Perennial honey plants for bees are the main source of pollen and nectar. And these are not always wild plants! Vast plowed areas reserved for non-melliferous plants severely limit beekeepers in food resources for bee colonies.
In some regions, it is impossible to organize a solid forage base without sowing or planting crops near apiaries, which help to maximize the periods of the main bribe. And such peak honey harvests can be 2-3 or more per season, depending on the region, climate characteristics.
The content of the article
- 1 A little about classification
- 2 Trees and shrubs
- 3 Specially planted herbs
- 4 In conclusion
A little about classification
All plants that are important for apiaries are divided into:
- Cultivated, that is, sown or planted by humans, sometimes on vast agricultural land.
- Wild-growing (among the people – “wild plants”), growing without any human participation.
It is more difficult for a beekeeper to work with wild-growing species – they will need to migrate during the period of their mass flowering. Also, apiaries move to agricultural fields, for example, when buckwheat or sunflower blooms.
If the fields and meadows are at the distance of the bee summer – within 2-3 kilometers from the point, the problem with honey collection will be solved, as in the case of migrating. And when it is not possible to transport the hives, there is no nearby farmland, the beekeeper has only one way out – to provide the bee colonies with a forage base in the nearby territory with their own hands.
Another important division of flowering plants that must be taken into account is the time of the year. There are honey plants:
- blooming in early spring (early spring);
- blooming in spring;
- blooming in early summer (early summer);
- blooming in summer;
- emitting inflorescences only in late summer (late summer);
- blooming exclusively in autumn.
The area under protection can be located not only near the hives. Ideally, it should be divided into several small areas, each of which will be used for different plants. As a result, bees will receive nectar and pollen, even if the meteorological conditions and the intensity of flowering change depending on the period of the year.
Such an excellent opportunity is provided to beekeepers who have installed hives in small villages or in suburban areas. There is a lot of empty land that can and should be reclaimed from the weeds.
Trees and shrubs
Please note that perennial honey plants are selected individually in each case.
That is, you need to take into account the climatic features of the region and your own observations of the flowering of plants (or resort to the help of experienced comrades-beekeepers, contacting them for advice).
Of trees and shrubs, it has proven itself well:
1.Acacia white and yellow.
Details here: Acacia as a honey plant
White variety it is preferable to plant at a distance from the apiary – in abandoned areas, former wastelands. This is a real “weed” with abundant root shoots, capable of reclaiming a vegetable garden from the owners in a few years. Thanks to its powerful root system, the plant competes freely even with pines!
Such growth produces nectar 2-3 years after planting, when mass flowering begins. Old trees grow in height from 10 to 30 meters. They are the most valuable feed base.
Yellow variety acacia grows in a compact bush. This species is not as aggressive towards other plants as the white variety. But he gives less honey (for example, in the conditions of the Vitebsk region – this is about 120-150 kg). The main advantage is resistance to frost, which cannot be said about white acacia.
Both types of acacia can be easily propagated by root shoots. In this case, the first inflorescences appear after 2-3 years. And the seeds require preliminary cooling (stratification), including the pods that have been hanging on the trees all winter can be used. You will also have to break the hard shell by passing the seed through two wide files or sharpening discs (processing promotes rapid swelling and sprouting).
2.Linden – another valuable honey plant. In total, there are more than 40 varieties of wood, which makes it possible to choose the most acclimatized variety for yourself.
Read more in the article: Linden as a honey plant
The trees bloom in summer and bloom for two weeks. The best weather for collecting nectar is moderate heat and humidity in the absence of wind and rain. When the temperature drops, nectar practically does not stand out, and heavy precipitation wash it out of the inflorescences! Another drawback of the culture is late flowering (only trees more than 20-25 years old are of interest to bees).
Honey productivity sometimes reaches 1 kilograms per hectare. Linden honey is highly valued on the market due to its delicate aroma and pleasant taste.
You can extend the bribe period by skillfully combining different varieties of lindens on the site:
- the large-leaved variety will produce nectar by mid-June;
- small-leaved – by the beginning of July;
- silvery (less winter-hardy species) – by mid-July.
3.Maple – unpretentious in cultivation. Some of its species are used for the formation of hedges and decoration of parks, personal plots (for example, chernoklen (Tatar), Ginnala, ash-leaved).
Read more here: Maple as a honey plant
When planting near apiaries, you must adhere to one important rule: maples should grow 100-200 meters from the garden! If this is not observed, you will have to weed out the germinated seeds all the time, which, thanks to the wings, are carried by the wind over a decent distance.
