Hi all,
This is my first spring with bees - started November last year. So far, the bees seem to have had quite an effect on the garden! Of course, I have a small sample to go by and won't be able to substantiate my claims until I have mesured the fruit produced, but the trees have never had so many fruit on them before! A plum tree I was going to remove because it was so unproductive is laden.
Have any fellow beekeepers got an idea as to how much more productive urban gardens can be with beehives installed?
I would like to know what others have noticed.
Thanks
Tim
Swingbyte.
from what i've read many fruits get considerably larger and better formed from the bees because more uf the individual seeds actually get pollintated
than would other wise occur. I had much larger and more uniform strawberries this year than I did the last five.
Good luck with the bees and welcome!
Pollenation by bees is critical for many crops. Take almonds; bee pollination accounts for 80-90% higher crop yields verse no bees. Lots of crops will jump 50% or more when bees are used for pollenation. You're experience is proof of that.
I know a cucumber needs at least 6 visits from a pollenator to set fruit
since I've put bees in the urban farm and orchard it has went from medicore to very good
kirko
It has been a mixed blessing for me....
Couple each of plums, apples cherries, pears.
Now my fruit trees set so many fruits that I have to work like crazy to get them thinned out enough so they aren't all the size of a quarter. Sometimes I succeed.
The cherry trees weren't producing but maybe a gallon per tree...since the bees they produced so many cherries that the weight took down about 3/4 of the branches. But I've gotten gallons of cherries since and no more freezer space...
I don't notice so much from the garden, the bumblebees and solitary bees did most of that pollination before and still do.
-rick
Quote from: swingbyteI would like to know what others have noticed.
I have noticed that if previous summer and autumn have been good trees are full of energy. So they are able to carry plenty of fruits. Often trees rest every second year.
In towns we have so much beekeepers that pollination is not a problem.
A mixed blessing is exactly what I have experienced too. Have been taking care of my small orchard for about 25 yrs now.Ever since I started to let the bees keep me,my fruit production has jumped tremendously.The drawback is---that fruit size(not amount of production) has diminished. Mainly affected were the apples and pears. I have been thinning by hand after losing a lot of limbs to breakage from being overladen.Is this a case of TOO much of a good thing?I am not complaining, although I guess I will just have to alter my management style in the orchard.