# What to Plant in 1/4 Acre



## bluegrassbeek (Mar 29, 2020)

I have a spot that is approximately 1/4 acre that I could dedicate solely to nectar/pollinating plants. After researching much on the internet, I am just as confused now as when I started. I know white clover is good, along with lavender. What are your suggestions for planting this spot to have a spring to fall resource for my bees? I am in Kentucky, and my growing zone is 6-7. Thanks


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## Rader Sidetrack (Nov 30, 2011)

The odds are, that unless you are prepared to _continuously_ manage this plot, that a simple "wildflower" mix is your best option. Few (individual) plants continuously provide bee nectar/pollen over a multi-month period, and even then they may not like your growing conditions. So just plant a mix and relax.


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## bluegrassbeek (Mar 29, 2020)

Thanks. Is there any particular mix I should look for? I notice there are several offered with different price ranges.


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## dudelt (Mar 18, 2013)

I have spent hundreds of dollars on seeds for bees and in my opinion, it is throwing your money down the drain. Plant a dozen bee trees and sit back and relax for the next 20 years. No replanting, no watering after a couple of years, no plowing, no fertilizer, need I say more? You will get much more from trees than you will on a small plot of mixed flowers. If you plant three or four varieties, you will get a nice succession through the year.


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## Rader Sidetrack (Nov 30, 2011)

bluegrassbeek said:


> Thanks. Is there any particular mix I should look for? I notice there are several offered with different price ranges.


I don't think it matters a whole bunch. Note that where I am, if I don't mow once or twice a year. I get _trees_ growing. For sure, mow _before_ the trees, get un-mowable.
:ws:


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## bluegrassbeek (Mar 29, 2020)

dudelt,
That is an option as well. What kind and how many would you plant in a 1/4 acre?


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## Hobo (Mar 4, 2014)

Consider planting some bushes or trees that bloom during the dearth in your area. That will help bees and other pollinators more than adding plants that bloom when everything else is blooming.


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## JWPalmer (May 1, 2017)

The tulip poplar tree is the main source of nectar where I am located. It is fast growing and probably blooms in 5 -6 years. Nice straight trunk and the canopy does not branch out too far so could space at 30' or so. Mature trees produce massive amounts of nectar. You could still plant bushes and summer wildflowers under the trees.


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## Bee Arthur (Mar 21, 2015)

I totally agree with JWPalmer about the tulip poplar tree. I planted one about 3-4 years ago and it's doing better than any other trees I've planted. Seems to be very disease and pest resistant, and it's growing pretty fast. Plus, I've seen mature tulip poplars with thousands of bees on them, and there's one along a local hiking trail that looks like a redwood it's so big. This spring I planted 10 more tulip poplars on my land--that's how much I like them. I also like the American Basswood (Linden) tree for bees because it has a massive amount of flowers when it blooms; but I'm finding it a bit harder to grow because the Japanese beetles like them too.

Just for fun, I outlined 1/4 acre plot here on my property and played around with it. This is what I came up with in about 10 minutes. You could do something similar (I used Google Earth)--just make sure the plants are well-suited to your site.









With this scheme, I've put trees on the north end so they don't throw shade on everything else as they get bigger. I tried to put the lowest-growing plants on the south side, progressively moving to taller plants as you go north.

And the bloom times look something like this:

March-April: Hopefully you've got various maples, dandelions, redbuds, etc. growing wild in your area.
Early May: Blackberry
Early May: Tulip Poplar
Early May: White and Crimson Clovers
Late May: Yellow Sweet Clover
Late May: American Basswood
Late May: Ninebark
Mid June: Borage
Mid June: Cosmos
Late June: Milkweed
Early August: Goldenrod
Early September: White Snakeroot
Mid September: Aster

Easier said than done planting all of these (also expensive), but this should provide some kind of food throughout the forage season. Of course, 1/4 doesn't really make much impact (except for the trees once they mature), but it doesn't hurt. It's also enjoyable and keeps some of the bees nearby so you can watch them work.


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## bushpilot (May 14, 2017)

Raspberries or something you like as well. Fruiting trees are great.


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## Tim KS (May 9, 2014)

My bees love the Hansen Cherry Bushes. Check for them in garden catalogs that also have trees and bushes. They're easy to grow and bloom early.


