Any info on the sourwood bloom, which is about now. Are conditions good, is this going to be a good year for sourwood? I thank you for your post regarding this sourwood premium honey.
Van
I?m sitting over here on the edge of my seat, Van!! It?s my first real honey harvest this year and all my sourwood trees are starting to put out their flower structures. No proper buds yet, but very soon. I?ve got a brand new shallow super on my strongest hive ready to go. The sourwood harvest was very weak last year; the trees didn?t flower well and the harvest was pretty rained out. I so hope it?ll be a good year this year. I?m so excited!! :grin:
Quote from: The15thMember on June 19, 2019, 12:20:27 AM
I?m sitting over here on the edge of my seat, Van!! It?s my first real honey harvest this year and all my sourwood trees are starting to put out their flower structures. No proper buds yet, but very soon. I?ve got a brand new shallow super on my strongest hive ready to go. The sourwood harvest was very weak last year; the trees didn?t flower well and the harvest was pretty rained out. I so hope it?ll be a good year this year. I?m so excited!! :grin:
I have not tasted sour wood honey but it must be good as I have heard talk about it. Is the sour wood tree, a tree that only grows in mountainous areas? I have never heard of sour wood trees in my area.
Phillip
https://www.plantmaps.com/nrm-oxydendrum-arboreum-sourwood-native-range-map
Quote from: Nock on June 19, 2019, 08:51:21 AM
https://www.plantmaps.com/nrm-oxydendrum-arboreum-sourwood-native-range-map
Quote from: Ben Framed on June 19, 2019, 07:18:58 AM
I have not tasted sour wood honey but it must be good as I have heard talk about it. Is the sour wood tree, a tree that only grows in mountainous areas? I have never heard of sour wood trees in my area.
Phillip
As you can see by Nock?s handy map, the tree has quite a large range, but it is most prolific here in the southern Appalachians. There are about 6 trees on my property that I know about, and there may be more back in the woods. They are everywhere around here.
I?m just out of the range according to that map. It?s pretty accurate. I?ve never seen one in the wild. Just one or two small ones in yards.
Quote from: The15thMember on June 19, 2019, 09:00:00 AM
Quote from: Nock on June 19, 2019, 08:51:21 AM
https://www.plantmaps.com/nrm-oxydendrum-arboreum-sourwood-native-range-map
Quote from: Ben Framed on June 19, 2019, 07:18:58 AM
I have not tasted sour wood honey but it must be good as I have heard talk about it. Is the sour wood tree, a tree that only grows in mountainous areas? I have never heard of sour wood trees in my area.
Phillip
As you can see by Nock?s handy map, the tree has quite a large range, but it is most prolific here in the southern Appalachians. There are about 6 trees on my property that I know about, and there may be more back in the woods. They are everywhere around here.
Quote from: Nock on June 19, 2019, 11:09:25 AM
I?m just out of the range according to that map. It?s pretty accurate. I?ve never seen one in the wild. Just one or two small ones in yards.
Good for you Member. YOU GO GIRL!! I hope get a lot that sourwood honey. Let us know how much you wind up with.
According to your map Nock, I am about an hour out of range also. I don't know if I have seen one in person either and recognized it for what it is.
Phillip
Quote from: Ben Framed on June 19, 2019, 05:07:33 PM
Good for you Member. YOU GO GIRL!! I hope get a lot that sourwood honey. Let us know how much you wind up with.
According to your map Nock, I am about an hour out of range also. I don't know if I have seen one in person either and recognized it for what it is.
Phillip
I will certainly keep you guys posted. :grin:
I just went outside and I saw something up in the sourwood tree near the house. . . :shocked:
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The first sourwood buds!! :cheesy:
Quote from: Ben Framed on June 19, 2019, 05:07:33 PM
Quote from: The15thMember on June 19, 2019, 09:00:00 AM
Quote from: Nock on June 19, 2019, 08:51:21 AM
https://www.plantmaps.com/nrm-oxydendrum-arboreum-sourwood-native-range-map
Quote from: Ben Framed on June 19, 2019, 07:18:58 AM
I have not tasted sour wood honey but it must be good as I have heard talk about it. Is the sour wood tree, a tree that only grows in mountainous areas? I have never heard of sour wood trees in my area.
