# How long is the goldenrod flow?



## biggraham610 (Jun 26, 2013)

The goldenrod is flowing strong in central Va. Its my first year wondering if anyone knows how long it usually lasts. Thanks. G


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## VolunteerK9 (Aug 19, 2011)

Hmm. Our goldenrod doesn't even start to bloom til early September with the biggest bloom coming around the 3rd week of September. When it does bloom it usually lasts until the first frost.


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

biggraham610 said:


> The goldenrod is flowing strong in central Va. Its my first year wondering if anyone knows how long it usually lasts. Thanks. G


Why do you ask? Every year is different. So who can say w/ any certainty?


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## maplehive (Jul 30, 2013)

Goldenrod here is beginning to break color - very early this year as it usually blooms around Labor Day Week-end and continues till frost which can occur as early as mid-September or as late as mid-October.


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## biggraham610 (Jun 26, 2013)

sqkcrk said:


> Why do you ask? Every year is different. So who can say w/ any certainty?


Why do I ask? Hmmm, thats a question isnt it I obviously asked because I Dont Know the answer. Thanks for your input.


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## burns375 (Jul 15, 2013)

G-rod is sorta like clover. The main flow is when the plant first blooms, but can go on for a while after if temps/rainfall is right. Knock on wood golden looks to be killer this year in our area. Plants are branching out now, flower should start in a few weeks.


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## Gus979 (Oct 11, 2012)

Golden rod is still going strong in Wisconsin


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## burns375 (Jul 15, 2013)

Gus979 said:


> Golden rod is still going strong in Wisconsin


Gus do you have the tall or short variety in beerwaukee?


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## Gus979 (Oct 11, 2012)

I'll take a picture tomorrow if I can, I don't know too much about flowers.


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

biggraham610 said:


> Why do I ask? Hmmm, thats a question isnt it I obviously asked because I Dont Know the answer. Thanks for your input.


So, if I tell you 6 weeks, what r u going to do differently than if I replied "Time will tell."? I'm just curious. Around here G-rod can be seen for that long. But that has little to do w/ the nectar flow. All I know is that usually after the early nectar flow, producing what I'm taking off of hives now, we have a later flow from G-rod and maybe a little aster, so it pays to put the wet supers back on the hives.

Then when it's time to take off the next crop of honey I can stack the empty boxes in the yd for the Winter and take away the ones w/ honey in them. When the bloom starts showing and when they are no more doesn't matter. Being prepared for the possibility of a nectar flow is what you should be considering.

Do you have much of a G-rod flow where you live? Sometimes I don't get much whereas other parts of NY State get 60 lbs or better.


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## Michael Palmer (Dec 29, 2006)

Goldenrod starts to bloom about mid-July here in Vermont. Saw blooms on June 28 last year. The flow usually starts about August 10-15. I first smelled it on August 6 last year. That's how you know when the flow dates are with Goldenrod...starts the first evening you smell it and is done when you no longer can. The flow usually lasts about 2 weeks here. Last year was quicker and pretty much a bust. 

Goldenrod is my winter feed source. Good thing the Aster yielded so well last Fall or I would have been feeding tons of syrup.


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## jly500 (Jul 28, 2013)

I noticed driving down my road about a half mile from my hives I saw a big field in full bloom of Goldenrod that is good news I checked my hives the other day and the honey stores are empty.


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## GLOCK (Dec 29, 2009)

sqkcrk said:


> Why do you ask? Every year is different. So who can say w/ any certainty?


That's what new beekeepers come here for to ask questions and learn I'd say till your first frost.
Good luck .
The first golden rod around here the bees don't go for but the taller stuff they like and 
that's budding right now.


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## jmgi (Jan 15, 2009)

I think MP's answer is most accurate for any location, when you stop smelling it around the hives in the evening its over. There are many types of goldenrod and their bloom times overlap over a period of a month total maybe, at least in my area. The smell though is really the best indicator of beginning and end.


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## MaydayMalone (Jan 19, 2012)

Goldenrod has been blooming sporadically in the Southern Poconos, PA for a couple of weeks now. The main bloom is usually mid to late August until first frost.


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## David LaFerney (Jan 14, 2009)

VolunteerK9 said:


> Hmm. Our goldenrod doesn't even start to bloom til early September with the biggest bloom coming around the 3rd week of September. When it does bloom it usually lasts until the first frost.


Not arguing with you, but my observation in my area has been that when it has been a useful nectar flow (rarely) it has only lasted a couple of weeks. The bloom starts early (now) and goes on for a while, but I've only ever seen it in my hives for 2-3 weeks.

However, because of all the rain the plants look really good this year, so cross your fingers for good luck and leave on an empty just in case.


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## JohnBeeMan (Feb 24, 2004)

Goldenrod has been blooming here for a couple of weeks already.


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## rumeye (Mar 7, 2013)

GUS979 are you sure that's not Aster because here in Minnesota Goldenrod hasen't started yet. Not til around Labor day like someone said.


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## hilreal (Aug 16, 2005)

Just starting to see flower heads on GR in our area. If it ever warms up for more than a couple of days I expect to see some flowers in the next week or so. CRAZY year, normally white clover is burnt out by the middle to end of June but it is still blooming well with the rain and cool temps we've had. Last year it was gone by mid-June. I am with MP, when I smell GR I pull and extract and leave the fall flow for winter stores.


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## Acebird (Mar 17, 2011)

jmgi said:


> The smell though is really the best indicator of beginning and end.


I always thought the smell continued some time after the nectar quit. The smell is coming from the curing of the honey not the collecting of nectar, No?


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## VolunteerK9 (Aug 19, 2011)

David LaFerney said:


> Not arguing with you, but my observation in my area has been that when it has been a useful nectar flow (rarely) it has only lasted a couple of weeks.


I stand corrected. A couple of days after I posted this I noticed some that was beginning to bloom already, which according to my calendar from last year is roughly 3 weeks early. My hives havent started stinking yet though.


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## Michael Palmer (Dec 29, 2006)

About Goldenrod and Aster. Here in Vermont, the Goldenrod flow starts first and lasts two or three weeks. The blooms fade before the first frost. The Aster flow starts with Small White Aster about mid-Goldenrod bloom, and lasts a few weeks, often until frost. It finishes blooming before the other Asters, many of which continue to bloom well after frost and freeze. The Small White seems to be the big nectar producer in my region.


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## Michael Palmer (Dec 29, 2006)

Some time? Like a day or two? Even if the smell continues for a few days after the flow stops, smell is the best way to tell the flow is on...other than removing combs and shaking nectar.


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

I have white aster in bloom around my building right now. Lots of goldenrod blooming. Neither yielding yet. AFAIKT


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