borage

heaflaw · November 06, 2009, 01:06:51 AM

Hi Cindi,

In a post a few weeks ago I stated that my bees didn't seem too interested in my Borage. This past week they have been all over the plants-they love it! Maybe it wasn't mature enough or too dry to produce much nectar. I have about 25 plants & next year I want to plant more. I want to try to time the beginning of the bloom to June 15. What is the best way to harvest the seed?

Thanks for turning me on to Borage.

Heaflaw

Kathyp · November 06, 2009, 02:17:57 AM

cindi is the borage master. she sent me seed a couple of years ago, bless her.

i noticed the same thing about mine. they did not go for it when it started to bloom, then all of a sudden they were all over it!

lenape13 · November 06, 2009, 10:22:00 AM

I, too, plan to plant some in the spring. One of my neighbors used his tractor to prepare me a couple of large patches to plant wildflowers and such. Said it works for both of us, my bees get flowers, and he get flowers, plus he doesn't have to mow as much. :-D I'll probably have to find a mail-order seed catalog that carries the seed, but I'm sure I can find some.

Cindi · November 07, 2009, 12:20:02 AM

Heaflaw, something that you need to understand about Borage is that is the master (not me Kathy, smiling) of seed setting. Once you have Borage growing on your property, anywhere, you will find it popping up in places where you never dreamed or imagined. It is a master of self-seed.

I planted borage years ago, have never REQUIRED to plant it again. It just comes up every year, everywhere and more everywhere, everywhere, (did you get that it comes up EVERYWHERE, smiling). It can be considered invasive. I do not feel it that way, it can come up anywhere that it wants, I don't care. If it comes up where I don't want it to, I just pull that seedling. I still gather Borage seed, there are places that I actually don't have it, and if I wanted it to grow in these places, I could, but I have enough, so the seed is just there, just in case.

a fair long time ago there was some lengthy discussion about the incredible and copious amounts of nectar and pollen that is derived from Borage (Phacelia Tanacetifolia is just as beautiful and attractive to the bees). I looked up a post of long ago for you. I link it to you.

Look in particular at post #4 that I made. Indepth I explain how to gather the seed of these plants. You can get pounds and pounds and pounds, if you are diligent and take that time, the seeds are quite large too, about the size of a match head, so they are clearly visible. Go look at your plants, you may be seeing some signs of seed set, you will notice the green seeds (that seem to turn brown overnight and fall out of the seed pod). Also, you can look on the ground and gather the seed that way, they are very easy to see, brown with a little light coloured end, where they were attached to the pod, that light coloured end does not stay light very long, it browns quite quickly. Good luck. Borage is yours now from this day til the very end of time itself. Have that wonderful day, love our life, live it with health. Cindi

http://forum.beemaster.com/index.php/topic,9793.0.html

Forgot to mention: Borage will begin to produce blossom buds, flowers a little later, about 6 weeks after the initial germination of the seed. Many generations of Borage can be obtained through setting seeds every couple of weeks, and the self-seeding that it does on its own.

BC · November 07, 2009, 03:59:11 PM

OK. I'm sold. I need some for my garden. Cindi, which nursery in B.C. sells Borage. Also, do you know of any nurseries that sell Bee Bee trees? When I'm finished with my backyard it's going to look like a Bee forest.

Cheers,
B.C.

bud1 · November 08, 2009, 10:38:15 AM

You can get seed for bb trees from Lawyer nursery seed dep.

Cindi · November 08, 2009, 10:52:48 AM

BC, send me an e-mail through the forum in my profile, I'll send you some seed over by mail, don't you dare buy it....I got lots. You don't sow it until spring, the birds may get it, smiling. Have a wonderful, most awesome day, healthy wishes. Cindi

Cindi · November 08, 2009, 11:06:23 AM

Quote from: BC on November 07, 2009, 03:59:11 PM
Also, do you know of any nurseries that sell Bee Bee trees? When I'm finished with my backyard it's going to look like a Bee forest.
Cheers,
B.C.