Phillip
As you can see by Nock?s handy map, the tree has quite a large range, but it is most prolific here in the southern Appalachians. There are about 6 trees on my property that I know about, and there may be more back in the woods. They are everywhere around here.
Quote from: Nock on June 19, 2019, 11:09:25 AM
I?m just out of the range according to that map. It?s pretty accurate. I?ve never seen one in the wild. Just one or two small ones in yards.
Good for you Member. YOU GO GIRL!! I hope get a lot that sourwood honey. Let us know how much you wind up with.
According to your map Nock, I am about an hour out of range also. I don't know if I have seen one in person either and recognized it for what it is.
Phillip
I'm on the Left Coast. I bought sourwood and planted them. They seem happy. Mine about to blossom also. I'm sure others could plant them too. Just a thought.
I?ve looked into buying some.
The sourwood flow is now starting here. The girls started drawing out their super dumb, and I had to cut a sizeable chunk of honeycomb out, and when I tasted it, it tasted like sourwood! :grin: My bees are not on my trees yet, because all my trees are in the shade, and the sourwood trees that are in the sun flower first. My trees are all budded out and starting to bloom, and the trees that are in the sun are absolutely bursting with flowers.
Ive seen four trees here. All been bloomed about 2 weeks now.
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Here I have been looking for sourwood trees and I find one yesterday on me. So if there?s one got to be more.
Nock, the top of that tree looks to be a lot of blooms. My envy!!
I can?t stand it any more, I am starting to look for sourwood honey that I can purchase.
Van
I?d wager the difficulty to find it adds to the reputation and need that you?ve gotta have it!!!
Quote from: van from Arkansas on July 22, 2019, 05:50:05 PM
Nock, the top of that tree looks to be a lot of blooms. My envy!!
I can?t stand it any more, I am starting to look for sourwood honey that I can purchase.
Van
It?s not but about 150yards from my hives. Once it cools down I?ll get out and find some more. I had no reason to know what it is till I got bees.
I'm pulling a super tomorrow that should be sourwood, so I'll let you guys know what I get. I already got one medium frame of what I'm pretty sure is sourwood from another hive. I got almost 2 pints out of it. I think the blooms are starting to slow up here. We had a really heavy rain a few days ago that knocked a lot of the open blossoms off, but there are still some that haven't opened yet that are okay. My bees aren't on my trees, so it's hard for me to get a gage on how things are going with the flow. Other trees in sunnier locations are blooming better than mine, so the bees seemingly are targeting those trees instead. The bumble bees are enjoying my trees though, so I know the flow is on.
I was wondering how you did.
How long does the Sourwood tree bloom?
I got almost 6 qts. of sourwood from the shallow I pulled. Many of the frames were not fully drawn, but all but one of them were fully capped. It is absolutely gorgeous, delicious honey. :tongue: Here's a picture of a jar. The camera makes the color a little more golden than it is in real life. It's light honey, not overly viscous, and it has sort of a lavender-colored undertone. It has none of that heavy clover honey taste.
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Nice !! Congratulations 🎈
Quote from: The15thMember on July 26, 2019, 03:06:19 PM
I got almost 6 qts. of sourwood from the shallow I pulled. Many of the frames were not fully drawn, but all but one of them were fully capped. It is absolutely gorgeous, delicious honey. :tongue: Here's a picture of a jar. The camera makes the color a little more golden than it is in real life. It's light honey, not overly viscous, and it has sort of a lavender-colored undertone. It has none of that heavy clover honey taste.
[attachment=0][/attachment]
Just send that quart to me and I will pour half into another container and send the rest to Mr Van haa haa J/K LOL
Enjoy your honey!
Phillip
Quote from: Ben Framed on July 26, 2019, 11:29:44 PM
Quote from: The15thMember on July 26, 2019, 03:06:19 PM
I got almost 6 qts. of sourwood from the shallow I pulled. Many of the frames were not fully drawn, but all but one of them were fully capped. It is absolutely gorgeous, delicious honey. :tongue: Here's a picture of a jar. The camera makes the color a little more golden than it is in real life. It's light honey, not overly viscous, and it has sort of a lavender-colored undertone. It has none of that heavy clover honey taste.
