Gardening for Hummingbirds

These little beauties are a wonderful addition to any garden. There are many plants (listed below) that will attract these critters to your yard. In order to keep the hummers coming back, you need to be sure you plant several species that bloom at different times throughout the season so that there is also food on hand for the hummingbirds.

This isn't always easy to accomplish. Therefore, you should augment your garden with hummingbird feeders. If you are going to hang feeders in your garden, you must take the responsibility of cleaning them regular. A dirty feeder can be fatal to a hummingbird. Your feeder should have red on it somewhere, as this is the hummers favorite color. If it is not made with red, tie a red ribbon on it. DO NOT USE RED FOOD COLORING in the nectar solution! You can make your own nectar solution by boiling one part sugar to four parts water for a couple of minutes. Extra solution can be stored in the fridge. You must not let your solution ferment. Remember that feeders in direct sunlight will ferment faster than those in shade. You should clean your feeders with hot, soapy water at least once a week - more often in extreme heat.

The most common question we receive is when to put up and take down your feeders. Hummers will start migrating north in very early spring. They will begin to arrive in the mid-Atlantic states around mid-April (earlier south, later north). Put your feeders up early enough to catch the first hummers on their journey north. Hummers will begin their southward migration around mid-September. Keep your feeders out through October, until it's been about a week since you've seen a hummingbird using the feeder. You will not jeopardize their migration by leaving feeders out. Hummers know what they're doing and won't be tempted to stick around just because of a convenient food source. They have a far journey ahead so they'll keep moving.