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Author Topic: Hubam big plot growing  (Read 10031 times)

Offline beepro

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Hubam big plot growing
« on: January 21, 2018, 06:33:40 pm »
Hi, All!


I have devoted a 1/4 plot of my back yard to growing these Hubam clovers.
The biennial yellow flower will be growing in the middle surrounding by the
white annual flowering type.   I'm trying to create an annual yellow Hubam hybrid specie.

The entire plot is on dripper irrigation buried under the ground.  I try to sow the seeds every
other week to extend the flowering time.  We'll see how much water
they will need during the summer time.   I've read that these will flower through the summer into
late Autumn.  Let's see if they can carry my bees through our yearly summer dearth.   

Just a glimpse: http://imgbox.com/GfImefGK

Online BeeMaster2

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Re: Hubam big plot growing
« Reply #1 on: January 22, 2018, 07:51:31 am »
Beepro,
Is that 1/4 plot several acres? If it is only 1/4 of an acre, the bees will use it but it will not bee enough to feed even one hive.
Jim
Democracy is 2 wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well armed lamb contesting the vote.
Ben Franklin

Offline Nico

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Re: Hubam big plot growing
« Reply #2 on: January 22, 2018, 05:33:23 pm »
Hi, the plant at the lower section of the photo appears to be BELLYACHE BUSH (JATROPHA GOSSYPIIFOLIA) a declared pest in Australia
Invasive, likes loamy soil, fruit poisonous to humans and stock.
Bees will work the flowers, I do not know what the honey is like.
Nico   

Offline jalentour

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Re: Hubam big plot growing
« Reply #3 on: January 23, 2018, 05:23:04 pm »
It's a "new" product out of Texas A&M.
Might be a good ground cover product for many.

Offline beepro

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Re: Hubam big plot growing
« Reply #4 on: January 24, 2018, 09:05:29 pm »
It is more of a quarter acre as I have very big backyard.
Since this is a test plot I don't expect much honey from it.  I just want to know how the
Hubam grow here during the summer under irrigation.  If this is a success then I will expand more
to half an acre next season.   Then I will know that the 50 acres close by and the 100 acres 6 minutes (driving time)
from my apiary can use some Hubam too.    Will they reseed next season?

No obnoxious seeds or plants here other than the 4 years white and blue Borage plants.   I've been trying to get
rid of them for the last 4 years.  But they keep on growing from the seeds every year.  The seeds can stay dormant in
the ground for years and a slight tilling will exposed the seeds to sunlight where they will sprout again.  I regret planting
a large patch 4 years ago.   They are extremely invasive in my yard now.  The shades will not stop them either.   And the
tiny transparent hair like thorns will poke you if you don't wear gloves when removing the plants.  Itchy and pain at the same time with
tiny thorns embedded into your skin.  That is one specie that I do not recommend anyone to plant them unless it is the wild good for other
animals.

Offline bwallace23350

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Re: Hubam big plot growing
« Reply #5 on: February 12, 2018, 12:03:47 pm »
So any update on how it is doing?

Offline beepro

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Re: Hubam big plot growing
« Reply #6 on: February 18, 2018, 05:53:11 am »
Yes, I will provide updates whenever possible through out this season. 
In the past week or so it has been frosty.  Night temp in the lower 30s and the neighbor's cars parked outside had
frost all over their windshields and top.  The Hubams, however, have turn a reddish bronze color underneath the leaves.  So they are the
frost resistant clover species.  This is something new to me. Other vegetables that are not frost resistant will wilt the next
morning on a cold frosty night.

They are slow growing now because we are still in the winter time.  Day time temp is in the mid-60s for now and will dip into the
low 50s next week.   This will really test the Hubams to see how they will handle the lower night temp and frost.  As of now they are still
holding nicely.  I did not give them much fertilizer afterward other than at planting time with some garden compost and
composted steer manure on top.   It is an interesting little planting experience.   I still need more infos on how to care for them in various
growing stages.  For now just treat them like growing lawn grasses. 

See the 1st pic above and yesterday pic:

http://imgbox.com/5S7fBslj





Offline bwallace23350

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Re: Hubam big plot growing
« Reply #7 on: February 19, 2018, 03:13:03 pm »
Thanks. Hope they hold up well with the frost and I look forward to seeing how they grow.

