# Excellent article on hubam clover



## DRUR (May 24, 2009)

During the mid 80's my late friend Mark Hamilton and I put our bees [30 colonies] on about 30 acres of Hubam clover in the Kaufman Texas vicinity. The soil was blackland. The clover was in full bloom when we arrived with our trailer of netted bees. Wind was blowing stiff, but that didn't stop the bees, as they poured out of the colonies and hit the clover which wasn't hard. We pulled the truck up into clover about 7' tall and so thick you couldn't walk through it, covered with blooms from about about foot off the ground to the top of the clover. Dropped the trailer and pulled out. We were on that crop for only 3 weeks and the rancher turned the clover under when still in full bloom. Like clockwork we made a medium super of honey about every 5 days, from plastic frames to fully sealed and capped. When we left 3 weeks to the day later we had averaged 4 1/2 medium supers [about 200#] per colony. We would back Mark's flatbed dually truck up to the back of the trailer [loaded with 15 colonies down each side] and work the bees from the middle of the trailer, rotating and adding new supers by moving the completely sealed frames up and replacing with new clean plastic frames next to the brood nest. Bees coming and going everywhere. As I can remember, this was the first time I worked bees with no veil or gloves [Mark often worked his like this]. I don't think we ever were stung, or I don't remember if we were, as all the bees could think about was working that clover. Fond memories of my deceased friend Mark Hamilton. After the Rancher plowed our gold mine under we moved to cotton and then to some late bloom mesquite; but nothing could compare to that Hubam clover. We averaged over 300# per colony [7-8 mediums] that year. Mark was on all mediums with plastic frames, and I had deep brood boxes with duragilt foundation. I used Mark's medium supers for honey as I only had 5 of the 30 colonies.

Ran across this article concerning Hubam [white sweet clover], that I thought I would share with all. I have had nothing but good experiences with this abundant producing nectar plant.

http://www.pcela.co.yu/hubam.htm

Kindest Regards
Danny


----------



## shadetreebeeman (Dec 4, 2009)

Where can you obtain seed?


----------



## rkr (Oct 30, 2008)

I got mine here. White sweet clover seemed to be harder to find than Yellow blossom sweet clover. Nice folks, they have the inoculant for it and gave me a scoop for free, ask if they will do the same. 

Nixa seed and hardware in Nixa, MO
Talk to Larry: 1(417)725-3512 or 1-800-648-7379
http://www.nixahardware.com/


----------



## alexcc1 (Nov 12, 2006)

I recently found a place where the folks will let me keep my bees on their land. I was thinking of spreading some Hubam clover on the land. But they have horses and I don't know if it is okay for the horses to eat. I would think that it should be fine. What do you guys think?


----------



## mike haney (Feb 9, 2007)

the horses will eat it down to the ground and it will never bloom. they kill most of it by nipping it off too close (if they are left in the field from sprout on). good luck,mike


----------



## kbfarms (Jan 28, 2010)

Where can you find hubam seed? The store cited above is for white clover (biannual), not hubam which is an annual. I've searched the Internet and made a dozen phone calls before giving up.


----------



## lupester (Mar 12, 2008)

I know http://www.mbsseed.com/ in Denton,tx has it. 
Hubam Clover $187 50lbs 15lbs/acre


----------



## beepriddy (Jan 5, 2010)

alexcc1 said:


> I recently found a place where the folks will let me keep my bees on their land. I was thinking of spreading some Hubam clover on the land. But they have horses and I don't know if it is okay for the horses to eat. I would think that it should be fine. What do you guys think?


Youi might want to double check with the horse owners and ask them. Want to be careful and not founder the horses.


----------



## thenameischill (Sep 20, 2014)

Anyone have experience with sweet clover in the Piney Woods area of North East Texas? Sowed a mixture of Yellow Madrid Sweet(biennial), Hubam(annual), and White Dutch in the pastures. The soil pH is about 6 and on the lowside for sweet clover tolerance. I'm experimenting with these to spread results with my local beekeeping association.


----------



## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

The two issues to be careful of in horses is:
1) don't let them eat too much too fast or they will founder
2) don't let them eat any that was cut and lay on the ground and spoiled. It will thin their blood and cause them to bleed to death. If you don't cut it, it shouldn't be an issue.


----------

