A bit of an update of the flowering progress of this useful crop.
Compared with 2015 (for example) the OSR across North Wiltshire is definitely behind normal - by around 3 weeks I estimate - with some fields in full flower on to a 3rd or 4th pod set and others barely starting to bolt and produce flower heads.
Around 15 years ago, the flowering of the OSR seemed to coincide more with the hive build up and seemed to match the brood growth. More recently I've seen the flowering almost towards the 3rd quarter of flowering before the bees got a sniff as they simply weren't in the right place...however this was also because my own colonies were behind the curve in successive springs compared with the 1990s.
Having changed my autumn and winter management techniques, stronger colonies are coming through the winter and I have begun to spring feed syrup for the first time where as I used to only put candy on.
This seems to have stimulated my strongest colonies to be in a better place than one may expect for the cold spring we have had to date.
OSR this season is within 500m of my main apiary site and around 100 acres has been planted there, with a futher 100 around 1km away.
I had planned to just put starter strips in to allow the bees to draw out comb so that if I found I had missed a frame or super I didn't loose the foundation when I melted it down later in the year...sadly I forgot...so will have to be prompt in removing and extracting once capped.
more later !
S
Compared with 2015 (for example) the OSR across North Wiltshire is definitely behind normal - by around 3 weeks I estimate - with some fields in full flower on to a 3rd or 4th pod set and others barely starting to bolt and produce flower heads.
Around 15 years ago, the flowering of the OSR seemed to coincide more with the hive build up and seemed to match the brood growth. More recently I've seen the flowering almost towards the 3rd quarter of flowering before the bees got a sniff as they simply weren't in the right place...however this was also because my own colonies were behind the curve in successive springs compared with the 1990s.
Having changed my autumn and winter management techniques, stronger colonies are coming through the winter and I have begun to spring feed syrup for the first time where as I used to only put candy on.
This seems to have stimulated my strongest colonies to be in a better place than one may expect for the cold spring we have had to date.
OSR this season is within 500m of my main apiary site and around 100 acres has been planted there, with a futher 100 around 1km away.
I had planned to just put starter strips in to allow the bees to draw out comb so that if I found I had missed a frame or super I didn't loose the foundation when I melted it down later in the year...sadly I forgot...so will have to be prompt in removing and extracting once capped.
more later !
S
