# Goldenrod



## Duncan151 (Aug 3, 2013)

Goldenrod, who has some good info on what causes it to produce necture? Every year we get a few days at most of the funky smell, and never much honey from it. Lots of pollen though. I have been told you need hot and dry summers, you need a below 50 night, you need a wet summer. Internet searches, extension office visits, have yielded no good info on what triggers necture production. Anyone have information?


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## schmism (Feb 7, 2009)

Its been my experience that it just isnt a high nectar producing plant period. lots of pollen as you said.


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## enjambres (Jun 30, 2013)

Hundreds of different goldenrod species (more than 100 just in NY, for example) may account for its varying reputation for nectar and pollen production more than anything. I get a good nectar flow off the mid-season varieties, but I have been reading that neither the nectar nor the pollen from goldenrod is particularly good for wintering stores. Though it's probably much better than starvation if the beekeeper has taken off all the earlier honey beforehand - even if it's not particularly nutritious. 

I may feed all colonies during the goldenrod flow this year. However this year may be a bad one for an experiment since by all appearances we're going to a bonanza year for goldenrod. (Warm winter, wet spring, and warm summer, and just a bit above average precip, nicely spaced.)

Nancy


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## Sickdog5 (Jun 8, 2016)

enjambres said:


> Hundreds of different goldenrod species (more than 100 just in NY, for example) may account for its varying reputation for nectar and pollen production more than anything. I get a good nectar flow off the mid-season varieties, but I have been reading that neither the nectar nor the pollen from goldenrod is particularly good for wintering stores. Though it's probably much better than starvation if the beekeeper has taken off all the earlier honey beforehand - even if it's not particularly nutritious.
> 
> I may feed all colonies during the goldenrod flow this year. However this year may be a bad one for an experiment since by all appearances we're going to a bonanza year for goldenrod. (Warm winter, wet spring, and warm summer, and just a bit above average precip, nicely spaced.)
> 
> Nancy


 Went on a family trip to Maryland. Saw some goldenrod blooming down around Oneonta. Why do you feeding if there is a flow on?


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## enjambres (Jun 30, 2013)

In theory, to provide better winter nutrition than that provided by goldenrod, despite its availability, since it is not the best-quality winter chow . My bees are weakened from brood disease this year so they need the most supportive diet (particularly protein quality for next spring's brood) I can devise.

But in extra-heavy flow conditions, vs normal ones, this might create unanticipated issues.

Nancy


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## Duncan151 (Aug 3, 2013)

Thank you, so warm winter, and wet conditions help? I have read various points on the nutritional quality of goldenrod honey too. Why is there so much confusion over this plant? Lol


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## snapper1d (Apr 8, 2011)

We have some here that blooms during the summer and bees hardly touch it.Then we have some that blooms the last of October and bees swarm it and make lots of good dark honey.Bad part is its all along the highways and when it starts blooming the highway dept mows it down.


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## drummerboy (Dec 11, 2015)

enjambres said:


> Hundreds of different goldenrod species (more than 100 just in NY, for example) may account for its varying reputation for nectar and pollen production more than anything. I get a good nectar flow off the mid-season varieties, but I have been reading that neither the nectar nor the pollen from goldenrod is particularly good for wintering stores. Though it's probably much better than starvation if the beekeeper has taken off all the earlier honey beforehand - even if it's not particularly nutritious.
> 
> I may feed all colonies during the goldenrod flow this year. However this year may be a bad one for an experiment since by all appearances we're going to a bonanza year for goldenrod. (Warm winter, wet spring, and warm summer, and just a bit above average precip, nicely spaced.)
> 
> Nancy



100's of species just in NY????

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goldenrod

Indigenous to the Americas....We've a;ways left the goldenrod for our bees....Although it makes a nice honey if you can stand the stink of it while bees are evaporating it. 

Our Goldenrod flow is just starting....can smell it from the bee yard 10 yards away. 

For us, it tells us to get 'our' honey removed ASAP, because goldenrod is our last flow of the season, and we want them to fill up any cells not filled....some years there's a lot of nectar, some years not so much. It remains a mystery species and for a proper flow, is weather dependent. It is an important plant for bees around the world.

I think it was Randy Oliver who conducted or sited a study that found Goldenrod has lost something like 30% of its protein since the 1970/s. Could that be affecting winter survival?


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## drummerboy (Dec 11, 2015)

Sickdog5 said:


> Went on a family trip to Maryland. Saw some goldenrod blooming down around Oneonta. Why do you feeding if there is a flow on?



Our bees generally ignore artificial feed/syrup/sugar when there's available nectar, unless they are weak, but then we feed inside the hive. 

We leave small amounts of syrup or dry sugar in a pan throughout our season (about 50 yards from bee yard), always providing us with a good indicator showing whether there's a flow on or not.


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## psm1212 (Feb 9, 2016)

In my area, south Alabama, I get a very good nectar flow from goldenrod every fall. I have not seen any blooming yet, but I expect it any day now. As someone else said, I can smell my boxes from 10 yards away when they are bringing in goldenrod. It makes a dark honey that tastes stronger than my spring honey. Personally, I prefer the spring honey. But my wife, and many others, prefer the stronger tasting goldenrod honey that we pull in the fall. Also, many people that suffer from fall allergies believe that the goldenrod honey helps them. I have no opinion on that.


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## Delta 21 (Mar 4, 2016)

Mid-west KS is a mono crop wasteland and bees dont like any of them. The goldenrod and milkweed flows that starts in a few weeks is as strong as any other here and is the main source for over winter and spring buildup stores. Lots of nectar. FUNKY smell while curing !! Kinda a cross between 5 years old sweaty gym socks and having stepped in dog doo on the way to the bee yard. Last year I was checking my shoes every time I went into the bee yard. 

I think it tastes great. Thick, dark, Oh so delicious.


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## Brad Bee (Apr 15, 2013)

What does the smell, that you guys keep referring to, smell like? We have no fall flow. I use to tell people we had a fall flow some years because that was what I had read, but we have not had one in the 4 previous falls, so I don't think we have one. There isn't enough Goldenrod around my area to cause a flow, nectar or not, pollen or not. Our farm is nestled in the middle of cow and commercial poultry house country. There is very little fallow ground for Goldenrod to grow on. Pastures are typically sprayed to keep the weeds out.


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## AR Beekeeper (Sep 25, 2008)

Too me goldenrod smell very much like smartweed, which in turn smells like dirty socks.


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## aunt betty (May 4, 2015)

It smells funky like a locker room. First time you smell it you might think "something is wrong". Once you get the honey in a bucket and realize it's something different you aren't too sure. Then customers figure out they prefer the fall stuff you can't keep it around. 
That funky smell is the smell of money.


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## Brad Bee (Apr 15, 2013)

That sounds so appetizing.  I played a little ball as a kid and if I smell something like a locker room coming out of my hives, I may treat them with athletes foot medication.

I can honestly say, I've never smelled that smell coming from a beehive. I'll keep my nose open this fall. I have 3 hives and 2 divided 10 frame, 3 frame nucs (if that makes sense) at our business in town. There is a 5 acre fallow field behind the shop and it has some Goldenrod in it. I'll keep an eye on these and see if I can smell it here. I checked the 3 way nucs today to release the queens and they had wet nectar in them, but no locker room smell was noticed.


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