Golden Rod Bloom

Dange · August 10, 2014, 11:02:34 PM

I have both Golden rod and sneezing going on up here. lol. It seems like it is a little earlier this year. Am I wrong or is it about the right time of year?

OldMech · August 10, 2014, 11:15:30 PM

Goldenrod here is just putting out the buds. I expect flowering within the next week. We even had an inch of rain about two days ago, so it should be a good start to fall when it arrives.

GSF · August 11, 2014, 12:16:11 AM

At our meeting last Thursday the state guy said he saw some blooming in the back of one of his hayfields. That would be Arab Alabama - Russell county I think. He too thinks the cool weather will be early this year.

tefer2 · August 11, 2014, 09:10:38 AM

It's blooming here too! Waiting for that special smell.

danno · August 11, 2014, 11:16:07 AM

FYI Goldenrod does not cause hayfevor. The pollen does not go airborn. The sneezing is ragweed that blooms at the same time.

Intheswamp · August 11, 2014, 02:45:34 PM

What Danno said.

Goldenrod is given a bum deal by people who think their allergies are triggered by it's pollen. As Danno said, the culprit is usually ragweed. Both plants bloom about the same time but ragweed doesn't have showy, colorful blooms and just looks like a dull, boring background plant...nothing to make it really stand out. Goldenrod, on the other hand, is bright and easily spotted.

Goldenrod has a heavy moist pollen grain...unless you walked through a stand of goldenrod intentionally disturbing it and taking deep breaths while doing so you would have a hard time of inhaling the pollen. When goldenrod pollen falls from the flowers it basically heads to the ground being heavy. It is also a "gentle looking" pollen with little to no barbs or stickers to it so if you did inhale it it wouldn't cause too much (if any) misery.

Ragweed has a very light "powdery" pollen grain that easily floats on the slightest breeze and thus travels easily from where it's growing to your front porch. You can literally strike it's plain-jane flowerhead and a puff of pollen will be created. The bad difference is in the pollen structure...unlike goldenrod, ragweed has a spikey, barbed evil-looking pollen grain that will torture your sinuses.

People take it for granted that it's the goldenrod making them suffer so bad...most folks can't even identify ragweed, though. To me, it resembles big (bloomless) okra plants.

Ed

hilltophermit · August 11, 2014, 08:08:46 PM

Goldenrod is my primary honey source. I get excited every year when it starts to come out. Is just beginning now. The golden waves over the fields, the wonderful aroma around the hives, the sight of the bees working furiously to gather it before fall. goldenrod season is best.

Intheswamp · August 11, 2014, 08:11:27 PM

I think this year I'm going to harvest a frame or two of goldenrod...ya never know till ya try it! :)

Ed

10framer · August 11, 2014, 09:10:52 PM

gary, arab is in north alabama.
i decided not to plant grain sorghum in the end of july because i didn't think it would have time to finish before the first frost. i think we're in for another cold winter.
i haven't seen any blooming down this way yet but the bees have been working something the last week or so (could be soybeans but it's a little early for that too). sumac is still budding but not open

GSF · August 11, 2014, 10:10:06 PM

Rob, I haven't seen any gr blooming around here either. I think mine are still working the cotton field down the road. There's also a soybean field not far from it either.

Joe D · August 12, 2014, 12:45:08 AM

I haven't seen any down here yet either. Mine are getting something, don't know what from. They also will work a little on Johnson grass, probably pollen.

Joe

capt44 · August 12, 2014, 01:47:26 AM

Haven't seen golden rod here in Central Arkansas yet either.

biggraham610 · August 12, 2014, 09:37:19 AM

Coming on strong in Central Va. Seems a tad early this year. G :chop:

10framer · August 13, 2014, 01:03:51 PM

swamp, i'm hoping to get a surplus this year. i've heard mixed reports about it. worse case, if i uncap the first frame and it tastes like a$$, i'll put it back on and not worry about feeding.

BeeMaster2 · August 14, 2014, 01:50:15 PM

Quote from: 10framer on August 13, 2014, 01:03:51 PM
swamp, I'm hoping to get a surplus this year. I've heard mixed reports about it. worse case, if i uncap the first frame and it tastes like a$$, I'll put it back on and not worry about feeding.

10, Keep in mind if you only test taste one area of honey you might be fooled. It can bee very different in different parts of the hive and even on the same frame. Sometimes one area is emptied and then later refilled with nectar from a different tree at a different time of the year. Sometimes I find honey in frames from a previous year, I always try to leave enough honey on so that I do not need to feed. The question is, what will the blended honey taste like. Hard to tell.
Jim

10framer · August 15, 2014, 11:19:45 AM

jim,
last year i forced the bees to backfill with goldenrod and got a brood break and didn't have to feed until late january and even with the long, cold winter only fed about 4 gallons per hive.
the supers i have on have all been extracted and by september should only contain a few kinds of nectar. possibly soy bean, probably sumac and definitely goldenrod. i know sumac by sight so i'll harvest it but if the rest tastes bad i'm not blending it. sumac is by far my favorite honey and i'll extract a single frame if i have to to get some.

Glen H · August 15, 2014, 04:29:43 PM

It's starting to bloom here to in Ontario, it's early.
I'm hopping for a nice full hive of the Golden Rod honey.

Glen

10framer · August 15, 2014, 04:37:58 PM

the sumac flow is on and the goldenrod looks like it's about to start developing buds. the timing seems pretty close to last year if i remember right.

richter1978 · August 16, 2014, 09:33:51 PM

I saw goldenrod here today NE FL, though I never see huge amounts of it around here.

BeeMaster2 · August 17, 2014, 08:22:32 AM

Quote from: 10framer on August 15, 2014, 11:19:45 AM
jim,
last year i forced the bees to backfill with goldenrod and got a brood break and didn't have to feed until late january and even with the long, cold winter only fed about 4 gallons per hive.
the supers i have on have all been extracted and by september should only contain a few kinds of nectar. possibly soy bean, probably sumac and definitely goldenrod. i know sumac by sight so i'll harvest it but if the rest tastes bad i'm not blending it. sumac is by far my favorite honey and i'll extract a single frame if i have to to get some.

10,
You say you know sumac by sight.
Is sumac real clear or real dark? How can you tell the difference with capped honey?
Jim