A 'virtual' farm...?

[user 6228]

Quite so. Phacelia here produces pollen. Somewhere I read it needs 45cm good soil to give decent nectar. That so ain't gonna happen here!

the plant biologist planted a few sq m of this and we got loads of bumbles on it, honey bees not until it was almost over.

 

[BeeMoustashe]

the plant biologist planted a few sq m of this and we got loads of bumbles on it, honey bees not until it was almost over.

agree. Planted half my allotment up with it, not a honeybee on it. The borage however...

 

[Goran]

agree. Planted half my allotment up with it, not a honeybee on it. The borage however...

At our place phacelia gives honey yield according to conditions 400-800kg per ha. Someone says even 1000,but.. When is dry it gives more pollen, less nectar..
Although is great for the ground ( clearing from the weed, enriches the ground with nutrients..).

Some try buckwheat, but droughts several past years were catastrophic - zero effect..

 

[alecthomson]

Echium vulgare - Vipers bugloss

 

[drstitson]

"Shouldn't the immediate focus be on 'annuals' though, and then hedgerows and then the specimen trees that can take years years to mature?"

sure BUT:

1. this is a virtual farm!

2. have you seen how fast acacia grows?

 

[thorn]

And ivy all over your house and outbuildings, to keep them going well into November in a lousy year.

 

[Haughton Honey]

"Shouldn't the immediate focus be on 'annuals' though, and then hedgerows and then the specimen trees that can take years years to mature?"

sure BUT:

1. this is a virtual farm!

2. have you seen how fast acacia grows?

Nope Doc, I know nothing about Acacia.....tell me more!

 

[Goran]

"Shouldn't the immediate focus be on 'annuals' though, and then hedgerows and then the specimen trees that can take years years to mature?"

sure BUT:

1. this is a virtual farm!

2. have you seen how fast acacia grows?

And Amorfa fruticoza ( false indigo-bush)? Here, near me is real menace..

 

[drstitson]

"have you seen how fast acacia grows?"

easily get 1-4 ft first year saplings and then several metres growth per annum.

walnut will also put out serious new growth if pollarded.

 

[Hivemaker.]

I would sell the virtual farm in this country, and buy one somewhere like southern Portugal, Algarve, then plant 100 acres out to borage for the bees and 200 acres out to spring onions, then sell them in little bundles of about five onions for 90p per bundle,should get plenty of bundles out of 200 acres.

 

[blackcavebees]

I would sell the virtual farm in this country, and buy one somewhere like southern Portugal, Algarve, then plant 100 acres out to borage for the bees and 200 acres out to spring onions, then sell them in little bundles of about five onions for 90p per bundle,should get plenty of bundles out of 200 acres.

Pete, Tesco and the big 4 would probably only give you 10p per bundle

 

[REDWOOD]

how about a field of HB

 

[Hivemaker.]

Pete, Tesco and the big 4 would probably only give you 10p per bundle

LOL.. i would sell direct from my own onion shop, athough even at 10p per bundle may not be so bad...how many bundles would you get from 200 acres.

 

[bee ginnner]

Echium vulgare - Vipers bugloss

that would be my first choice.

 

[bee ginnner]

View attachment 7581

A few 100 acres or even better hectares of Ferula hermonis could make you a fortune... possibly the native black bee's honey would be selling for more than mankuna.................if they collected pollen and nectar from it !!!!

with a few 100 acres of that i would give up the bee's and concentrate on the birds !!!!

 

[geobees]

Does phacelia produce a lot of nectar mbc? Never come across it before.

Yes Cris, it delivers (for 50-60 days) a lot of nectar and pollen.
Estimated honey production: 100 to 120Kg per acre
Some beekeepers are using it successfully here:
[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Li8XK5lC5r0[/ame]​

 

[Luminos]

My bees preferred Phacelia to anything else, all the time it was in flower.

 

[alldigging]

My bees preferred Phacelia to anything else, all the time it was in flower.

I got given some phacelia seeds - they are prolific self-seeders apparently.

 

[Luminos]

I got given some phacelia seeds - they are prolific self-seeders apparently.

They are indeed, I have only ever sown one packet as "green manure" and it self sows reliably

 

[mbc]

I am surprised nobody has mentioned sainfoin,

I think it needs quite alkaline soil to yield

when that yields the crop is unbelievable, I could sell as much as I can generate,

Isnt this true of every honey ?
Perhaps not ragwort and ivy, and maybe osr gets a bit tiresome after a while.