Offline beepro

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Re: Hubam big plot growing
« Reply #8 on: February 25, 2018, 09:06:23 pm »
It has been frosty in the last 2 weeks.  The cars parked on the street are all frost up in the
early morning hours.  The Hubams have water repelling ability on their leaves.  So the frost cannot
damage them.  And the crushed leaves smell just like the regular lawn clovers.   They are about 1" tall now.
It is time to give them a little fertilizer.  10-8-6, NPK.

Offline beepro

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Re: Hubam big plot growing
« Reply #9 on: March 03, 2018, 08:08:29 pm »
Update:


I did not have a chance to fertilize this plot.  Though they are growing taller everyday.  When I
sowed the seeds I did not know how far apart to plant them.  So I just make a 1/4" furrow on the
ground and planted the seeds in 1" rows.   

Now they are growing like a green lawn.  And you can walk on it too.   So I don't know if I have planted them too
close in the first place?  Cannot find the Hubam spacing on the net search.   Will this have an effect on the blooms later on?

I still have time to thin out this plot by removing the alternating row that are 1" apart.

Offline beepro

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Re: Hubam big plot growing
« Reply #10 on: April 02, 2018, 10:13:20 pm »
I got lazy and did not touch this plot.   Let them grow this season to see what I will get later on.
Almost 7" tall now and still growing now that the heat is on.  They responded favorably once it is in the 80s.
Glad that I installed a dripper system in this plot.   Clovers don't like to flop over!


If you grow it: http://imgbox.com/WFNGskTE

Bonus:  http://imgbox.com/uEPVHUua

Offline beepro

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Re: Hubam big plot growing
« Reply #11 on: April 19, 2018, 04:09:45 am »
We still have rain yesterday.   Somehow in this Spring we have consistent rains into mid-April.  Maybe
it will last into early May?   With all this rains my Hubam clover patch is growing taller everyday.   They are
about 1 and a half feet now.  Spreading out further to cover the walk way as they grow taller to establish a
stronger root system.  I'm guessing by early June they should be flowering.   I have not put in any fertilizer yet. 
Still debating whether or not to fertilize them since they seem to be doing well now.  Let's test this out by fertilizing only half of this plot to compare their
growth and flowering capacity later on.   What do you think.  Should I fertilize them or not?

Offline beepro

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Re: Hubam big plot growing
« Reply #12 on: May 21, 2018, 12:16:03 am »
Update, update!


Hi, All!

Things have been rather busy for me lately.  Queen rearing season is on and we're in the middle of our Spring
flow.   Privets are blooming everywhere one follow by another keeping the bees quite busy.   After that will be the
beginning of our yearly summer dearth.   But this year I've added the Hubams into the mix to ease things a bit during the dearth.  They are about 3' high and started to bloom now.   One side of our yard look like a jungle!  The annual tall Hubams with white flowers are the first one to bloom and the yellow is a bi-annual that have not bloom yet.   They are working to grow their first season tap roots.  Then they will bloom the following season.    Had I known I would of planted more of the white Hubams (annual) this year. 

But it is not too late yet.  I can still plant another stand of the white Hubams on the other side of our yard that should be blooming by mid-Sept. before the mini-Autumn flow is on.   This way the bees can keep themselves busy until the end of the season.  So stay tune for another planting before the weather is too hot.     Hope this cooler weather stays for awhile longer!

Tall Hubam plants: http://imgbox.com/swzp1ZQN

Flowering now:   http://imgbox.com/wONftkFL

No touch up.  It is a jungle out there!  No snakes just big fat rats:   http://imgbox.com/l5Hhjfi5

Offline beepro

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Re: Hubam big plot growing
« Reply #13 on: June 02, 2018, 09:14:05 pm »
Update:


Our bees are very active now foraging on the privet blossoms.   At the same time the white Hubam clovers are blooming sending out
small white tassel of flowers.   The plants are about 3 feet high now.  Unfortunately, the bees never touch them mainly because of the
privet trees blooming all around my bee yard now.   I'm sure they are maximizing their honey harvest on these trees instead of on the Hubam.   

Since the Hubam is not blooming in July or August which is our official summer dearth, I have to adjust my planting time so that they
will bloom after the privet bloom next time.  This way the bees will have a chance to forage on them when nothing else is blooming.   So next season I
will start planting them in mid-Feb to bloom in July.   After the plants died I will plant buckwheat in this plot since it is under a dripper irrigation system.

