Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum
ALMOST BEEKEEPING - RELATED TOPICS => GARDENING AROUND THE HOUSE => Topic started by: PhilK on November 20, 2015, 09:08:46 pm
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G'day all,
We have a plot of dirt roughly 2m x 4m with lots of dry grass and weeds at our place. We were thinking of tearing it up and re-planting it with some good soil, herbs, and vegetables we can use in the kitchen.
Seeing as we've just put two hives on our place (and also have a colony of Australian native stingless bees), I was after recommendations for plants that the bees will pollinate/get nectar from, while also being useful for us in the kitchen!
Doing research in lots of places but thought this would be a great go-to place to check with like minded people!
Cheers
Phil
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They love most herbs. Squash is a good source of pollen. They don't do much with tomatoes, but they like potato flowers and onions. They like most berries, but not strawberries to much.
You won't feed them much on a small plot, but every little bit helps.
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Second the herbs recommendation. What seems to be most important are what blooms during the non nectar flow periods. Herbs seem to bloom most of the year.
It takes a lot of planting to help the bees, but it all helps a little
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Lavender and rosemary are exceptionally good. Small flowers :)
there's a Ceanothus "blue pacific" that they absolutely go bonkers for - it's not a veg/fruit but very pretty and rather versatile - containers or hedges or space filling and it's very hardy.
blueberries, rasberries, and the allium family (onions, chives, garlics) are all great
Asian greens, like bokchoy or choysum - plus others like rocket are also very attractive to them when gone to seed.
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I planted okra thinking about how it bloomed during the non nectar season. They never touched it.
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My bees were all over the cucumbers and squash and asparagus. They especially liked the basil. Thai basil blooms fast and continuously throughout the season until frost...and they like it so much that you don't have to feel guilty for letting it bolt before you get your fill of pesto. The bees also liked the mini marigolds [tagetes] if you want some flowers in there, too.
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The bees will forage the 8,000 acres around them. You probably won't make a dent. If you want to plant, plant things that bloom early, late and in a dearth. These will help fill the gaps.
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Thanks for the replies. A lot of these we unfortunately can't grow in a tropical climate like the one we have here in Queensland, but there's some good ideas in there too!
I know the plants won't really make a dent in their food supply, but I'd get a kick out of seeing bees on what we plant!
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Hey Phil, I'm a QLD'er as well.
Sunflower is growing from seed now, blueberry can grow but its a experiment. Tomato's are flowering and fruiting. Dwarf citrus, zucchini, pumpkin and melons are starting to sprout and venture.
I've got some pink cascade to tempt bees and some other tee trees variety's that are small scrubs which are also beneficial. Banksia and grevillea are also good for birds and other insects.
Check out back gardening Australia online.
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For herbs Lavender and Sweet Basil seem to bloom the most and the longest for me.