.
On one occasion I actually saw two at the same time. One chased the other
away.
So far, only one other sighting in the Chicago area. They are very rare in
the big city. That, of course is what makes them so exciting around here.
The key to attracting hummers to places where they are rare is jewel weed
(Impatiens capensis) also know as touch-me-not for the way the seed pods
explode when touched.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
I will repeat my offer of free seeds to anyone who would like their own
private hummers. Just send me a self addressed, stamped, BUSINESS SIZE,
envelope and I will mail them out. I still have plenty of them left.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
I forgot to include planting instruction with the ones I already sent so
here's the deal:
I have not experimented with them because they self seed so easily.
Consequently, I do not know if they require a dormant period or frost to
germinate. To be safe, I would leave them outside over winter. On a back
porch, between the storm window or in the car trunk. That's the way nature
treats them so you couldn't go wrong.
They do best in full sun but will flower even in total shade. They wilt
pathetically on hot sunny days but recover at night. That would indicate to
me that partial shade/sun would be preferred. The amount of sun seems to
have an effect on when they flower. The more sun the sooner, so for max
flower time, plant them all over.
For the first year, I would plant them in one place for best effect. The
following year, you will have more seeds than you will know what to do with.
..........................
The other exciting news is that I finally got one to use the nectar feeder
that I have been religiously cleaning and filling every week for 5 years.
The feeder is red and the jewel weeds are yelllow/orange, so I experimented
by painting one of the plastic flowers with yellow stripes and I removed the
bee guard, which happens to be yellow.
The result was almost instantaneous. Within an hour, a female was including
the feeder on her regular rounds of the jewel weeds and is almost
continuously somewhere in the yard as opposed to leaving for hours at a time.
I have since painted the yellow stripes on all the plastic flowers. She
pokes at all the flowers now but only drinks from those without the bee
guard.
The fact that the bee guard is yellow convolutes the experiment but I feel
pretty sure that the yellow stripes brought her to the feeder. The bee
guards are definately a hindrance to birds unaccustomed to them.
Happy Humming!
Jack Schmidling
4501 Moody
Chicago, Il 60630