For the bi-annual yellow Hubam growing in the same plot adjacent to the white Hubam, I think it is a waste of time planting them.   Two yeas to bloom will
take up valuable space that forgo the first season of honey harvest.   Maybe there are other application that will justify for planting the yellow Hubam better.


Tall plants with no bees on: http://imgbox.com/xQfKbWdQ



Offline beepro

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Re: Hubam big plot growing
« Reply #14 on: June 09, 2018, 02:34:51 am »
Another update:   Fast growing white Hubam blooming.


With the heat on for the last 2 weeks, the white Hubams are taking off sending many blooming white tassels of white flowers.  They are
now over 5 feet tall with many flowers per plant.  Even though the privets are blooming, my bees are taking advantage of this
sweet blossoms because the Hubams are closer to their hives.   The yellow Hubams are still taking their time to establish the tap
roots ready for the 2nd season bloom.   Only the annual white Hubams are blooming now. 

If I have a chance to do this over again, I would plant more of the white Hubam and not the yellow Hubams.  They take too long to bloom.  I will plant more
white Hubams for the bees to get through our summer dearth.    I plan to have a wild mustard stand and another white Hubams stand along with
the buckwheat this summer all under the irrigation dripper system.


Bee working on today:  http://imgbox.com/5moryVae and http://imgbox.com/AImdYbkn

Offline beepro

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Re: Hubam big plot growing
« Reply #15 on: June 25, 2018, 05:57:27 pm »
Yup, the white Hubam dominated the yard scene covering all over the yellow type.   So don't plant the
yellow if you want an annual harvest.   Since the privet trees are blooming at the same as the white Hubam now, there
isn't many honey bees working on them.   A full bloom in our back yard at the moment.   The solitary bees from many different
species are all over the white Hubams.

So where do my my bees go?

Here, Privet::

http://imgbox.com/S9aydIkZ
http://imgbox.com/yUax5ZL9


Hubam:

http://imgbox.com/sxenZQwt
http://imgbox.com/031D9Qox

Offline Michael Bush

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Re: Hubam big plot growing
« Reply #16 on: June 26, 2018, 12:29:15 pm »
The yellow produces more nectar and blooms earlier than the white.  I like a mixture of both.  The white blooms later and longer.  Yellow blooms earlier and makes more nectar.  You don't have to choose one or the other...
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Offline beepro

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Re: Hubam big plot growing
« Reply #17 on: June 29, 2018, 08:04:27 pm »
The yellow being a biannual here will boom faster than the white, an annual.   For year to year harvest I
rather plant the white that will take my bees through our summer dearth.   But first I have to adjust my
planting schedule so that they will not bloom at the same time as the privet trees here.   No doubt that the
bees prefer privet over the Hubam.   In a dearth situation it will be quite interesting on the Hubam.   

Some how I have this feeling that the Hubam will out last the privet because they keep on growing.  Now some are over
8 feet tall and still no sign of ever stopping.     It is the growing tip that produce these white tassels of flowers.   Yellow I have to
wait until the next year to see them bloom.    I want my honey harvest this season not the next!

Offline beepro

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Re: Hubam big plot growing
« Reply #18 on: July 17, 2018, 11:25:12 pm »
Last update:

 
It is the end of the Hubam growing today from this plot.   Many 8' tall plants are sending their seeds all over.  I'm trying to
sprout a few seeds to see if they are viable.   Maybe to keep some if they are.   

If I water them then they will continue to grow and send out flowers through the end of this season.  But for now, I need this
plot to grow the wild mustard plants so that my bees can go through our summer dearth.   I will cut down and save as much
seeds as I can.   The seeds don't fall down unless the wind blows or the birds get to them.   It has been interesting to grow them this season!

Offline Michael Bush

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Re: Hubam big plot growing
« Reply #19 on: July 18, 2018, 08:23:30 am »
>The yellow being a biannual here will boom faster than the white, an annual.

Unless you buy Hubam, white clover is a biennial, the same as yellow.  There is also an annual yellow, but that seems very difficult to find for a decent price.
My website:  bushfarms.com/bees.htm en espanol: bushfarms.com/es_bees.htm  auf deutsche: bushfarms.com/de_bees.htm  em portugues:  bushfarms.com/pt_bees.htm
My book:  ThePracticalBeekeeper.com
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