"Bee Pastures!"

red rambler · Post by **red rambler** » Tue Jul 07, 2009 1:45 pm

Scanning the web recently and came across the concept of bee pastures, i.e. providing pollen and nectar through out the season. Something I hope to try this fall is sowing buckwheat later in July so it has the chance to bloom before frost.

I read one newspaper article where an owner has sown buckwheat and sunflower at the same time in the spring. The sunflowers continued to mature through the summer provide a longer nectar season. This patch was bush hogged then lightly disked. According to them, it reseeded itself.

Anyone with experience on a larger scale than just a garden?

Booked marked on my home computer was a list of native plants that could be sown/planted to provide nectar into the fall. I will post those up later evening.

red rambler

mike91553 · Post by **mike91553** » Tue Jul 07, 2009 2:10 pm

I have been planting 2 or 3 acres of buckwheat each year and the bees love it but only in the mornings. I planted half the field on 5-19 and planned to plant the next half 2 or 3 weeks later but wet soil much delayed that planting.

The first half has been blooming 2-3 weeks now and is about done and has enough mature seed to disk in for a second crop. I will let the seed dry down and harvest them to sell what I don't need for myself.

I have planted sunflowers but bees don't seem to work them much.

I still have some buckwheat seed if you need some.

red rambler · Post by **red rambler** » Tue Jul 07, 2009 7:55 pm

Gardens of the Blue Ridge specialize in native plants. These are two of the one I located that bloom through late summer

Monarda didyma Bee Balm, Oswego Tea, Horsemint Has bright red flowers that really attract the hummingbirds in the fall. Likes wet soil and will grow in the shade. Does not get the mildew as the hybrid varieties do. Will spread nicely and give you some late fall red color in the shade. Shade to Semi-Shade, Wet to Moist Rich Soil, Fall, 2-4 ft Tall, Zones 4-9

Monarda fistulosa Wild Bergamot Grows to a height of about 4 feet. Has pink to lavender flowers in the summer, and the leaves are often tinged with the color of the flowers. Thrives in open shade or full sun with proper moisture. Sun to Semi-shade, Moist Soil, Summer, 3-4 ft Tall, Zones 3-9

David

John Sabat · Post by **John Sabat** » Tue Jul 07, 2009 10:34 pm

Ever thought about yellow clover.....available locally from farm supply, grows easily, great nectar producer and a perennial.

red rambler · Post by **red rambler** » Wed Jul 08, 2009 10:15 pm

A little background, the bee are in Alexander County on my grandparents family farm property. The bees are located an a pasture surrounded by "mature" hardwoods.

At the current time there is little available in terms of tillable land due to leasing agreements. So just trying to figure out how to "expand" the nectar flow. The clover bloom is just finishing up there.

Is the clover you are suggesting different from the "white" blooms you usually see?

Thanks!

Hope you and other keep "pushing" back.

John Sabat · Post by **John Sabat** » Thu Jul 09, 2009 9:13 pm

Yes, yellow clover grows to about 3 to 5 feet high and is covered with plumes full of nectar and pollen. This is the major source of nectar in the midwest and is where most of the commercially produced clover honey in stores is derived from. The white blooming clover you see around this area is usually Ladino and has very little nectar, however, due to the dearth the bee's go for whatever is available. Yellow clover requires little to no attention and actually resembles a weed which many people mistakenly bushhog or mow down. I have read on Beesource that one acre of well maintained yellow clover has supported as many as 50 hives

red rambler · Post by **red rambler** » Thu Jul 09, 2009 9:18 pm

Not having googled it yet, is it a commercially available seed? And do you know how invasive it is?

John Sabat · Post by **John Sabat** » Thu Jul 09, 2009 11:31 pm

Available from Southern States. Best to plant in Sept, Oct.

red rambler · Post by **red rambler** » Sat Jul 11, 2009 7:20 pm

Any one else seeing this as alternative to syrup?

red rambler · Post by **red rambler** » Tue Jul 28, 2009 6:01 pm

Gonna go for it this fall. My Dad and I plan to sow some buckwheat in a couple of weeks to see how it does.

Might try the buckwheat and sunflower combination next spring. Leave some space for either clover or fall buckwheat.

Final plan is to make it up to Garden of the Blue Ridge to talk to them about native plants we could re-introduce into the woods around the bees.

Nothing like a little entertainment to help get us through this economy....