Category: Hummingbird Food

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Hummingbird Food

Why is the Encore Azalea Unique?

Azaleas plants are actually an evergreen shrub that flowers.  Azaleas are actually poisonous to humans.  Did you know these facts?    Azaleas can come in a wide range of colors including purple, pink, and rarer species come in shades of red or even blue.

Azaleas usually only bloom once a season, usually late in the spring.  In 1997, a new and unique species of Azalea was released called the Encore Azalea.  What makes this particular species of Azalea unique is that it flowers three times a year.  This is a great feature because you will be able to enjoy its beautiful blooms longer and it will help keep the hummingbirds around your yard longer.

When do you plant Azaleas?  This can be done at any point during the warm season, even if they are in bloom, and doing so will not stunt its growth or harm flower production.  In general, Azaleas are easy to care for, but there are some things that you need to keep in mind whenever you plant them.

The amount of sun required will depend on the variety of Azaleas you select.  Some will grow in full sun while others will require far less sun. Azaleas should be grown in raised beds. The soil must be kept moist but not overly so.  It is important to use mulch, peat moss and other organic materials in generous amounts. These plants grow well in acid conditions. A root stimulator should be added and it is necessary to keep them well mulched. Lastly, an important reminder, Azaleas should be fertilized after they have boomed.

Best of luck using Azaleas to attract hummingbirds to your yard.  Try using the Encore Azalea and your blooms will last even longer and it will be another plant on which the hummingbirds can feed.

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Hummingbird Food Hummingbirds

The Hummingbird’s Appatite

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If you have observed hummingbirds for very long, you may think that hummingbirds eat constantly. This simply is not true. Here is an explanation of the feeding habits of the hummingbird.

Hummingbirds do eat quite frequently but not constantly, due to the fact that the hummingbird possesses an extremely high metabolic rate. It is this rapid metabolic rate that allows the hummingbird to digest nectar very rapidly and efficiently, and thus enables the nectar to pass entirely through the hummingbird’s digestive system in less than 20 minutes! The activity level of the hummingbird requires that they continually refuel or they would not be able do all that they do.

A hummingbird will feed between 6-8 times per hour with each feeding only lasting about 30 seconds in length. Which is why during daylight hours, the hummingbird will eat frequently for short periods of time and thus it may appear as though they are eating constantly.

At night, the hummingbird will eat as heavily as the nectar supply will allow to ensure that it will survive its overnight fast while maintaining its normal resting metabolic rate. To accomplish this, the hummingbird may store a third of its weight in nectar.

Hummingbirds must eat properly to ensure their very survival, so now maybe you understand more about their need to eat as they do.

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Hummingbird Feeders Hummingbird Food

Hummingbirds Prefer Natural Nectar

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Hummingbirds prefer to feed from flowers that are in bloom and attract them rather then from feeders whenever possible. This is not to say that hummingbirds will not feed from your feeders because they will, but if given the choice of the natural nectar that flowers produce and homemade nectar solution, the birds will choose the natural nectar while it is most plentiful and readily available. The natural nectar that is found in the flowers is sweeter then homemade nectar solution and hummingbirds like the nectar to be extremely sweet.

Does this mean that you should not put out hummingbird feeders? Absolutely not. All I am not saying is that there will not be as as many hummingbirds at your feeders while the natural nectar supply is plentiful. The hummingbirds will once again begin to frequent your feeders as the various blooms in your yard begin to decrease and the natural nectar supply is not as plentiful as it was previously. Homemade nectar solution is very similar to that of natural nectar which is why the hummingbirds like it so well when the natural nectar supply is no longer plentiful.

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Hummingbird Food Hummingbirds

Not Just Red Plants Attract Hummingbirds

Red is a color that is well known to attract the hummingbirds, but it is far from the only color you can use to entice the hummingbirds to your yard. A wide variety of other colors including pink, purple, orange, yellow, white and others will also do so quite nicely. This post will explain why color choice is not the most important consideration when selecting plants that will entice the hummingbirds to visit your yard.

The plants or flowers you select should have a long season of overlapping bloom. This includes plants such as petunias, annual red salvia, autumn sage and shrimp plants, or the firebush.

It is extremely important to select a wide variety of plants which are known to attract hummingbirds. You will want the flowers you choose to bloom different times so there will always be something flowering.

Did you know that the flowers you choose will serve two very important purposes? Well, they will. They will provide a source of nectar for the hummingbirds, and they will also attract insects on which the birds will feed.

The colors of the flowers or plants you select are not what is of the greatest importance to a hummingbird when it comes to selecting a food source. So, what is the most important consideration to a hummingbird? To a hummingbird what is far more important when choosing a food source is the quantity and quality of the nectar which is available. As a result, the hummingbird will select the flower with the highest nectar output and the richest concentration of sugars, regardless of the shape or color of the flower. The taste of the nectar is also far more important then the color of the flower.

When choosing flowers and plants to attract hummingbirds, red is not the only color to use. Choose flowers or plants in a wide variety of colors and you will not only have a beautiful and brightly colored yard but you will provide a wonderful food source for the hummingbirds.

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Dear Mom Hummingbird Food

Spring and Hummingbirds

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It is supposed to be officially spring now, but you would not know it from the extremely cool temperatures we have still been experiencing thus far.  Regardless of the cooler temperatures, this time of year always makes me think of my mom and hummingbirds.  Why is this you may ask?  Well, that is what the rest of this post will explain.

I live within walking distance of a local home improvement center, and the garden center has out all types of brightly colored hanging baskets with all types of flowers that would attract hummingbirds.  My mom’s yard was full of hanging baskets each year that would successfully entice the hummingbirds to our yard, so each time I think of spring and see those hanging baskets I am reminded of my mom and our shared love of hummingbirds.

There are numerous plants that you could place in hanging baskets, but it is best to select plants which are known to thrive in hanging baskets.  Some possible choices include:  penstemon, salvia and petunia, because the hummingbirds can easily access the nectar due to their long, narrow bills and tongues.

You will want the plants you select for your hanging baskets to offer a wide variety of color.  Red colored flowers are ones which hummingbirds can see from a great distance, so offering flowers that are nectar-rich and come in various shades of red should always attract their attention.  However, flowers of almost any color, including orange, pink, purple, white and yellow will also attract hummingbirds and cause them to feed from these nectar-rich plants.

It is important to select plants with different bloom times.  Choosing plants that have a long bloom time will help provide the hummingbirds with a source of nectar for an extended length of time.  Another way to ensure that the hummingbirds will always have a source of nectar is to select plants that have staggered bloom times.

Hanging baskets are a simple, effective and space-saving way for anyone to attract hummingbirds to their yard, and they are also something that will forever remind me of my mom, spring and hummingbirds.  So, it must only be a short time ahead before I see my first hummingbird of the season.