It is particularly unpretentious Norway maple. It can be planted in the southern regions, thereby providing the apiary with a bribe of up to 150-200 kilograms per hectare. Flight bees most willingly visit trees that have grown in well-lit areas. Nectar appears in greenish corymbose inflorescences by mid-April or early May, depending on the region.
Delicious maple sap can be collected from old trees (in small quantities so as not to harm the plant).
4.Raspberry refers to cultural melliferous plants. Few summer residents do without planting raspberry bushes on their site.
It is best for a beekeeper to plant, in addition to the garden (ordinary) variety, a remontant one, which will increase the bribe period. The garden species will bloom at the end of May, and will produce nectar throughout June. And in July, the remontant variety will bloom. The bees will collect honey from it during July. As a result, the apiary will be provided with two months of intensive honey collection.
Productivity is from 150 to 215 kilograms per hectare (in the garden variety it is always higher than that of the wild one).
Care includes weeding, breaking off (pruning) old branches and feeding with nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium fertilizers.
Note: If you plant a shrub on a slope, it will bear fruit well, and the site does not have to be plowed. In one place, raspberry shoots give a good harvest for 10-15 years!
5.Currant – another perennial honey plant, which belongs to the obligatory “gentleman’s set” of any self-respecting summer resident.
Depending on the variety, as well as the size of the area near the site, the shrub can provide both developing and marketable bribes.
Most productive in terms of nectar production:
golden variety – up to 100 kg;
and the red variety – from 43 to 100 kg.
But black currant, which is extremely popular due to its delicious sweet and sour berries, is much inferior to its brethren: bees collect from 13 to 32 kilograms of nectar from a hectare of plantations.
Shrubs bloom from late May and bloom throughout June. In warm weather, the maximum amount of nectar accumulates in the inflorescences in the late afternoon. Currants are able to provide a good supportive bribe at the onset of the free period. Propagated by layering and cuttings. With constant watering, young bushes develop rapidly and begin to bear fruit from the next year.
6.gooseberries, planted in the near-patch area, will provide bees with nectar and pollen in the early spring period, when other fruit and berry crops are not yet blooming.
Bribes per hectare in the range from 9 to 75 kilograms of honey. All this goes to the development of bee colonies in the spring. Inflorescences on the bush bloom by early May and bloom for 10-20 days.
Gooseberries make good hedges up to a meter high. It propagates in autumn with the help of cuttings or cuttings. It is advisable to choose a sunny area with non-swampy soil. Humus is preliminarily introduced into sandstones! The best choice is black soil or fertile loam.
7.Hyssop officinalis is able to please beekeepers with its longevity – it grows in one place for 10 years.
Details here: Hyssop as a honey plant
The herbaceous shrub is distinguished by long flowering up to 45-50 days. Moreover, the first inflorescences bloom from mid-July already in the year of sowing. Propagated in autumn or spring using seeds. It is sown in wide rows with a row spacing of 30 to 40 cm.
The average productivity is from 120 to 330 kg of nectar per hectare of solid plantations. According to other sources, the harvest can reach 700-800 kilograms!
The semi-shrub is unpretentious, easily tolerates frosts. If it freezes in winter, in the spring the branches still grow from the rhizomes. Thanks to its beautiful bluish inflorescences, spikelets can be used as an ornamental plant.
Specially planted herbs
We emphasize right away that it has nothing to do with perennials:
phacelia;
donnik (burkun);
bruise.
Although these are honey plants popular with bees, they live no longer than one to two years. Melilot yellow generally blooms once every two years! It will be more difficult to organize the food supply with their help.
You can read about annuals and biennials here: What honey plants are sown for bees
Perennial grasses of honey plants cultivated near apiaries are listed below:
1.Silkworm Syrian can be safely attributed to one of the best melliferous perennials.
Read more: Syrian cotton wool
The herb is used as an ornamental and medicinal plant. It takes root on any soil. On black soil, it easily reaches two meters in height. Resistant to prolonged droughts and frost hardy.
It propagates in any way convenient for the beekeeper: by basal processes, seeds, green cuttings. Blooms massively in the 2-3rd year. But when propagated by shoots, flowers appear in the first year of life. For a friendly flowering, it is recommended to apply superficially phosphorus-potassium fertilizers. The grass is afraid of weeds only for the first year – then it drowns them out due to its impressive size.
