forage rape or rape seed ?

[Jimy Dee]

I have a small plot where I am going to grow some rape for the bees as a SPRING nectar supply. I phoned a seed supplier today and he asked me was is "forage rape" or "rape seed" I wanted. I didnt know the answer. After telling him what i needed it for and that is was the plant that flowers in SPRING he thought is was forage rape i wanted but he admitted knowing nothing about bees or honey. He is solely an agri supplier of seed. Do any of you know what "rape" is set which acts as a spring nectar supply ? To muddy the waters further I understand there is rape which flowers in summer which is of little or no use to the bees. Thanks in advance.

 

[Gilberdyke John]

I have a small plot where I am going to grow some rape for the bees as a SPRING nectar supply. I phoned a seed supplier today and he asked me was is "forage rape" or "rape seed" I wanted. I didnt know the answer. After telling him what i needed it for and that is was the plant that flowers in SPRING he thought is was forage rape i wanted but he admitted knowing nothing about bees or honey. He is solely an agri supplier of seed. Do any of you know what "rape" is set which acts as a spring nectar supply ? To muddy the waters further I understand there is rape which flowers in summer which is of little or no use to the bees. Thanks in advance.

I've seen some fields sown with a short brassica with rape like leaves as ground cover for game and later on these fields grazed by sheep. I'm guessing but I wonder if this is forage rape? It didn't make a sea of yellow so may not be a lot of use to Bees. Probably best to go for rape seed but if we have an arable farmer amongst us he or she could clarify perhaps.
Beware also the development of self pollinating varieties of rape.

 

[Firefly]

Google is your friend: "Forage rape is a quick growing, protein-rich green forage, with similar yields to stubble turnips. It is sown from April to August to provide forage 12 weeks later. In most years it can be relied upon to produce forage until Christmas. It makes an excellent feed for lambs and tolerates poor soils so can be used as a pioneer crop in upland situations"

You want Oilseed Rape / OSR / Rape Seed / Canola (in US, usually)

But do you really want all the hassle of OSR honey if you do not have to?! Why don't you plant Phacelia or Borage; much more fun; much nicer honey?

 

[psafloyd]

You may find your association is affiliated to FWAG or similar in Ireland (http://www.fwag.org.uk/) and they might be able to help.

 

[Fatbee]

What do you call a small plot?

forage rape is used for grazing livestock in the autumn and is not the commercial OSR you see widely grown for rapeseed. This crop in the main is sown in the autumn. It can easily get decimated by pigeons - one of their main winter feeding crops - and is only an annual and should be grown as part of a rotation. You would get self setting but it's likely to become a bit of a mess. Also what would you do with the crop? It grows very high and dense and looks a bit of a mess when it dies off. The reason bees love it and you can get such a big honey flow is because of the acreages grown in blocks - there's a good chance they would ignore your efforts because of the tree nectar so abundant in spring.

Would you not be better looking at a wildflower mix perhaps targeted with flowers for the June gap? Easier to manage and nicer to look at.

 

[oliver90owner]

Forage rape as opposed to seed rape. Should be fairly clear.

Think forage harvester as opposed to the 'traditional' combine harvester. One collects up green material, the other separates seeds from straw and chaff. Oh, sorry. Perhaps a binder or even a scythe (with man attached) would have been more 'traditional'. Forage harvester is definitely more modern; silage was perhaps not used by 'traditional' farmers for sustaining their animals through the winters!

 

[Fatbee]

Although forage rape is stripped grazed and not collected by a forage harvester and preserved unlike crops like maize and grass silage.

 

[Jimy Dee]

Thanks for all the replies. I have bought seed for the other plants mentioned herein, borage etc. I was simply thinking of setting some OSR as a supplement to what is available locally. I fully accept that OSR on its own is not the best honey (from what I have read on the forum - never tasted it) but it seems as if acceptable if it blends in with other honey. Having said that I mainly get summer honey and if I never got spring honey at least I wish to ensure a good/better/more varied spring supply of nectar to let the bees build up nice and strong for the summer flow.

 

[Fatbee]

Well if you do want to grow it get it planted in August - that's when the farmers will be drilling. You need good soil moisture and you may need to buy in some slug pellets because slugs love the emerging plants.