Subject: What to plant to help Bees this year
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Most things bees and agricultural are local - meaning very specific to the location they are in. A good resource near you would be your local Cooperative Extension office. (Just ignore their bit about the use of chemicals. There are organic alternatives.) Have fun! 
-- Chrsty |
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Subject: What to plant to help Bees this year
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CJ Verde wrote:
I think that is key: pay attention to what is available when little else is growing - and then plant for those gaps. Seems like most annuals are in a rush to grow, flower, make seeds, disperse, all in a few months time - so there is a lot available in midsummer. It's on either end - early spring and late summer & fall when food can be so scarce. |
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Subject: What to plant to help Bees this year
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| May not help this year, but I would plant flowering trees - fruit trees, catalpa, linden, basswood. Currently my little orchard is abuzz! That is also a good place to set up a box or two to catch swarms. | |
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Subject: What to plant to help Bees this year
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| It's been a very cold spring here in Vermont this year. It's almost May and the leaves still haven't opened up! It's been too cold for the bees to come out but on the few warm days we've had, the only plant I've seen bees on is coltsfoot. | |
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Subject: What to plant to help Bees this year
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I live in the Pacific Northwest (NW corner of WA State; zone 8b, not terribly cold, nor very warm, windy, rain from Oct-April, and then dry) - I recently made a list of plants that I'm growing that are good for honeybees and other pollinators (I currently have 5 Warre hives). These are all easy-to-grow plants (I am growing them on a little over an acre):
Agrimony Alfalfa Angelica Anise Hyssop Aster Bachelor Buttons/ Cornflower Basil Berberis Bergamot / Monarda Black Locust Blackberries, raspberries, marionberries, etc. Blue Vervain Bluebells Blueberries Borage Brassicas Buckwheat Calendula Cardoon Catmint Catnip Ceanothus Chives Clematis Clovers - white, red, crimson Comfrey Coriander / Cilantro Cornelian Cherry Cosmos Cotoneaster Cottonwood Crabapple Cranesbill / Geranium Crocus Currants Dandelion Deadnettle / Henbit Dill Echinacea Eleagnus spp. (Autumn Olive) Elderberries Fennel Fireweed Flowering Red Currant Fruit Trees (apples, cherries, plums, etc.) Germander Globe Thistle / Echinops Goji Goldenrod Gooseberries Goumi Hazelnut Trees Hebe Hellebores Horehound Huckleberries Hyssop Joe Pye Weed Josta Berry Korean Cherry Larkspur Lavender Lemon Balm Linden Lingonberries Lupine Maples Marjoram Mexican Sunflower Mignonette Milkweed / Asclepias Mint Mock Orange Monarda Motherwort Mountain Mint Mustards Nasturtium Nigella Oreganos Oregon Grape Penstemon Phacelia Pinks / Dianthus Poppies Primulas/Native Primrose Rosemary Rudbekia Sage Salvias Saskatoon Savory Scabiosa Sedum Snapdragons Snowberries Soapwort Stonecrop / Sedum Strawberry Tree Strawberries Sunflowers Sweet William Thyme Verbena Viper’s Bugloss Wallflowers Willows Yarrow Zinnias Probably forgot something - and will have to double-check that everything has overwintered ok. I created a spreadsheet and am keeping track of what blooms when so I can easily spot where the gaps are in the food supply. As for favorites, I would say many of the native plants and weeds are really important sources in the early spring: red flowering currant, pussy willows, purple deadnettle, dandelions. It's like Nature is taking care of her own. I always leave mustards and brassicas to overwinter and bloom in early spring - the bees love them! As for herbs and flowers, I always see a lot of bees on the clovers, phacelia, hollyhocks, catnip, thyme, oregano, marjoram, rosemary, chives, lavender, mignonette, poppies, sunflowers, penstemons, borage, and comfrey. Of course, berries are always good. Asters are wonderful in the fall. The hollyhocks are major bee magnets from summer through fall, too. An unexpected side benefit, other than all the fruit, has been the high yield of really good quality seed, which I try to save when I can. Hope this helps! Variety is key! Best of luck to you! (hmmm - is there a way to list these in columns? I took up a lot of space!) I keep updates on my website at http://barbolian.com. |
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Subject: What to plant to help Bees this year
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I thought that was weird too CJ go figure huh? Personally I would rather have government resources spent on expanding knowledge about bees than flying to mars or whatever but that's just me
Incidentally this was the original link it apparently has lists for each state I believe I haven't checked them all though http://honeybeenet.gsfc.nasa.gov/Honeybees/Forage.htm |
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Subject: What to plant to help Bees this year
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A very cool list but I can't figure out the connection of bees to NASA. |
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Subject: What to plant to help Bees this year
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Hi Jerry,
I don't know if you found these sites, I did a little poking around they seem like they would be helpful. http://honeybeenet.gsfc.nasa.gov/Honeybees/ForageRegion.php?StReg=MI_10 http://cyberbee.net/column/honey/plants.shtml *edit* I didn't see it on this lists but I think Bee Balm is hardy to your area as well. Good Luck, Daniel |
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Subject: What to plant to help Bees this year
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| borage. phacelia. viper's bugloss. umbels. those are some of my favorites that are quick and easy. | |
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Subject: What to plant to help Bees this year
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Buckwheat if you need fast flowers.
Pretty much any wildflowers that are native to your area, or grow there. |
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Subject: What to plant to help Bees this year
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Hello,
I live in S.E. MI and have 10 acres of mixed grass, brush and trees. I have some areas that I cleared the end of last year and am wondering what I can plant that will help bees this year. I'm getting a package in a week or so. I do have some White Dutch Clover seed that I will be throwing down, but any other advice would be helpful. Thanks, Jerry |
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