View Full Version : What plants do Bee's love?
Snookie
12-14-2013, 08:09 AM
Merry Christmas to all}
Hey now dat I have caught the bee keeping fever lol
I'd like to know what type of plants I could plant here in South Louisiana to keep em full and productive for my new bee hives to produce honey as well as pollinate my current fruit and vegetable plants
Peace Bee with U
Snookie
kubali
12-14-2013, 11:00 AM
Merry Christmas to all}
Hey now dat I have caught the bee keeping fever lol
I'd like to know what type of plants I could plant here in South Louisiana to keep em full and productive for my new bee hives to produce honey as well as pollinate my current fruit and vegetable plants
Peace Bee with U
Snookie
crocus, hyacinth, borage, calendula wild lilac bee balm cosmos snap dragons, hosta, asters, golenrod, witch hazel ,mums jasmine, honeysuckle
and plenty more but that are some that grow in the southern climates..
I always put out sugar water under my fruit trees in spring and all the bees gather and drink and pollinate everything for me.....cheap labor they are.....and I feel sad for them having such a short life span so I treat them well..........kub>>>>>>>>orange blossom honey>>>>>you gotta love it!
cincinnana
12-14-2013, 11:21 AM
Bees hit my Autumn Joy sedum pretty hard in the fall, as well as the Russian Sage.
Any kind of clover cover crop.......you can buy clover seed in bulk.
BZZZZZZZZZZ:08:
jbyrd88888
12-14-2013, 11:37 AM
Grapes!
Pretty much, if it blooms, they will partake. Without them or some other pollinator, your squash will never set fruit--AMHIK.
Richard
12-14-2013, 11:41 PM
Bees love Rosemary, especially because in many climates it blooms nearly year-round. It can get aggressive if necessary -- although not to the extreme like Ficus b. etc. It grows equally well along the coast of the Pacific Northwest and in the median of freeways in desert towns of southern CA (for example, Indio). In my hometown of Redlands CA it was loved for a border plant because it would choke out any feral bermuda grass that moved in after it was established.
And perhaps the most important lesson my father taught me: plant a pot of rosemary every so often in your orchard. It will bloom year-round (or nearly so), so the bees will always come to check, and when your fruit trees bloom the bees will already know about it.
barnetmill
12-15-2013, 01:39 AM
Bees love Rosemary, especially because in many climates it blooms nearly year-round. It can get aggressive if necessary -- although not to the extreme like Ficus b. etc. It grows equally well along the coast of the Pacific Northwest and in the median of freeways in desert towns of southern CA (for example, Indio). In my hometown of Redlands CA it was loved for a border plant because it would choke out any feral bermuda grass that moved in after it was established.
And perhaps the most important lesson my father taught me: plant a pot of rosemary every so often in your orchard. It will bloom year-round (or nearly so), so the bees will always come to check, and when your fruit trees bloom the bees will already know about it.
I want plants that for NWFL zone 8b will bloom between Late Dec through feb which is when many of my low chill trees that are intended for Zone 9 to 10 start to bloom. I will certainly look into the Rosemary. I may be hurting some of the smaller native flower by brush clearing. Bee keepers have told me there are all sorts of small flower bearing plants in forested and brush covered areas and I am likely destroying those small plants.
Richard
12-15-2013, 03:41 AM
I want plants that for NWFL zone 8b will bloom between Late Dec through feb which is when many of my low chill trees that are intended for Zone 9 to 10 start to bloom. I will certainly look into the Rosemary. I may be hurting some of the smaller native flower by brush clearing. Bee keepers have told me there are all sorts of small flower bearing plants in forested and brush covered areas and I am likely destroying those small plants.
For your location, check with IFAS, Horticultural Sciences Department, U of FL Gainesville.
Dangermouse01
12-15-2013, 04:19 PM
Ditto what Kat2 said.
Besides everything in my yard, the honey bees seem to especially go for sweet basil, borage, bottle brush and powder puff (and if you leave the banana flower on.....).
DM
Snookie
12-28-2013, 08:43 PM
Thanks for all the reply's
Happy New Year
preparations are being made for my Bee Hives to be placed in service.
Peace B with U!
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