borage

[TOBY-3652]

I have been asked to put some of my hives on a field that is going to be sown with borage, when its in flower... Does any one know iff it is a good crop 2 put them on?????/

 

[Jed D]

FAB.... Want some more Hives ?
Nice cut comb....

 

[oliver90owner]

JUMP, JUMP, JUMP! Not 2 a lot!

 

[yeogi75]

are there any standards of amounts of hives per acre for borage , oil seed rape , etc

 

[TOBY-3652]

i saw a lot about before i realy started beekeeping so. then it seemed to dissapear.. and apparently some farmers are going to be growing it againe.. 3000 pound a tonne. i know that it only yields 3 to 5 hundred weight to the acre. so i have said ile put some on his crop..he said it increases yealds. mignt get a bit of honey off them he said it needs about 1 hive per hectare

 

[Hachi]

I know beeks, me included who would travel to have access to Borage make the most of it.

 

[enrico]

Count me in!!!

 

[Chrisfnvs]

Yes it is an excellent crop for your bees, i am desperate to find some down this way, go for it i would suggest .Chris

 

[user 6228]

found this on Borage farming ...
http://www.fairking.co.uk/PDFs/BORAGE-GROWERS-GUIDE.pdf

note the bit about bees

and this http://www.angliafarmer.co.uk/borage-and-bees-make-profitable-combination/

 

[Neil]

I have asked the local farmer if he would sow some near to were I have some of my hives he's going to do it as soon as the weather picks up. Happy days!
This link is quite useful:
https://www.rosybee.com/2010/10/borage-one-of-the-best-plants-for-honey-bees/

 

[Heather]

Have a strip of land next to my hive, underused. Have just bought a load of borage seeds to put there. Just a bit of help for my bees... and borage will then grow every year. Yummy.
Fill your boots..

 

[masterBK]

Borage is one of the most amazing crops for honey yield in UK. 100lbs or more honey per hive in the supers in just three weeks is quite achievable. Flaviour and aroma are quite mild and it is a very light coloured honey but it fetches a price premium as the public love it. I have migrated to Borage in East Yorkshire several times over the last 20 yrs and never got less than 120lbs Borage Honey per hive. Unfortunately the last few years very little has been grown but it looks like they are coming round to growing it again.

 

[Tom Bick]

I have grown a small patch for the past few years just for the pleasure the plants give me watching all the interest it gets from all pollinating insects and especially the bees. The plant simply buzzes at times.

 

[user 6228]

I have grown a small patch for the past few years just for the pleasure the plants give me watching all the interest it gets from all pollinating insects and especially the bees. The plant simply buzzes at times.

Elaine did the same and they ignore it ! well thats bees for you... parsnips and leeks got their attention more than borage..

 

[TOBY-3652]

]Borage is one of the most amazing crops for honey yield in UK. 100lbs or more honey per hive in the supers in just three weeks is quite achievable. Flaviour and aroma are quite mild and it is a very light coloured honey but it fetches a price premium as the public love it. I have migrated to Borage in East Yorkshire several times over the last 20 yrs and never got less than 120lbs Borage Honey per hive. Unfortunately the last few years very little has been grown but it looks like they are coming round to growing it again

bl////y hell that is 100 pounds per hive and not 10... looks like i must look after my farmer friend

 

[blackie]

lucky man I seeded half an acre on my land last year with excellent results because it was good weather and not just honey bees was coverd with bumble bees in the day and moths at night persued by bats good luck

 

[Erichalfbee]

Blackie....what sort of ground preparation did you do ?

 

[Itchy]

never seen it commercially round here - Surrey, Hants West Sussex

 

[Hivemaker.]

bl////y hell that is 100 pounds per hive and not 10... looks like i must look after my farmer friend

Yes ...you look after him, it is a rapid filler in the right conditions, i expect others will also be homing in on his borage field as well.

 

[dpearce4]

As the farmer is growing it for producing oil. Is it a better plant for that and would it suffer less from pests that OSR, would it be worth my suggesting it to the farmer who's land my bees are on that it might be worth him looking at it as an alterative to OSR???