[attachment=0][/attachment]
Just send that quart to me and I will pour half into another container and send the rest to Mr Van haa haa J/K LOL
Enjoy your honey!
Phillip
Hmmm. . . Why is it that you want me to send a jar to you, and then have you send some to Mr. Van, when I could just as easily send Mr. Van some myself? I think you have designs to keep all the honey for yourself, both your half of the jar, and Mr. Van?s! :cheesy:
Wow, 15th! That's very nice honey!
Quote from: The15thMember on July 27, 2019, 12:30:01 AM
Quote from: Ben Framed on July 26, 2019, 11:29:44 PM
Quote from: The15thMember on July 26, 2019, 03:06:19 PM
I got almost 6 qts. of sourwood from the shallow I pulled. Many of the frames were not fully drawn, but all but one of them were fully capped. It is absolutely gorgeous, delicious honey. :tongue: Here's a picture of a jar. The camera makes the color a little more golden than it is in real life. It's light honey, not overly viscous, and it has sort of a lavender-colored undertone. It has none of that heavy clover honey taste.
[attachment=0][/attachment]
Just send that quart to me and I will pour half into another container and send the rest to Mr Van haa haa J/K LOL
Enjoy your honey!
Phillip
Hmmm. . . Why is it that you want me to send a jar to you, and then have you send some to Mr. Van, when I could just as easily send Mr. Van some myself? I think you have designs to keep all the honey for yourself, both your half of the jar, and Mr. Van?s! :cheesy:
😁😁😁. Why member, How could you think such a thing....😁😁😁 LOL. . I would not leave my buddy out, It would give me a good excuse to make a visit... I have wound up with 5 gallons also, (regular honey, no sour wood), and wasn?t trying for honey this year, splits was my goal. This is encouraging as next season I will set aside a few hives just for honey and splitting the rest.
Phillip
>I have wound up with 5 gallons also, (regular honey, no sour wood), and wasn?t trying for honey this year, splits was my goal. This is encouraging as next season I will set aside a few hives just for honey and splitting the rest.
Phillip
Be careful. That's what I said a few years ago and I now have just under 90 hives. :wink:
Member - congratulations, that looks beautiful!
Thanks for all the congratulations everyone. :grin:
Quote from: Ben Framed on July 23, 2019, 12:37:11 AM
How long does the Sourwood tree bloom?
You asked this a little while ago, Phillip. I?m going to venture to say that the trees in my area are almost done. There are still some flowers on them, and some of the bumble bees are still on them, but I don?t think there are enough open flowers or nectar remaining for the honey bees to be interested anymore. I say this because my bees are starting to act a little dearthy I think. They are getting a little testier, they?ve stopped drawing wax like they were, and they are checking out the old mushy blueberries on the blueberry bushes which I?m pretty sure is a sign of a dearth, since they?d be more interested in flowers if there were any.
Thanks for the information Member. I bet that your family is proud of you and your bees 🐝 for bringing in that good honey!! 😊😁
Phillip
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Evidently there are a few more trees around me. I found two more on my neighbor yesterday while cutting cedar. Knocked a limb out of one. Once I saw the seeds it jogged my memory some. I?ve seen these before around. I just didn?t know what they were. Everywhere I go now since I got bees I?m looking at what?s blooming or what already had. And what?s fixing to.
Quote from: The15thMember on July 26, 2019, 03:06:19 PM
I got almost 6 qts. of sourwood from the shallow I pulled. Many of the frames were not fully drawn, but all but one of them were fully capped. It is absolutely gorgeous, delicious honey. :tongue: Here's a picture of a jar. The camera makes the color a little more golden than it is in real life. It's light honey, not overly viscous, and it has sort of a lavender-colored undertone. It has none of that heavy clover honey taste.
[attachment=0][/attachment]
I love the colors of bees
Just to follow up, I ended up pulling a couple more sourwood frames from another hive, and so I ended up with 10 qts. of sourwood for this year. Not bad for my first honey harvest! :grin:
Quote from: The15thMember on August 26, 2019, 06:38:49 PM
Just to follow up, I ended up pulling a couple more sourwood frames from another hive, and so I ended up with 10 qts. of sourwood for this year. Not bad for my first honey harvest! :grin:
That was awesome!