An Evaluation of Pollinator Gardens on Soil Health

An Evaluation of Pollinator Gardens on Soil Health Evie Rusilowicz and Dr. Lin P. Handayani, Ph.D. Murray State University, Kentucky, USA, Hutson College of Agriculture Abstract Pollinator gardens provide important benefits, including increased biodiversity, support for pollinator populations, and the potential to improve soil health through better soil structure. The objective of this research was to evaluate soil physical properties in pollinator gardens of different ages compared to grassland and conventionally tilled cropland. The study was conducted at six sites in Calloway County, Kentucky, including four pollinator garden sites, a grassland site, and a conventionally tilled cornfield. Soil samples were collected on September 14, 2026, from a depth of 5 inches, with four replications per site, totaling 24 samples. Samples were evaluated for bulk density (BD), macroporosity (MAC), soil water at field capacity (SWFC), and soil organic carbon (SOC). The BD ranged from 1.07 to 1.44 g/cm3, with the values varying from 1.07 g/cm3 in the pond plot to 1.44 g/cm3 in the cornfield. The MAC ranged from 27.76% to 50.58%, reaching 50.58% in the pond plot and 27.76% in the strawflower plot. The SWFC ranged from 25.13% to 43.84%, measuring 43.48% in the pond plot and 25.13% in the strawflower plot. The SOC ranged from 1.57% to 4.45%, with measurements of 4.45% in the pond plot and 1.57% in the zinnia plot. Overall, the pond plot demonstrated the most favorable combination of BD, MAC, and SWFC. These results suggest that pollinator gardens may support favorable soil physical properties such as BD, MAC, SWFC, and SOC compared to conventionally tilled cropland. Keywords: Pollinator gardens, Soil health, Bulk density, Macroporosity, Soil water, Organic carbon