Author Topic: What blooms where and when (Read 181773 times)

Woody Roberts · « **Reply #60 on:** March 14, 2016, 06:54:25 pm »

I too am always excited to see hen bit. It means it won't be long now.
Here in SW MO. My hawthorns are in full bloom and abuzz. Maple, willow and elm are done. Redbuds are getting close. Only seeing a few dandelions. Bradford pears are going strong.

It seems to me that my bees didn't have much build up time before things started budding out. I didn't start my spring feeding until the first of March but probably could have started a week earlier.

Bakersdozen · « **Reply #61 on:** March 14, 2016, 09:19:21 pm »

Woody, that is just what I am seeing here. My currant is blooming and the dandelions are scattered.

brooksbeefarm · « **Reply #62 on:** March 14, 2016, 10:03:06 pm »

It's going to be a great Dutch Clover year in my area, the fields are covered with it, but not in bloom yet. Like others have said the dandelions are scattered, i also see wild plum trees in bloom and some dogwood trees.Went through 7 hives today, 5 were booming 2 had dwindled down to two frames of bees and no brood (queenless)??. Stuck a frame of brood and eggs in both, one still had 60 lbs, of honey and the other 40 to 50 lbs of honey, both also had 3 to 4 frames of pollen. Seems like the last few years i have hives come up queenless in march,any of you seeing this? Jack

iddee · « **Reply #63 on:** March 14, 2016, 10:16:00 pm »

Yes, and hearing about even more. Checked a man's hive this morning. Not a bee in it, but a deep and 2 mediums full of honey and pollen.

brooksbeefarm · « **Reply #64 on:** March 15, 2016, 09:22:25 pm »

Went through 14 more hives today, found two more queenless, very few bees and lots of honey? We have had many 60+f days with strong hives working next to these queeless hives, but have not robbed them? Maybe they just haven't found them yet, very strange?? Jack

neillsayers · « **Reply #65 on:** March 15, 2016, 11:36:45 pm »

wild plum, serviceberry, and redbud getting worked today! Spring is here!

Bakersdozen · « **Reply #66 on:** March 29, 2016, 08:14:59 am »

Our weather has seen 70 degrees only to drop down in to freezing some nights this week. On Easter we had rain mixed with snow. Enough snow to cover all the grass. By 4 o'clock the sun was out and the bees were flying and the snow was melted.
Red buds are in full bloom, henbit has been in bloom over 1 week and the dandelions are starting to all bloom. Pears are in full bloom, peaches just about ready to pop and it won't be long before the sour cherries bloom.

Bakersdozen · « **Reply #67 on:** April 18, 2016, 09:26:37 am »

Redbud and apples are about to wrap up. Dogwoods are peaking and hackberry is in full bloom.

Dunkel · « **Reply #68 on:** May 06, 2016, 07:16:24 pm »

Poplar have blooms starting to open on a few lower branches. Blackberry starting as well as wild cherry in full swing.

Bakersdozen · « **Reply #69 on:** May 08, 2016, 10:36:38 am »

Dutch clover started blooming about a week ago. I saw some yellow sweet clover blooming in a empty lot yesterday. Nothing else of value to the bees.
The neighbors cottonwood tree is releasing its annual cotton seed balls.
My peonies are blooming, which I think is really early. As a child, I remember my grandmother always expecting peonies in bloom to take to the cemetery for Memorial Day(Decoration Day). It's 3 weeks until Memorial Day. In the old cemeteries, they planted peonies right on top of the graves. I thought that was because they bloomed on Memorial Day and the graves would be pretty for the holiday.

brooksbeefarm · « **Reply #70 on:** May 08, 2016, 12:10:05 pm »

My front field is white whit Dutch clover and large patch's all over my pastures and neighbors and the bees are all over it.

Will broadcasting an acre of Buckwheat this afternoon, the plot is ready for seed and rain and storms broadcasted for tomorrow. Jack

Bakersdozen · « **Reply #71 on:** May 10, 2016, 07:52:24 am »

We received rain and hail last night. White Dutch clover started blooming about a week ago and yellow sweet clover just starting. Sweet clover is classed as an invasive plant. Invasive, but it sure does feed a lot of live stock, bees and butterflies.

brooksbeefarm · « **Reply #72 on:** May 10, 2016, 10:07:11 am »

I have 25 colony's here at the farm (hives and starter nuc's) and you would think you could see the bees working the dutch clover everywhere, but there is so much of it and the bees are working it hard and if you stand and listen and watch, there will be bees on every patch of it. The sweet clover hasn't started to bloom here yet, it takes a certain type of soil to have a good stand like road ditches old rock quarries ect. and it blooms every other year,it does produce a lot of nectar and good flavored honey. The honey locust trees are shedding there blooms now and yesterday i sowed about 2 acres of buckwheat, wild flowers and herbs for the girls. I bought a pound bag of wild flower seed that is supposed to be flowers that bees and butter flies love, i mixed in sweet clover seed, buckwheat and turnip seed, and stirred it in good before i broadcast it and run the disk over it lightly, it was a good size bag of flower seed for only a pound and a little pricey $30.00, hope i didn't get took? Jack

apisbees · « **Reply #73 on:** May 10, 2016, 01:42:21 pm »

Quote from: Bakersdozen on May 10, 2016, 07:52:24 am

We received rain and hail last night. White Dutch clover started blooming about a week ago and yellow sweet clover just starting. Sweet clover is classed as an invasive plant. Invasive, but it sure does feed a lot of live stock, bees and butterflies.

Cattle farmers do not like it due to the potential risk it could cause the cows Here is information on how it can effect cows. and why a farmer may get upset if he finds out your playing Johny Appleseed around their farm.
http://igrow.org/livestock/beef/using-sweet-clover-wisely/

lazy shooter · « **Reply #74 on:** May 21, 2016, 11:26:04 pm »

I don't know what this plant is, but the bees have been on it heavy for the past week. You can hear the buzz as you approach the plant. I have two of them. They are in my yard, but they were here when we purchased the home.

Lburou · « **Reply #75 on:** May 22, 2016, 12:17:31 am »

Lazy, that may be a Ligustrum.

Bakersdozen · « **Reply #76 on:** May 25, 2016, 09:22:20 pm »

Lazy, looks like privet. Good source of nectar. I bought 6 privet to plant if it ever dries up enough to dig.

66061: poppies, Oakleaf Hydrangea, Carolina lupine.

Bakersdozen · « **Reply #77 on:** June 05, 2016, 09:13:34 am »

66061: Catalpa, Little Leaf Linden, Sweetspire, catmint. Dutch clover and yellow sweet clover still blooming.
Vitex very close to blooming.

Bakersdozen · « **Reply #78 on:** June 14, 2016, 08:24:16 am »

66061: Golden Rain Tree, Basswood, Purple Cone Flower, Vitex, Elderberries,caryopteris, Culver's Root, Veronica.

Linden, White Dutch Clover and yellow sweet clover wrapping up.

brooksbeefarm · « **Reply #79 on:** June 14, 2016, 11:23:03 am »

Dutch clover still everywhere, sweet white and yellow clover in bloom, Russian Sage, lavender, Vitex just about ready to bloom,and the Buckwheat is in full bloom, the first of the 3 blooms i'll off it IF the weather co-operates? The thorn less blackberries that i turned the cows in on, and the ate the leaves off of, have put on new leaves and are in full bloom? Jack