Do you improve your pasture for the bees?
What works best ?
Thanks,
Stan
You want something you don't have to maintain too much and will produce a lot of nectar.
Check for your Zone and see what works well. I would bet that
clover works well just about anywhere in the USA.
You also want to have plants in the same field/pasture that bloom at different time periods.
Dandilion - Spring
Clover - Early Summer
GoldenRod - Late Summer
Alfalfa, Buckwheat also good choices.
Along the border of my place I planted clover,and pussywillows.
I plant stuff also:
Dionaea, Sarracenenia, Darlintona, Drosera, and Nepenthes. They aren't great nectar or pollen plants, but I like them.
Sincerely,
Brendhan
I find that it's nice to have one or two plants of a variety that are responsible for the main honeyflows. That way, it's easy to determine about what time the bloom will be without making the investment in bee forage. Actually, the landscaping in the neighborhood consists of Azalias, Oaks and Elephant grasses. The azalias and oaks are blooming right now and only the pollen from the oaks is being gathered in any quantity...actually, one of my hives is almost COMPLETELY pollenbound (7 frames full of pollen). The elephant grasses bloom in June-July. Either way, it helps to plant what other people have in their yards just since it makes it easier, and less ackward (than going up on other people's property) to determine what's blooming when.