Lavender flowers

[jezd]

Anyone experience of lavender for honey? when does it flower?

ta

JD

 

[RoofTops]

Late summer - July onwards but depends on the variety. I found a small field of lavender in Devon and was hoping to take some bees there but the owner was not interested. Bees are of no benefit to someone growing lavender for the oil and as it was a long way away I gave up. But lavender honey could be sold for a good price if you could get it.

 

[BKF Admin]

I keep hives on a Lavender farm.
It flowers around the second week of July in the south.

It makes a nice honey,I think it taste's of citrus flavours with a very slight floral taste.

The french tend to blend in Lavender oil to give a lavender taste.
Mine has to be sold back to the grower(keeping a % for myself) and he sells it on in specialist shops.

 

[oliver90owner]

The french tend to blend in Lavender oil

Is that to enhance lavender honey, or simply to try to fool everyone that another source of honey is from lavender? They may even be honest about it! Wonder what trading standards might have to say about that in the UK!!

Oooh! OSR and lavender oil!

Regards, RAB

 

[BKF Admin]

Its to give the customer what they expect,Lavender tasting honey from lavender.

Its like expecting apple blossom honey to taste of apples.

I have tried some from France and although under the microscope it is lavender honey much of the oil seperated to the top of the jar.

 

[jezd]

Late summer - July onwards but depends on the variety. I found a small field of lavender in Devon and was hoping to take some bees there but the owner was not interested. Bees are of no benefit to someone growing lavender for the oil and as it was a long way away I gave up. But lavender honey could be sold for a good price if you could get it.

Thats was my worry, I was going to approach a lavender farmer but I suspect the interest will be nil at best, maybe I should speak to the farmer next door

 

[Norton]

The french tend to blend in Lavender oil

I suppose this come as no surprise at all - that is the French for you!
Best wine
Best champagne
Best cognac
Best women
Etc Etc
All of course according to the French.
They have about 200 different sorts of cheese - all the best but they are unable to decide exactly which one!
Best regards
Norton
(Who prefers Guinness to all other drinks)

 

[Chris B]

.. maybe I should speak to the farmer next door

Probably a better bet Jez. Lavender growers in this country are a novelty and often open to visitors, and hence hesitant to have them all stung.

 

[Black Comb]

Wolds Way lavender in N Yorks is on my visit list for this summer.

They produce their own honey as well as other lavender products.

 

[peteinwilts]

I am hoping to plant lavender this year although I have only a few hundred cuttings, but will be planting a few thousand seeds in a heated room at the end of the month.

Fortunately one of the fields is extremely sandy for when they are planted out...

Do you think an acre of lavender is enough to keep a hive of bees busy or should I aim for more?

 

[Norton]

We have wild lavender (Lavedula stoechas) here - mountains full of it. We have found that it needs good ground moisture and a temperature of at least 22C to give crop. It flowers in April and the locals often cut it and decorate the church at Easter. I have had some good crops from it over the years.
Best regards
Norton.

 

[BKF Admin]

From experience I would say 3 hives per acre is fine.

 

[Hombre]

Wolds Way lavender in N Yorks is on my visit list for this summer.

They produce their own honey as well as other lavender products.

I noticed Peter that Wolds Way lavender honey is "lavender infused honey". Rather to meet the expectation of the lavender taste rather than what the bees produce. That being so, then it almost opens the door to any honey being "infused". I hadn't looked hard, but it was prominent on my UK Google search. Perhaps better than adding oil, but still not what I would have expected - is this a prevalent practice, even in this country then?

Admin, does your farmer/grower buy your lavender honey in bulk at bulk prices? I can understand if you wish not to comment about financial arrangements.

 

[BKF Admin]

I have to extract and jar it(Well my daughter does),he uses his own labels and pays a fixed price per jar that is agreed in March each year.
Regards pricing I would say he pays well below the bulk price...

The upside for me is that the lavender finishes around the 12th August(It flowers for 3 and a half to 4 weeks from the 2nd week of July),If you time it right you can then move nice big hives to the heather.

 

[Hombre]

Thanks for the information Admin. There is at least a positive upside to the arrangement, it's handled in an equitable manner and your bees are bursting ready for the heather. Can't be all bad.

It sounds a bit like he might have grown cherries at one time but gave it up because of the noise - - - of the pips squeaking

I must admit to liking Jedz approach too.