What else would be good to plant to help support a beehive? Clover? Sunflowers?
Bees reportedly love safflower, but it does not make good honey. Good for the bees, but not for the beekeeper who wants honey from the hives. Other good plants besides clover are alfalfa, vetch, birdsfoot trefoil, wild mustards, phacelia (excellent plant in a wildflower setting), chickory, sainfoin (I wish our climate here would support growing this one), lima beans, buckwheat, Simpson's honey plant which should be good for your climate, mountain mint, button bush (cephalanthus occidentalis), and there are lots of others. The main thing to remember in planting for bees, is that they generally forage in about a 2 mile radius, so what they are getting off of your place is just a small part of that unless you own 8,000 acres. I have a field that I planted in clover, alfalfa, vetch, and wildflowers, but it will be just a portion of their nectar supply. There are a couple of good websites I have found with info on bee forage. I'll be happy to look up the links if you are interested.
Sure, I'd love to see the links. Thanks!
I am not a beekeeper yet, but I am hoping to get a piece of country land in about 2 years and would like to keep bees then. I am just considering what to do with the rest of the land that would both produce something useful, help support the bees, and also be pleasing to the eye. A field of Safflowers is a wonder to behold...
Thaddeus- here's couple of links for you http://www.ent.msu.edu/abj/Article%2...ive_index.html http://www.forestfloor.com/honey-plants-links.htm http://bee.airoot.com/beeculture/book/index.html
The A I Root site is basically a list of plants pollinated by honeybees but each article gives you an idea of how much bees like the plant and if it is a good nectar source.
The other side of beekeeping is a series of studies done about honeybee plants and how effective they are in a bee forage program.
The other link is a list of links about honey plants in different areas of the country. I've done alot of reading about honey plants because I have a small acreage and wanted to provide part of the honey source for my bees. It probably cost more to cultivate and plant than it was worth in reality, but it was and is a fun project for me since I love to garden. If any of the links don't work, let me know and I'll see if I listed them incorrectly. Hope you enjoy them.
[This message has been edited by dragonfly (edited November 28, 2002).]