It is a summer honey plant that bribes from June to mid-July. Bees visit it eagerly even in light rain. One bee colony can collect up to 7 kilograms of nectar per day.
2.Willow loosestrife – the best choice for wetlands.
The herbaceous bush reaches a height of 1,4-1,5 meters. In the fall, it can be divided without problems and thus multiplied. If you plant a honey plant with seeds, in the first year the plants will be low (you can accidentally mistake them for weeds and weed them out!).
Blooms from mid-June to August. Amber honey, with a delicate aroma and tart aftertaste. Productivity up to 245 kg per hectare.
3.Cypriot swamp also distributed over wetlands, including the tundra.
Read: Ivan-tea and other melliferous types of fireweed
It is a late melliferous plant that provides a supportive summer flow. Blossoms in June and blooms until early September. Tolerates transplantation well.
The bribe fluctuates depending on the year – with high humidity and cold weather, it drops to 9-20 kg. In warm weather, the grass can produce up to 200 kg per hectare.
4.Goldenrod or golden rod – late summer honey plant, found throughout the European part of Russia.
More here: The value of goldenrod
Near apiaries, it can be sown on the slopes without fear of seeds flying through the air – they quickly lose their germination capacity without clogging up the garden. It is most convenient to propagate the grass by dividing the bush. An adult plant reaches a height of 80-100 cm.
Honey productivity is up to 80 kilograms of nectar per hectare. In Poland and Canada, the yield is higher – up to 150 kilograms.
Other varieties pose a threat to the local flora. They need to be grown under vigilant control in order to exclude the displacement of native plants! We are talking about a hybrid and a Canadian variety.
5.White (creeping) clover, perhaps, one of the most unpretentious melliferous plants.
Read more: Clover and its value for apiaries
This perennial “forgives” any growing conditions – lack of moisture, its excess, loam and non-chernozem soils. Not afraid of frost. Distributed throughout the European part of our continent.
In one place it can be sown as a monoculture or as part of cereal crops. Life expectancy in one place is up to 10 years. Blooms from the first year, but reaches maximum productivity from 2-3 seasons.
Note: To prevent white clover from being suppressed when sowing with other herbs (this is a stunted plant), they are cut down during its budding period. After that, the entire area is covered with white clover inflorescences.
The honey plant blooms from early to mid-June and blooms until autumn. The productivity of nectar per hectare of crops is from 100 to 120 kilograms.
6.Ball-headed mordovnik it is also a powerful honey plant in the second half of summer.
Read: Mordovnik as a melliferous plant
Propagated by seeds, which are introduced into the ground in April. The first year is spent on the formation of the rosette and root system. And flowers appear starting from the second year.
The plant is afraid of high groundwater levels! With strong soil moisture, the shoots will be weak and will soon disappear from the grass stand. It is better to sow Mordovnik in fertile soil, which is periodically enriched with phosphorus-potassium fertilizers.
The secreted nectar is very sweet. And its productivity in some cases reaches 1 kg per hectare.
7.Melissa – not only an excellent honey plant, but also a herb used to treat bee colonies. Bees love its smell. Swarms go to prepared swarms for him. And if you knead the leaves and rub your palms with them, you can inspect the hives without gloves.
When propagated by bushes, flowering begins in the first year from July and lasts until the end of August. In subsequent years, the plant must be fed with phosphorus-potassium fertilizers in the fall, and nitrogen fertilizers in the spring. In one place it grows up to 8 years.
The productivity of nectar is up to 250 kilograms per hectare.
8.Motherwort, as its name says, is a grass that is unpretentious to the soil. In beekeeping, it is valued for its high honey productivity.
Read: Motherwort as a honey plant
Propagated by seeds in April-May. It is better to sow them with gloves to protect against the pricks of hardened peduncles. It grows well both when sowing in rows and in a continuous way.
It blooms from the second year, from late July to early August. At this time, the grass reaches a height of 1-1,5 meters.
Productivity per hectare is 200-300 kilograms. The flowers are readily visited by flight bees.
In conclusion
Perennial honey plants sown specifically for bees are a great way to increase the productivity of your apiary.
As noted above, they need to be selected, focusing on the climatic and other features of a particular region. We have just listed some of the most popular and most productive perennial honey plants.
With the same success, you can sow annual and biennial grasses – for example, tansy phacelia, cyclantera, cucumber grass, mullein, common bruise, white sweet clover, but labor costs in this case will be higher (soil cultivation, fertilization, sowing, weed control will have to be carried out more often).