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## bluegrassbeek (Mar 29, 2020)

Thanks everyone for the great suggestions. I think I will sow the plot in white clover first, and then plant some trees. Clover around here grows great, so I thought that would help as well.


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## bluegrassbeek (Mar 29, 2020)

Wow! Thank you. Great outline. I will give that some consideration. I almost thought about just making a small fruit orchard out of it. With some apple, plum, and peach trees. Then put some bushes of some sort around the border.


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## Outdoor N8 (Aug 7, 2015)

I like the tree and shrub ideas, but I can't believe no one brought up Vetch and buckwheat.

I would bet Joe-pye weed already does well there.


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## bluegrassbeek (Mar 29, 2020)

I'm not familiar with the Joe-pye weed? There is vetch and buckwheat around though.


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## dudelt (Mar 18, 2013)

bluegrassbeek said:


> dudelt,
> That is an option as well. What kind and how many would you plant in a 1/4 acre?


Since I am far, far away from Kentucky, I am not the best person to answer that question. On my 1/2 acre of pasture outside of Seattle, I have planted black locust (considered invasive in many areas), 3 types of lindens (basswood, silver and little leaf for a succession), and sourwood. Sourwood is touchy and grows really slowly and I don't recommend it for my area. As far as spacing goes, a quarter acre is just under 11,000 square feet so with tight spacing of 400 square feet per tree (20x20) you could fit about 30 in the area and would thin them out in 5 or 10 years. I am fond of the black locust because they are dirt cheap to buy and grow VERY fast. I got mine from Raintree Nursery here in WA for $2.50 a piece 5 years ago (they are $3.00 each today). They were about 2.5 feet tall when I planted them and are now about 15-20 feet tall. They bloomed in year 3. Other folks from your area will have other ideas of what to plant and I would take their advice.


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## bluegrassbeek (Mar 29, 2020)

Thanks, all of those grow here as well. I was kinda thinking about just turning it into a small orchard of apple, peach, plum and cherry trees. From what I've read, the bees like them too. Also read that white clover makes a good cover in orchards.


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## AHudd (Mar 5, 2015)

We have planted Korean Evodia because it blooms in July/August. While waiting for them to mature we hae planted Buckwheat because it starts blooming in about 3 weeks. It is easily established, but is not frost tolerant. We have also planted some Hubam, Yellow Sweet clover and Lacy Phacelia this year. The lacy Phacelia was easily established and will not bloom until it gets 12 or 13 hours of sunlight. It is already about 6 inches tall. It is supposed to be frost tolerant with winter kill at about twenty degrees. It will need to be over the next few nights. It is supposed to be a super nectar and pollen plant. If it grows well here I may plant a lot more next year.

Good luck,
Alex


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## JWPalmer (May 1, 2017)

Don't know about plums, but apple, peach, and cherry are all early short bloomers and not a significant source of nectar here. Plant an orchard if you want the fruit, not for the bees. Black locust or poplars with a ground cover of the yellow sweet clover would be a better choice.


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## bluegrassbeek (Mar 29, 2020)

Thanks, I am getting great ideas here!


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## Biermann (May 31, 2015)

Hello bluegrassbeek,

I guess the tree suggestions are great and I don't know if you still consider an annual crop, but even under trees is still room to plant some annuals.

If one considers annuals one has to look back and forward since it is important what the land grew the past 4-6 years and what the plan is for the next 4-6 years. 

I have one field with 60 acres, split in four 15 acre strips that I use to multiply peas and faba beans from breeder seed (some times 6 or 8 different varieties) every four years on the same spot. My rotation is peas, barley, canola, barley. Every year I dedicate 1 acre after peas for bee-feed and I have tried many different crops, Buckwheat, phacelia, borage, canola (rape seed) and more but have come to the conclusion to mix the buckwheat, phacelia & borage 5:1:3 (by weight) and seed it in late May in my area, probably March for you. I don't know how this would pen-out in your growing region, but you would need to grow a different type of crop in the next three-five years not to build-up diseases etc.. 

So the decision and planning is long-term, not just one year.

Cheers, JoergK.


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## Bee Arthur (Mar 21, 2015)

JWPalmer said:


> Plant an orchard if you want the fruit, not for the bees.


Exactly what I was gonna say! I also like the yellow sweet clover, which my bees appear to use more than any other kind of clover on a per-flower basis.

Black lucust is a good idea, because they do provide a massive amount of nectar if the weather is nice while they're in bloom. On the flip side, they are considered undesirable by many people, which is something to keep in mind if you think you'll ever sell your place. For me, because black locusts grow so much in the wild around here, I'd rather put my tree planting efforts into native nectar producing trees that I don't see as much anymore in the wild. So I like tulip poplars, basswoods, catalpas, black gum (tupelo), and persimmon trees...which don't seem as widely distributed around me.


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## bluegrassbeek (Mar 29, 2020)

Black locust, gum, tulip poplars, and persimmon trees are native around here. Actually have a few on my farm (have about 8 acres in woods). My main concern is to plant what is best for my bees. Seems like black locust and tulip popular is winning. Also thinking about the bee bee tree too. More of a decorative tree. Maybe plant a couple of each, and possibly clover, aster, goldenrod, etc.


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## GregB (Dec 26, 2017)

Trees will be taking many years to grow - quite an investment of time and initial expense and work.
As well the trees can not provide a rolling significant nectar flow across entire season on such a small lot.
As well on 1/4 acre you can not really have many productive trees when *properly *spaced - 2-3 lindens maybe; few locusts maybe.
They will be just competing against each other and the end result will be poor after many years of waiting.

Not worthwhile for 1/4 acre (a typical small suburban lot like I own).

Meanwhile you could be having something very attractive to the honey bees and actually pumping some real nectar next year and forward on.
Cheaply.
Per-annually.
With very low maintenance once planted.
Providing nectar/pollen through the entire season (not just 1-2 weeks out of the entire summer).
Seeds are available online.
All listed are per-annuals or self-seeding annuals.

Per-annual mix for my theoretical 1/4 acre (which I don't own):
- Yellow and White clovers
- Onobrychis (Sainfoin)
- Leonurus cardiaca (Motherwort)
- Echium vulgare (Viper's bugloss)
- Echinops sphaerocephalus (Globe-thistle)
- Phacelia tanacetifolia (Lacy phacelia)
- certain goldenrods (Stiff goldenrod is good; Canada goldenrod is OK; etc https://fieldguides.fieldmuseum.org/sites/default/files/rapid-color-guides-pdfs/389_1.pdf)
- late native asters


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## roberto487 (Sep 22, 2012)

bluegrassbeek said:


> Thanks. Is there any particular mix I should look for? I notice there are several offered with different price ranges.


For early spring plant Pussy willow. You just go into the forest and cut branches, and stick them in a wet ground. Plant them on the perimeter. Plant daffodil, tulips and crocus for pollen. Let dandelion go crazy. 

Summer spread seeds of the following milkweed, purple cone flower, black eye susan, single flower Dhalias. Go to home depot and buy a pollinator mix. 

For the Fall, plant Montauk Daisies, stone crop, asters, and golden rod. Vines: Silver lace and virginia clematis. If you see a vacant lot nearby, throw some seed that way too.


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## SMARtBees (Mar 7, 2018)

I chose buckwheat for my plot of about the same size. It grows quickly and the bees just go nuts on it. I have found that I can broadcast about every 2 weeks and keep a nice stand available and just mow it down in late fall. I tried red clover on another plot but didn't see that much activity on it so never tried it again.


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## GregB (Dec 26, 2017)

SMARtBees said:


> I tried red clover on another plot but didn't see that much activity on it so never tried it again.


In general, don't waste your time with red clover (unless want to promote bumblebees - they do love red clover).

It is well documented - honey bees can not take red clover due not long enough proboscis.
There is one exception - the Gray Caucasian bees will use reg clover somewhat as they have the longest proboscis of all honey bees.
In former USSR they specifically used the Gray Caucasians for targeted pollination of the red clover plantation (still, only after targeted training).


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## bluegrassbeek (Mar 29, 2020)

Thanks to everyone for the replies. I got a lot of good information here.


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## COAL REAPER (Jun 24, 2014)

another vote for buckwheat. most other things will be blooming when nectar-a-plenty in the bee forage world. you can time the buckwheat such that it will be blooming during your dearth. if you want to get crazy you can stagger the planting in rows so each row starts blooming a week or two later than the previous. if you are into managing deer at all, you can then broadcast some winter rye into the buckwheat as it is dying in the fall. it germinates at low temperatures and will provide a green food source through the winter. both of these seeds are cheap and do well in poor/un-managed soils.
any of the trees you plant will be years before they are beneficial. poplar and locust are great nectar sources, in a decade or two. a fruit orchard is great, for YOU. again, plenty other things blooming at this time. one consideration would be the korean evodia on the north side edge of your area. this is one of the younger flowering trees and blooms during your dearth. on the north side it wont shade the buckwheat.


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## herb (Jun 7, 2018)

bluegrassbeek said:


> Thanks, I am getting great ideas here!


First off ... a link to a PNW site. http://sequimplants.com/planting-for-honey-2

I totally agree with some other comments here. Planting ground-covers or wildflowers may be nice but the bonuses from nectar or pollen producing trees and shrubs far outway anything on the ground. Bees will ignore those lovely little wildflowers if a smorgasbord of wild blackberry is near by. They will always go towards quantity. In our area trees like Holly, Black Locust, Madronna are always sought out. In CA you would find a greater variety of bee trees that would of course include the Eucalyptus family, Mimosa etc. 

Try to find your own native trees and shrubs that provide early sustenance for your bees and also find something for fall. One other interesting note. Last February we had an intense and long lasting 3 foot snowfall, so all the bulbs, flowers that may have provided nectar where unavailable for weeks. My tall, Manzanita and or Strawberry tree were visited like crazy, both by bees and hummingbirds.

Invest in the vertical rather than the horizontal planting. 1/4 of an acre simply does not provide enough ground to make a difference. 
One other interesting wildflower that blooms with the APPLE flow is Cynoglossum or Chinese forget-me-not. Aside from early Galanthus (snowdrops) or the Echium family I rarely have seen a better perennial. WEEDY though.


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## mlboling44 (Sep 26, 2014)

Hey...I’m also in Kentucky. Here are a few thoughts. Roundstone Seed in Upton KY has several pollinator blends and are very familiar with local conditions. As far as planting trees or shrubs go, I would strongly recommend you look at planting something that blooms during the dearth. Rockbridge Trees in TN specializes in honey bee nectar plants. He is very knowledgeable and speaks at a lot of local bee club meetings and regional conferences. He has a website and is also very nice if you want to chat him up.


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## 1garysaccount (Aug 24, 2019)

bluegrassbeek said:


> I have a spot that is approximately 1/4 acre that I could dedicate solely to nectar/pollinating plants. After researching much on the internet, I am just as confused now as when I started. I know white clover is good, along with lavender. What are your suggestions for planting this spot to have a spring to fall resource for my bees? I am in Kentucky, and my growing zone is 6-7. Thanks


White clover good sure. Lavender a bit high maintenance, but if you are really looking for something in the fall late seasons that are pretty much zero work load, think goldenrod. That will get you flowering plants deep into the fall, and re-seeding is not needed. Unfortunately it is best started from seed by planting after the first frost and letting it go through an entire winter. At least that's the theory with the 20K seed I put down over a bit under 1/2 acre with clover underneath. Western Washington.


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## Hartley (Mar 3, 2013)

Buckwheat, grows quickly, cheap to buy seed, and bees love it. Mainly a late summer, early fall plant but will grow anytime with enough rain to germinate.


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## Gino45 (Apr 6, 2012)

I'd go with the tulip poplars, clover, and some berry bushes. Might as well get some good food out of the deal, IMO.

You guys may not believe this, but the very first honey I got from my backyard bees in what is now call Silicon Valley was mostly tulip poplar and I loved it. Turned out that there were many of these trees in our area, including our yard.


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## aran (May 20, 2015)

I pondered this also when we bought our new place.
We decided to kill two birds with one stone and took an area about 1/2 acre i guess which was all covered with weeds/small trees/etc , cleared the land and planted 40-50 dwarf fruit trees there. 
Its a mix of apricots/peaches/pears/apples/nectarines/cherries/plums.
All will flower and continue flowering year after year.
Fencing them to keep the **** deer out was a challenge but i have finally gotten that figured out.

