Author Topic: What blooms where and when (Read 181981 times)

Bakersdozen · « **Reply #260 on:** June 21, 2018, 09:00:18 am »

66061: The Little Leaf Lindens are through blooming. Golden Rain Tree still going strong as well as Vitex. Last night near dusk everything pollinator out there was working the vitex. Purple coneflowers, Culvers Root, Coriopsis, and Rudbeckia began blooming several days ago.
It's so dry here that the mulberry fruit isn't juicy. I did pick some nice raspberries from my bushes last night. I don't water the raspberries.

brooksbeefarm · « **Reply #261 on:** June 22, 2018, 08:56:40 am »

B13, we finally got some rain last Tuesday, one and a half inches and temps in the 80's F. The Russian sage, Vitex, Moon flowers,Dutch clover, and the Sumac should be in bloom now? haven't checked it lately? I'm going too have too star extracting soon, i'm running out of supers

The last four times i checked my hives (50+ and not ONE sting) they were packing in the nectar and the strange thing is, they are packing the brood box with nectar before filling the supers on my strong hives, so i started stealing brood and honey too start Nuc's and replace the frames with foundation frames to deter swarming . (Hopefully) This practice also breaks up the Varroa cycle some what! The Honey flow started early this year and is about over hear (the main honey flow). The last three weeks of above 90F temps and no rain put the hurt on things around here. Jack

Bakersdozen · « **Reply #262 on:** June 22, 2018, 07:26:15 pm »

Quote from: brooksbeefarm on June 22, 2018, 08:56:40 am

I'm going too have too star extracting soon, i'm running out of supers The last four times i checked my hives (50+ and not ONE sting) they were packing in the nectar and the strange thing is, they are packing the brood box with nectar before filling the supers on my strong hives,

I am seeing some of that too. I am not too sure what it means.
I put my last super with drawn comb on this week. One super I moved from one hive to another because the first hive was working slower than the 2nd. I think the flow is going to be over soon. One thing for sure, we have had such a strange year that I don't know if anyone is going to be able to get varietal honey.

Les · « **Reply #263 on:** June 25, 2018, 08:27:28 am »

Ahhh the mikweed is blooming. Smells so sweet when I walk through it searching for Monarch eggs. White Queen Salvia the bees loves, yarrow, coneflowers starting to open, false lupine just finishing up along with columbine. Liatris starting to open and blanket flower coming on strong. We have been very dry the last couple of weeks and the lawn was like a fiield of straw. Had nice rain last night and this morning everything has greened up and the air feels so clean! Nice way to start the day!

Bakersdozen · « **Reply #264 on:** June 26, 2018, 08:39:17 pm »

66061: Blue Vine in bloom

This picture shows the vine wrapped around a variegated bush.

Bakersdozen · « **Reply #265 on:** July 20, 2018, 08:24:56 am »

66061: I received a text yesterday that a fellow beekeeper's Bee Bee Tree is blooming.

Blue Vine is still blooming strong.

Bakersdozen · « **Reply #266 on:** July 23, 2018, 08:55:06 am »

66061: on 7/22 I went to see a fellow beekeeper's Bee Bee Tree or Korean evodia. He said it was slow to start blooming. Here are some pictures.

It was loaded with dozens of species of pollinators. The bumble bees weren't working it, but the small native bees were, in addition to butterflies, wasps, etc. This specimen was 25 years old.
I did some research on why it is a magnet to pollinators. First thing to note is it is the only tree in bloom in this area. www.davesgarden.com says that the sugar content of the nectar is between 44%-64%. That's impressive.
Bee Bee Tree can be propagated by woody cuttings and seed. Allow the seed to ripen on the tree and plant in the fall. I also noticed that there were sucker shoots or the seed had fallen and sprouted. There were numerous small trees at the base.

brooksbeefarm · « **Reply #267 on:** July 27, 2018, 12:36:51 pm »

My moon flowers are in cloom and the bees are all over them, plush the Moth Humming bird. They open in the late evening 8:00pm and stay open until the sun starts getting bright and HOT!!! I have Vitex planted on my pond banks and they are still in bloom. I have noticed that the Japanese beetles are all over the Vitex leaves but, do not eat any of it, they only use it for breeding, a lovers lane i guess??? But the bees still work it. Jack

neillsayers · « **Reply #268 on:** July 29, 2018, 03:17:42 pm »

Bees have been working mints,(spearmint, lemon balm, catnip etc...) also anise hyssop but they are winding down. Devil's Walkingstick about to explode in blooms.