What are bee bee trees? Lost me there. BTW, I also have phacelia tanacetifolia, if you have room, you should also plant that. Have you seen pictures of my gardens? Sea Holly is also a magnum for bees, could send you some roots....Look at some of these in my posts, which I have provided below a couple of links to. Have that most beautiful day, health and life. Cindi

If you want to see some nice pictures of flowers that I have here for bees, go into my profile and do a search for a couple of these flower names (borage, phacelia tanacetifolia, sea holly, California poppy, sunflower, etc.), you will be thrilled with some of the pictures of bees, pollen on bees and flowers), I have many, many posts pertaining to bee plants :shock: ;) :) :) :)

http://forum.beemaster.com/index.php/topic,12751.0.html

http://forum.beemaster.com/index.php/topic,10148.0.html

Joelel · November 08, 2009, 12:06:15 PM

Quote from: heaflaw on November 06, 2009, 01:06:51 AM
Hi Cindi,

In a post a few weeks ago I stated that my bees didn't seem too interested in my Borage. This past week they have been all over the plants-they love it! Maybe it wasn't mature enough or too dry to produce much nectar. I have about 25 plants & next year I want to plant more. I want to try to time the beginning of the bloom to June 15. What is the best way to harvest the seed?

Thanks for turning me on to Borage.

Heaflaw

Plant what ? What is it ? Borage ? What is correct spelling ?

adgjoan · November 08, 2009, 05:07:25 PM

Cindy, where do you get seeds for phacelia tanacetefolia? Is it as easy as borage?

Joelel, borage is an annual herb.

Joan

heaflaw · November 08, 2009, 08:21:28 PM

Cindy,

1. You may not be able to answer this, but, would it grow well on unprepared soil? This is the Southeast US. The soil is red clay. It did great on a disked area of a garden. But I want to sow it in an area of my cow pasture where the grass stand is poor. I would rather not plow it up. I can keep the cows off of it until first frost in November.

2. I ordered some Phacelia from England but it did not sprout that I could tell. I think I was just too late and it didn't get enough rain before birds ate the seed. Is it invasive? And would it grow well in my cow pasture?

My overall plan is to set aside about 2 acres of my pasture for my bees. I want to plant rye or another small grain in late fall & let the cows graze it till mid spring when I let Borage and Phacelia and whatever else start blooming around June 15 until fall when I let the cows eat it off and then sow the rye. I am hoping that even though the cows will eat the Borage/Phacelia in the spring, that it will not be killed and will start growing when I take the cows off. If that doesn't work, then I may just resow it in the spring.

What do you think?

Cindi · November 08, 2009, 10:26:42 PM

Quote from: Joelel on November 08, 2009, 12:06:15 PM
Plant what ? What is it ? Borage ? What is correct spelling ?

Joelel, the plant is called:

Borage Officinalis

Look at the links that I have given in my previous posts, or look it up on the internet, never mind, I'll do it for you.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Borage

It is an annual that has been written about for probably more than a hundred years, with regard to nectar and pollen for the bees. All the old time beekeeping books rave about the usefulness of this plant. The plant has drooping blue flowers, which also adds goodness, because the nectaries within that flower are not affected by rain falling upon it, because of the drooping aspect of these flowers. Have a most wonderful and great day, with that beautiful health. Cindi

Cindi · November 08, 2009, 10:36:27 PM

Joan, use the internet to find a source for phacelia tanacetifolia, there would be many seed companies I would imagine, it is not a rare annual by any stretch of the imagination. It is very easy to grow.

Heaflaw. I have no clue about how borage would grow in an area that is not partially cultivated, honestly, no clue. I would think it may grow, but how well, I cannot comment.

KathyP grew borage on her property, I do not know if her land was cultivated or not, never heard, maybe she will chime in....Kathy??????

The phacelia you got from England, holy cow, that is a long way to get seed from that I am sure you can get anywhere from any seed catalogue around. Such a cryin' shame that you saw no evidence of germination. Perhaps it was too dry, and the birds were very hungry.

Phacelia is a very funny plant, in that it really prefers to germinate in very cold soils. And by cold, I mean like 45 farenheit, it will also germinate fairly well in warmer soils as well. But when the sun is hot and the soil is very warm, the germination of this annual is very inhibited. It does not like hot weather to germinate. Now growing on is a different thing, it will grow very nicely when the weather is hot. I usually see seed germination here about the end of April. Good luck, hope all goes well with the aspirations of growing plants for the bees. Have that great, most awesome day, health and life. Cindi

Natalie · November 13, 2009, 07:34:04 PM

I was amazed at how quickly my borage came up from seed this year.
I planted seed this spring and this summer I had tall plants, they do get heavy and topple over.
Hyssops is another one, that just takes off. Mine are 5 feet tall now.
I know you grow tons of that Cindi. I am still jealous of your teasel.