Balsam

[victor meldrew]

There was a time when I'd see council gangs ripping up ragwort, seems a long time ago. It seems to be allowed to multiply these days, it's everywhere, illegal to have it growing on your land apparently. The authorities can't enforce it as there's to much growing along the verges.

As for the best conditions for HB, it seems to grow equally well in full sun and it's that shallow rooted that I've even seen it growing from a thin layer of 'medium' caused by the build up of dust on the curb line of a lane. Literally 1/4" of soil.

The last time I checked, the "noxious weed act" made it illegal to allow its growth with 100 metres of agricultural land , which puts miles of motorway verges in the frame .
Long time means distance was quoted in yards

VM

 

[madasafish]

Round here it is growing ON agricultural land... let alone within 100 metres...

 

[Glyn]

I'm just up the road (Salford), and the balsam's been out here for a week or two. Plenty of bees sporting the white stripe

(Good result against west brom the other night, Daaaaaale )

 

[Gardenbees]

I live about 400m from a canal with miles of the stuff. After last year's incredible nectar fest, I was hoping for a super or two of honey off it this year.

Sure enough, after a rather sleepy few weeks of idle foraging in patchy conditions, the balsam kicked in last weekend - boy what a difference. Today was hot and muggy, and they just went nuts - herding into the hive, bashing into each other and the entrance, all covered with off-white pollen, and falling over each other to get out and forage again. A new batch of workers was launching itself for the first time today and they were all orienting south, towards the canal.

I went down to the apiary at dusk and the warm buzz of the bees all busily nectar-processing was audible from fifty yards away. I might not like Himalyan balsam much as an invasive weed, but I love that sound!

 

[keith pierce]

,> the "noxious weed act" made it illegal to allow its growth with 100 metres of agricultural land .

Do any livestock eat it .

 

[greatbritishhoney]

,>
Do any livestock eat it .

In my experience most livestock tend to leave it well alone.
Every year my land is seeded with ragwort from a neighbours land. The plants grow and the sheep leave it alone. I still pull it up of course.

There's a field of horses near Oswestry that is full of ragwort every year. The horses are all still alive, so I guess they aren't eating it.

 

[madasafish]

,> the "noxious weed act" made it illegal to allow its growth with 100 metres of agricultural land .

Do any livestock eat it .

The cows in the neighbouring field knockd down the barbed wire fence that separates them from our cast iron# fence which separates them from:
raspberries
rhubarb
and HB.

They ate the lot....

The pasture fields near the local river are full of HB .. but no cows at present so the above might have just been cows hungry for roughage or a change in diet or they actually like rhubarb and HB. (They do like raspberry plants as they always eat them given half a chance)


# only 1 metre tall and any competent cow can reach over about 2 metres...

 

[Frisbee]

Ragwort is deadly to horses, cattle and humans.....it damages the liver beyond repair. Horses and cattle won't touch it when it's growing. The very real danger is when it's dried in hay. Sheep will eat it. It has been noted it appears to cause them no ill effects, but consumers tend to be 'poor doers' and don't fatten. Humans handling it should wear protective gloves. I get a bit in my field and always pull it up and burn it. The trains bring the seeds down on their wheels, no matter how much I pull up there is always more next time.

I also have oodles of Himalayan Balsam along the river. The only bees I ever see working it are bumbles, but I expect mine are in there somewhere. I just don't see them.

Frisbee

 

[kazmcc]

Well, i'm still waiting on mine to start on the HB. I see bumbles, but nothing from my bees, and it's been flowering for over 3 weeks now at least, so they'd have surely found it by now. Suppose they've got a better source.....

 

[victor meldrew]

Well, i'm still waiting on mine to start on the HB. I see bumbles, but nothing from my bees, and it's been flowering for over 3 weeks now at least, so they'd have surely found it by now. Suppose they've got a better source.....

They are obviously working something more profitable
Remember ,as things start to pass their peak, Balsam is still in full swing right until the frosts ! further more it produces nectar at lower temperatures than any native plant save Ivy

VM

 

[madasafish]

If I take the white marks as rough guide, between 10-20% of my bees from one hive are on HB, the remaining hives on less.
Rose Bay Willow herb (lots) , ragwort, poppies, blackberry still in flower here..

 

[keith pierce]

i have it three fields away from my apairy and they dont seem to be working it anymore. this crop is about 2 miles from me



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[Vergilius]

HB flowering big time in E. Sussex.


Ben P

 

[johna]

Isn't it amazing,a non beekeeper starts a rant about "the devil weed" and,like a load of sheep,we get sucked into the arguments for and against Himalayan Balsam.Most beekeepers can see its benefits to the beekeeper,most non beekeepers can't understand our support of the plant.This argument seems set to rumble on and on "ad nauseum".

 

[sandysman]

HB has been out here for a while. I have observed bees coming in with a white dusting of pollen. We also have a bed of marjoram flowering next to the apiary and it is covered with honey bees, bumble bees and butterflies.

 

[greatbritishhoney]

I drove up the Conwy valley yesterday - loads of HB out up there all along the river and the trainline.

 

[madasafish]

Walked round Bathpool in Kidsgrove,(Stoke on Trent) yesterday.. A carefully maintained lake and play areas in what was an old coal/clay mining area - renovated. The local council maintain it ... LOTS of HB all round the lake - and growing strongly. An unusual sport - totally white flowers on one plant.. (I've seen red only elsewhere ) the remainder very pale pink. Quite fetching. Lots of bumbles working them.. no honey bees to see,,