Bakersdozen · « **Reply #269 on:** August 24, 2018, 05:41:31 am »

I noticed the golden rod starting to bloom about 2 weeks ago when I was out picking elderberries. That was about 8/12.

Bakersdozen · « **Reply #270 on:** August 25, 2018, 04:56:46 pm »

I received a text from a fellow beekeeper asking me if I could identify a plant her bees were gathering pollen from. She sent pics. I hope to be able to post them. She figured it out. It was Giant Ragweed. I have never know honey bees to work ragweed as it is wind pollinated and not that attractive to pollinators. A recent series of rains has might have had a positive effect on the blooms. This website says that honey bees will collect pollen from Giant Ragweed. https://www.illinoiswildflowers.info/weeds/plants/giant_ragweed.htm

Bakersdozen · « **Reply #271 on:** August 25, 2018, 05:04:48 pm »

This is a photo of Giant Ragweed from a fellow beekeeper.

brooksbeefarm · « **Reply #272 on:** August 25, 2018, 11:32:40 pm »

Wish i knew how to send photos??? I would post a picture of my Buckwheat field in bloom. The bees are app over it in the mournings up too around 11:00 am then it quit's producing nectar . My moon flowers are going crazy in the evening and the bees love them !!! B13, didn't i send you some moon flower seed a couple of years ago??? Jack

Bakersdozen · « **Reply #273 on:** August 26, 2018, 10:20:38 am »

Quote from: brooksbeefarm on August 25, 2018, 11:32:40 pm

Wish i knew how to send photos??? I would post a picture of my Buckwheat field in bloom. The bees are app over it in the mournings up too around 11:00 am then it quit's producing nectar . My moon flowers are going crazy in the evening and the bees love them !!! B13, didn't i send you some moon flower seed a couple of years ago??? Jack

I would like to see pictures of your buckwheat in bloom. riverbee could probably walk you through posting pictures on the forum. I can if you have a cell phone that takes pictures. The old flip phones that take pictures don't work very well. Even an inexpensive android takes pretty darn good pictures and makes it easy to work with. A digital camera with a memory chip works too.
Jack, yes you did send me moon flower seeds. This has been a tough year for them. The weather has been so hot and dry. It seems like they get a nice bud that's about to open and it falls off or wilts. My butternut squash has done better than the moon flower!
Jack, I sent you a PM.

Some Day · « **Reply #274 on:** August 26, 2018, 08:47:46 pm »

Ok, What is this flowering plant? In roadside ditch 8/26 and covered with bees.

Bakersdozen · « **Reply #275 on:** August 28, 2018, 07:58:57 pm »

Caryopteris has been blooming for several days.

Bakersdozen · « **Reply #276 on:** August 30, 2018, 05:21:21 pm »

I just discovered a nice patch of Tickseed Sunflower blooming 6/10ths of a mile away. The scent is wonderful.

Bakersdozen · « **Reply #277 on:** September 02, 2018, 08:30:08 am »

Labor Day Weekend: Sweet autumn Clematis

Bakersdozen · « **Reply #278 on:** September 21, 2018, 05:55:27 am »

66061: The White Snakeroot is plentiful this year. Moonflowers are blooming now that we had some rain. Aromatic Aster has been blooming for about a week.

Bakersdozen · « **Reply #279 on:** October 20, 2018, 08:04:19 pm »

66061: While walking the dog this afternoon I spotted one of my bees on Heath Aster. I believe she was gathering nectar.

There are still some Maximillian sunflowers, some goldenrod, and the asters. Becomes of all the sudden rain I am seeing some red clover, dandelions, and other "weeds" that didn't bloom during the drought.