Bees and strawberries

[randydrivesabus]

i am thinking of growing strawberries again...i havent in many years. i mean grow strawberries to sell at the farmers market and other places. when i grew them before i didnt have honey bees so i was curious what the effect of having bees would be on my production when i came across the article i linked here.
if you look in the methods section of the article it sort of describes how the bees pick up the Trichoderma harzianum upon exiting the hive to forage. anyone know how to do this?
http://nysipm.cornell.edu/publications/botrytis/default.asp

my other concern is that the trichoderma harzianum will be in the honey and i need to research what exactly this stuff is.

[Cindi]

i am thinking of growing strawberries again...i havent in many years. i mean grow strawberries to sell at the farmers market and other places.

Randy, gotta give you the hats off!!   I have lots of strawberry plants growing.  I pick them.  They are the biggest pain in my side when it comes to picking.  I could never imagine growing them commercially.  Yikes!!!  The thought of that sends a shiver up my spine for sure. 

When I pick strawberries, I can see no other way, other than breaking my back bending over or stooping, so I get down on my knees and pick.  What a job.  If these berries weren't so darn good, I would not even bother.  Wish there was a way to get them to grow nicely on benches that were chest high.  Hey, now that is a good idea for a small berry grower.  Maybe I will make like a flume and grow them like that, the roots are not overly deep, so a 1 foot deep flume would work great. Hmmm.....invention.  It would be easy to keep the runners under control too.  Have a great day.  Cindi

I have "favourited" the site on 'trichoderma harzianum' and am going to look at it later.  It sounds like something extremely formidable and scary, lol, but I'm gonna check it out.  G.D. Cindi

[randydrivesabus]

trichoderma harzianum it turns out is a naturally occurring fungicide. its found in soil.

Cindi-there is a plasticulture method of growing strawberries (not generally used by non-commercial growers) in which the strawberries are planted in raised beds covered by (duh) plastic. the beds are 8" above ground level. thats 8" less to bend when picking. the cost of growing that way is 10k an acre but my soil is too rocky to use a raised bed former. i just plan to start with 400 plants this year and see how it goes from there. i hate picking them too...no wonder pick your own is so popular.

so there must be some way to get the bees to pick up this trichoderma harzianum powder as they leave the hive????? "Ladies...grab some of this on your way out!"

[Jerrymac]

That is correct, remember they are ladies. You place a bin full of it by the entrance with a sign that reads "50% OFF". That should do it.

[nepenthes]

I guess I still don't understand it I read the link but It doesn't make any since is this bad or good for the bee's? I'm just plain confused!

[Trot]

I don't know about you people but this system IMO  is all about saving money for the Grover.
Mind you my intent here is not to point a finger a nothing - only trying to defend the poor bees.
If grower was to dust/spray this stuff there is cost in man hours and say that about 90% of that stuff is not finding the flowers.
By bees doing it - 100% of that gets on the flowers and in a very good manner, which no machine can duplicate!
Therefore an awful amount of sawing in finances and man power/ equipment.

What is the after effect on the bees?  This stuff is not something that the bees normally mess with?! As you can suspect about equal amount will get in the hive and honey is of the least concern here, (strawberries have no nectarines/do not produce nectar!)  Pollen and stuff on the open brood would be of my biggest concern. Don't we have enough of such crap already threatening our bees survival.
Read about the great bee loses along the Eastern seaboard and now through Texas and California... And the matter is not over the hump yet - not by a long stretch!
Something is killing those bees and no need to add more poison to the witches brew!

Well, I had to get them two cents worth, off my chest. . . . . . . .

I had a pollinating contract with a strawberry farmer and was nothing but a pain in the arse! If it wouldn't have been for a good yard on the raspberries, I would have been bankrupted! ! !
In our parts a lot of growers went under cause nobody would pollinate them for no money...

Let growers get their own hives and play with fire!

Regards,
Trot

Regards,
Trot

[randydrivesabus]

in this case trot, the grower is the beekeeper. i don't see much difference in what work the bees are doing for me be it producing honey or helping my strawberries....either way I'm using them to make money for me.

[Finsky]

i don't see much difference in what work the bees are doing for me be it producing honey or helping my strawberries....either way I'm using them to make money for me.

For strawbereis you need very small hive of bees. If you have natural pollinators or another's bees, you need not own bees.

But if you are going to earn with bees, you need quite much hives and stores, but suits very well together in business.

[Trot]

In that case - go for it. Either way, it's your pocket - boom or bust...


Regards,
Trot

[randydrivesabus]

In that case - go for it. Either way, it's your pocket - boom or bust...


Regards,
Trot

I agree...boom or bust. seems its always that way for the small scale farmer. sure makes life interesting.

[Trot]

I hope that you did not take my answer too personal. It does not mean, or imply, nothing as to the size of operation, which may or may not be in question.
IMO sometimes, a lot of times, the small operation is the one which has the gumpsion to break the ice in some new field, or trie, what others would not dare - etc...

I have just a few hives now and they are just as dear to me, as if I had a few hundred or a thousand. Sometimes even more so, cause a loss of one, for me, might mean the loss of all - something which in a thousand would not be even noticed.

The meaning of my first post?  It was simply that: It is acceptable for grower to have own hives, rather than for someone to come in and provide such service, as this was also evident in some talk a few days earlier...

Good luck in your endeavour...

Regards,
Trot

[randydrivesabus]

thanks Trot. I didn't take your answer too personally so there's no problem there.

[Cindi]

That is correct, remember they are ladies. You place a bin full of it by the entrance with a sign that reads "50% OFF". That should do it.

Jerrymac, now that comment actually made me laugh out loud.  My husband looked at me as if I was out of my mind. (lol)  Great day. Cindi

[Cindi]

Randy, awe no, come on!!!  Who's going to pick your strawberries?  We live in a damp climate and it is kind of mucky work when our season comes full into harvest about the middle of June, whew!!!

Last year it was a little better than usual, it was a cloudy month, but not too much of the liquid stuff falling from the sky, so easier pickin's for sure.  But still knee aching work.  Good luck to your endeavours, wishing you as easy go of it.  Great day. Cindi

[Jerrymac]

Jerrymac, now that comment actually made me laugh out loud.  My husband looked at me as if I was out of my mind. (lol)  Great day. Cindi

Didn't squirt any liquid out the nostrils?  :shock:

[Cindi]

Jerrymac, ha!!! now that was sick-o.  Great day. Cindi  :shock: