Agricultural forage

[Easy Beesy]

Hi all - some advice please

I have beehives in an open prison which has a conservation area, vegetable fields and some farm animals, bovine mostly. The govnor would like to plant something to give bees something to work that will also yield a crop of something harvestable. For example, We thought of borage and borage oil but don't know who may be interested in the seeds got oil extraction.
Can anyone suggest a suitable plant that will fit the bill?
Eb

 

[Luminos]

What sort of acreage?

 

[drstitson]

given the site - hemp.

useful in many ways.

 

[rog]

If there are cattle one of the best forages would be a white clover mix with the grass. Puts nitrates into the soil and is very palatable.

 

[victor meldrew]

If there are cattle one of the best forages would be a white clover mix with the grass. Puts nitrates into the soil and is very palatable.

Cut as silage should result in second flowering .(Supposed to have shorter petals and be more accessible to the bees?)
VM

 

[justme]

Cut as silage should result in second flowering .(Supposed to have shorter petals and be more accessible to the bees?)
VM

Thought that was red only, thought white was ok.

 

[victor meldrew]

White is workable by bees ! eminently so but I has told that a crop of flowers after cutting ,improved foraging (something to do with the differing tongue lengths of differing subspecies ) hence my use of the question mark
VM

 

[Skyhook]

Thought that was red only, thought white was ok.

 

[Easy Beesy]

Hi luminos

Dunno yet - kinda depends on what kind of plan I come up with. The prison grounds are over 70 acres so should be able to spare a few.

 

[Nose Ma]

Beans? Limited season, but bees seem to like them.

 

[BBG]

Hi all - some advice please

I have beehives in an open prison which has a conservation area, vegetable fields and some farm animals, bovine mostly. The govnor would like to plant something to give bees something to work that will also yield a crop of something harvestable. For example, We thought of borage and borage oil but don't know who may be interested in the seeds got oil extraction.
Can anyone suggest a suitable plant that will fit the bill?
Eb

Meadow mix heavy with sainfoin

Hyssop

Melilot

Chicory

Allegedly Crimson Clover but we planted some and it is alive with moths, bombus, solitary bees ...

everything except honeybees!

 

[Chris B]

Yes sainfoin in a meadow mix. Get yourself a copy of F. N. Howes. book.

 

[BBG]

Yes sainfoin in a meadow mix. Get yourself a copy of F. N. Howes. book.

Cotswold seeds will make up the mix you want -repeat - heavy in sainfoin - v helpful and have more than on their website.

£50+ order = Free delivery

Short video

 

[beebreeder]

Chris I wonder where you get the idea sainfoin honey is very different and saleable lol
kev

 

[Luminos]

Our honeybees favour our wildflower meadow above just about anything, so I agree with BBG on this one. If it's quite a big area, you could sow different forage crops to extend the season. The commercial beekeeper nearest us has a few acres of cosmos flowers.

 

[Luminos]

Just had a thought, since cosmos isn't "harvestable" - is it likely you could plant something more long-term, such as an apple orchard? Would be great to plant some of those old varieties which are in danger of becoming lost forever.

 

[greatbritishhoney]

Just had a thought, since cosmos isn't "harvestable" - is it likely you could plant something more long-term, such as an apple orchard? Would be great to plant some of those old varieties which are in danger of becoming lost forever.

Great idea.
You could keep some pigs too and feed them the windfalls.

 

[Chris Luck]

So the suggestion seems to be hay meadows that are "harvested" for hay...

....good prices for organic hay containing the right plant species.

Chris

 

[Erichalfbee]

Sainfoin or buckwheat. Does anybody plant either?

 

[Chris Luck]

Yes, both.

Chris