# are bees into alfalfa?



## mlanden (Jun 19, 2016)

Since the opinions I got re: crimson clover lead me to think it's not worth my while to plant any just for my bees, what do you folks think of alfalfa for the girls' use?


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## Riskybizz (Mar 12, 2010)

Sweet clover


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## SugarbeatCo (Dec 27, 2014)

Good honey crops on alfalfa.. if it flowers well.. which is dependent on rain..


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## Tenbears (May 15, 2012)

Weather alfalfa would be worth while depends on the acreage. quality alfalfa seed is by no means cheep. If you buy the cheep stuff you have to inoculate it, And even with that germination rate is not that great. Alfalfa requires a solid pH close to the neutral mark, and fertilization requirements. It does not do well in wet or poorly drained areas. and can be easily crowded by clump grasses such as timothy or orchard grass if not mowed. 
If your idea is to take advantage of a farming arrangement then you must bear in mind that alfalfa is normally harvested before it blooms to take advantage of pre bloom proteins in the plant. 
Go with purple tansy!


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## mlanden (Jun 19, 2016)

Tenbears said:


> If your idea is to take advantage of a farming arrangement then you must bear in mind that alfalfa is normally harvested before it blooms to take advantage of pre bloom proteins in the plant.
> Go with purple tansy!


"Purple tansy" is a new animal to me; I'll research it. My alfalfa planting would only be for a backyard garden (~2000 sq ft). My garden's pH is close to neutral and the soil quality/drainage are good. The only drawback I see: that area just gets full-sun in the afternoon. Otherwise, it's dappled sun (through the pines). Since it's eastern NC in the summer, I can even grow melons, tomatoes, okra and corn back there. Thx much ....


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## crmauch (Mar 3, 2016)

Removed comment as already posted on crimson clover on original thread.


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

I plant some alfalfa, but I plant more sweet clover and white dutch clover and birdsfoot trefoil and chicory...

Variety is good. Not everything blooms at the same time...


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## mlanden (Jun 19, 2016)

crmauch said:


> Removed comment as already posted on crimson clover on original thread.


Obliged for the suggestions. Doing some follow-up on those .... I'm a tad wary: invasiveness seems to be an issue. "Cut before flowering" is the caution the sources give, but .... the flowering is my only real reason to have them (otherwise I would just stick to my usual greens-manure (kale, rape, mustard, turnip, etc).


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## aunt betty (May 4, 2015)

When a farmer is raising alfalfa it's generally for animal feed like horses or cows. If you want the most nutrients in the crop for the animals the crop gets cut before it blooms. If you're raising it for honey you can let it go to full bloom and then cut it but selling the alfalfa crop might be a little tough then and not as much value. Raising an alfalfa field "just for honey" would be "different". 

Oh it makes GREAT honey. Had a field go to full bloom last year because it rained so much. The honey flow was so intense that the hives kept swarming no matter what I could do with the 4 deeps and two mediums the "owner" of them bees had. Collected a lot of swarm bees from them two hives. It was a combination of two super queens and that 15 acres of nectar.


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

>I'm a tad wary: invasiveness seems to be an issue.

But people trying to grow clover often resort to grass killing herbacides to get them established... "invasive" is another word for "successful." Clover isn't always that successful without a lot of help.


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