Planting "for" the bees

[CrazyTalk]

This is probably somewhat offtopic here - but maybe not, as I know some of you people don't just keep bees. I'm not planning on planting things directly for the bees, I'm trying to figure out how much I should let them influence my pasture management.

I have a roughly 3 acre pasture that needs work - its acidic clay, and low fertility. I have sheep that get to graze it (its mostly broom sedge and whatever else grows), and their waste is helping (and all the supplementary hay, grain, etc that adds to that waste) - seeing more clover this year. I limed this year and am going to keep liming regularly (pH was 5).

I'm trying to do as much as I can to improve the soil quality (as raising sheep is really about raising fodder) - and am currently debating cover crops, green manure, etc. I'm debating on planting buckwheat in the next couple of weeks - how much difference does 2-3 acres of buckwheat make to a handful of hives? Are there any other summer/early fall nitrogen fixing fodder crops that are similarly bee friendly? Anyone have any other suggestions?

I'm also planning on seeding clover (dutch I guess?) in the fall/spring to help. Any other things I should seed? Sheep tend to do better on mixed forage than pure grass stands, so I'm pretty open here - I'm not making hay or anything so I don't have to worry about 'weeds' - sheep love weeds as long as they're not toxic.

[GSF]

I have goats and they won't hardly eat the field sage. From what I've read it's basically useless when it comes to nutrition. I limed it but now I plan to just turn it over and start afresh.

This is my first year with "acreage" being planted solely for bees. I've got about 5 acres across the road that was once a field. I'm bush hogging the sage and leaving the goldenrod alone. I planted some very small plots of borage and purple tansy. They didn't hardly do anything. The buckwheat I planted done pretty good. It seems to be a little tougher than the other two. It could have been the seeds, planting, or the weather. 

[Michael Bush]

What I plant:
Chicory
Birdsfoot trefoil
White dutch clover
Ladino clover
Alfalfa
White sweet clover
Yellow sweet clover
Hubam clover

[rober]

I planted; dutch white clover, big berseem clover, ladino clover, crimson clover, sweet yellow clover, alsike clover, purple prairie clover, camelina, oregano, Russian sage, & cosmos. these all bloom for long periods. Asian poppies bloom early & I've seen as many as 10 bees on a single bloom. my bottle brush buckeyes & daturas ( moon flowers ) are blooming now & the bees are working them hard.

[herbhome]

Rober and Michael,
Good info!