eXtension

Honeybee forage blend for 1 acre

Asked July 18, 2019, 2:27 PM EDT

We have some spare pasture and would like to plant a blend of flowers/legumes for our honeybees- do you know of a good blend on the market, or have suggestions for something that will bloom after the blackberries are done? Something that will provide a load of nectar/pollen, will reseed and is easy maintenance.

Yamhill County Oregon

3 Responses

Hello,

You are looking for something to plant that is compatible for livestock, or just a pollinator blend for an area you won't be using for livestock anymore?

The Xerces Society has a list of blends that are great for bees and are specialized for particular regions.

https://xerces.org/pollinator-seed/

If you are interested in pasture mixes, below is more information:

https://tilth.org/education/resources/lessons-learned-planning-pastures-pollinator-habitat/

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Heather- thanks- looking for a blend to provide a honey source for my hives. no grazing - something that will reseed- and provide nectar before and after the Himalayan blackberries bloom

Hello,
I would check out this link below, it has information about preparing land for a seed mix and has some tables showing flower bloom times so that you can choose something for later in the season after the blackberries. Following the plant lists in this document there are regional seed sources listed. I would recommend selecting a company or two and asking them specifically about the bloom time of their mix in comparison to blackberries. You might also consider having something in the mix that is early season blooming also to provide season-long food to your pollinators.


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