I am looking to start a 2 1/2 acre herb garden for my bees. I have been looking through many herbs to plant that will help them forage throughout the year, or at least ten months. I live in Southern Alabama, 60 miles from the gulf. I have a list of herbs to plant but I need to find a place to see when to plant the seeds so that I can space them to start blossoming at the right times so the bees dont really get a break from their source. I know borage will be one thyme, bee balm, catnip, hyssop, lavender, marjoram, mints, sages, teasel, thistle, yarrow, chamomile, rosemary, and oregano to start. They will be planted all outside with seeds. I figure while preparing the soil I have a friend that will supply me with as much cow manure as I want. I know it is a large adventure but so are my bees. I have five hives right now and next year I am looking to make 25-35 so I need the variety for all flavoring of honey. What would be your thoughts. It is humid and can get very hot, but I will put in an irrigation system with probly 1/2 inch water pipes between the plots with shutoff valves to water sections at a time. Thanks for your time.
Ummm, just thinking that 2 acres is never going to support 5 hive let alone 25-35 hives. They will forage wherever they find the nectar. You need multiple acres of the same crop to get a distinguished honey crop. I have 4 hives and don't worry about where they go to get nectar because I know there is no way I can supply their needs for nectar on our acreage. The only specialty crop I have gotten in the twelve years I have had bees is a crop of black locust honey. That was the best honey I have ever had, but the whole area for miles has black locust trees growing. They will forage up to 3 miles for nectar if need be. The herbs are a great idea, but I just don't think you will see any specialty flavors coming through on only a couple acres of mixed plantings. You will need to be planting them in a 3 mile radius of the bees to get what you are hoping for. thats a lot of plants.
I understand that I am not going to get a distinguished tasting honey, and I know the bees go three mile radius which consist of many wealthy subdivisions with their own favorite flowers. My thought is getting the bees a close place to forage during some of the dearth times so the bees can still work and be happy. I have spent much so far just getting the property ready, which I do wish I had twelve acres, that would be nice. I want to just use what I can as much as I can. All my hives will be in a few places, but I will have 25-35 here at my own home. I have three other people that want me to put hives on their farms. I am just trying to get some good input on how and when to plant. By the way, they are still bringing in pollen and nectar like crazy. Nice to have sub-divisions around. Thanking you for your reply. If I drive about a hundred miles I can get pure tuploe honey, I didn't spell that right. I just like honey and looking to get into nucs and queens more than honey. bees will find the most plentiful source and go to it till its depleted. But the herbs is just to help them and I love all animals. Even ones that hurt. God put them here for a reason, and we have depleted a lot of their natural land. We take and dont think about what enviromental disruptions we do. But thats another one.
Ahhh, if you are not looking for a specialty crop of honey, then plant as soon as the heat isn't going to whither the plants to death or as soon as you can in the spring. If you are not worried about the neatness of the area then broadcast seeds and let grow whatever comes up. just plant the seeds if there is a forecast of rain that will perhaps wet them in but not wash them away. Seeds will be the most economical choice if that is part of the issue of what and when to plant. As far as I can think, all herbs are a great choice for bees and beneficial insects. The only plant I can think of right now that is not a good honey crop plant EVER is Snow On the Mountain. It produces a toxic honey. Don't worry too much about when to plant so they will produce flowers at a specific time. Just plant them. The flowers will come at plant maturity which sometimes is linked to daylight length not necessarily the age of the plant. Once they start blooming they will keep on blooming until they start to set seed. The bees will just move from flower source to flower source. Some things, such as cilantro, produce an abundance of nectar, but then they go to seed all at the same time, so they need to be planted on a weekly/biweekly schedule for them to have an extended flowering period.
What a great idea to plant varieties of herb for forage plants for the bees. Here in Western Australia we have many natives the bees love, which produce nectar, and so when i am looking for plantings, I naturally go to Grevillias etc. They are shrub sized mostly, and have abundant flowers in season. Do you have plants there which once established won't require irrigation? That would be best, as regular irrigation does have the odd problem with supply costs etc. Good luck with the venture. I'd love to see any pics.
Beecrazy, have you thought of Borage? I started mine years ago because I heard it was good to rid one of sinus problems. After setting out a couple of plants, the seeds dropped all over giving me plenty of Borage forever. Any unwanted plants, I just pull out. I have shared with friends. The leaves can be used for tea and the flowers can be eaten on salads, or just as is. I leave all flowers for the Honeybees. I am overjoyed when I hear the buzz and see a few Honeybees on the plants.
so far in my search of many herbs I have found many that are just incredible. Buckwheat, Heimia, Pleurisy Root Official, and one that is said to be one of the most significant bee plants in existance, Vipers Bugloss. They provide pollen and nectar from midspring till the first frost. I am going through all of them again counting 35 different herbs including borage which was always on my list to Hyssop, Mint, Dill, so on and so on. I am doing my final touch on clearing and disc the rest of my land. This weekend I will be ordering some seeds that can be sown in summer to fall. There are so many to go through. This is actually fun, kind of driving my wife crazy with the talking bees and herbs, gardening, and getting everything done. I will be taking pictures of the before, during and afters of everything after I get it done this weekend.
Is crimson clover and red clover the same? Here in Alabama they have crimson clover covering the sides of the roads, highways about everywhere. I think they planted for erosion control.
Well its taken a while to get everything ready but Friday I have the final touch to my new herb garden. I've cleared, box bladed, and buried everything I needed. I hired a friend with a disc to come in on Friday and disc it all for me. Then I am getting around fifty plants to get a good start on the spring. After planting the plants I am ordering seeds to sow in early march.
