Crop ID.

[Millet]

Does anyone know what this is..if it is any good to the bees we have two fields full of the stuff on the bees doorstep .

 

[enrico]

Phacelia, brilliant for bees of all types. Mine is heaving.
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[enrico]

Odd my posts keep disappearing and then coming back again!!!!!!
E

 

[Millet]

Phacelia, brilliant for bees of all types. Mine is heaving.
E

Thanks for that enrico..the bees are working hard on something so it must be this.

 

[Beefriendly]

Lucky bu%%ger..no June gap for you.

 

[Millet]

Lucky bu%%ger..no June gap for you.

To be honest I have never witnessed a June gap here..we always seem to have something for the bees to play with..
Shame you where not closer to get one or two of your big colonies on the thistle..when it starts flowering.

 

[ShinySideUp]

Lucky bu%%ger..no June gap for you.

I live in a rural area that has many gardens, can't say I've noticed a June gap. I wonder if that generally only applies to woodland/country bees and before the [mostly] die-out of wild bees?

 

[Millet]

Here is my June gap..the hives are in the middle of nowhere with access to two cottage gardens that they rarely bother with..the weather has been perfect and the flow has not stopped for weeks..I have took 138lb from them upto now and they are piling the phacelia nectar in now.

 

[MerryBee]

Millet, they also bring in pollen from the Phacelia. Its purple, so very obvious in the cells.

 

[Curly green fingers]

To be honest I have never witnessed a June gap here..we always seem to have something for the bees to play with..
Shame you where not closer to get one or two of your big colonies on the thistle..when it starts flowering.

The thistles are starting to open here also.
Albeit there quite small.

 

[Millet]

Millet, they also bring in pollen from the Phacelia. Its purple, so very obvious in the cells.

The bees are bringing purple and other coloured pollen in but only in small amounts..the way they are coming and going from the hives i think the only thing on there minds is nectar..

 

[Millet]

The thistles are starting to open here also.
Albeit there quite small.

Not yet here Mark give it another month and the thistle should be away..i always thought it was around13/14 acres of thistle but after talking to the tenant owner it turns out it is 20+ acres of conservation land that is full of thistles..i think i need more good Queens..

 

[Barbarian]

What is the phacelia grown for ?
How it is cultivated ?
Is it a clean crop ?

 

[Birdie Wife]

What is the phacelia grown for ?

How it is cultivated ?

Is it a clean crop ?

Green manure.

Sent from my D6503 using Tapatalk

 

[enrico]

What is the phacelia grown for ?
How it is cultivated ?
Is it a clean crop ?

It is grown en masses by farmers as a green manure but I always have a bed of it in my veg patch. It grows to about 1 meter tall and has the tendancy to flop over so it is a good idea to fence it to stop it falling on other plants. It will seed heavily so beware. It is also better as a green manure if dug into the ground before flowering.
It has a heavy scent.
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