These are all small trees that are supposed to max out around 8-10 feet x 8feet and are at the moment all in the 5-6 foot range. So it may be a couple or more years until they fruit but they produced a ton of flowers last year which the bees were all over.
We also lined the back fence line of the orchard with standard pussy willows.
In addition we planted tulip poplar, maples, red buds, and magnolias and dogwoods and 7 larger ornamental cherries around the property . We tried to choose trees for both aesthetic appeal and those that would benefit the bees.


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## drummerboy (Dec 11, 2015)

Hartley said:


> Buckwheat, grows quickly, cheap to buy seed, and bees love it. Mainly a late summer, early fall plant but will grow anytime with enough rain to germinate.


We've used buckwheat as a 'green manure' crop for several decades. Planted in the spring, you can cut it at least 2 times (after flower), then till it under....and yes the bees love it. 

Every spring or fall during a light rain I'll plant yellow or white dutch clover wherever there is lawn (we have roughly 5 acres to mow), both make excellent ground covers.

1/4 acre will support 2-4 fruit trees (or several current/berry bushes) and give you and your bees some food.

That all said, if all I had to entice bees was a 1/4 acre I'd just let the dandelions bloom.....


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## texorgano (Nov 30, 2014)

Trees produce more pollen and nector per space than another plant and they don't need much attention. Look on line for bee friendly trees that grow best in your climate. I like fruit trees.


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## beechet (Jan 4, 2018)

I had the same concern and it has caused me to take up a whole new hobby along with my beeking. Turns out Native Plants is extremely important to our entire environment and our bees. I am learning a lot with books on the subject and exploring the availability of Native plants near me. Also have purchased a dozen trees and a couple of bushes to be delivered in the next couple of weeks. Linden, tulip, black locust, wild plum are the trees and the bushes are hansen's bush cherry, and one i can't remember. I searched for nurseries near me to buy and they specialize in shipping.


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## NorthMaine (Oct 27, 2016)

Rader Sidetrack said:


> I don't think it matters a whole bunch. Note that where I am, if I don't mow once or twice a year. I get _trees_ growing. For sure, mow _before_ the trees, get un-mowable.
> :ws:


But I like the neighbor freaking out that I am running the mower over trees taller than I am.


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## gopherknoll (Sep 17, 2018)

We plant Hubam clover (a white sweet clover) as a summer cover crop on 1/4 acre of our garden area. It's been a great honey producer, tolerates heat and dry weather. We are in East Texas zone 8a. I think this would grow fine where you are. It will reseed itself heavily.


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## Birdee (Oct 3, 2016)

We are also in zone 7 and have good luck with buckwheat. It is a little labor intensive and you have to plant it every year around May. Bee friendly trees or clover might be your best bet. We planted our white clover in early spring. Yellow clover is a good biennial crop and also planted late winter/ early spring.


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## Trin (May 6, 2020)

You might find some helpful information from this; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7OlabfOlRo8

I will be contacting one of the consultants fairly soon to discuss a plan for perhaps 5 acres, but could reach 10 acres. This is part of long term plans for an apiary. My goal is to establish a constant flower/forage area especially for dearth periods. 

I will be harvesting honey clover seeds this fall. It looks fairly easy and I know where a lot of it grows.


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## LAlldredge (Aug 16, 2018)

Trees as mentioned will be the best bang for the buck. Phacelia is a bee magnet.


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## Deens Bees (Feb 11, 2021)

AHudd said:


> We have planted Korean Evodia because it blooms in July/August. While waiting for them to mature we hae planted Buckwheat because it starts blooming in about 3 weeks. It is easily established, but is not frost tolerant. We have also planted some Hubam, Yellow Sweet clover and Lacy Phacelia this year. The lacy Phacelia was easily established and will not bloom until it gets 12 or 13 hours of sunlight. It is already about 6 inches tall. It is supposed to be frost tolerant with winter kill at about twenty degrees. It will need to be over the next few nights. It is supposed to be a super nectar and pollen plant. If it grows well here I may plant a lot more next year.
> 
> Good luck,
> Alex


Whats the secret to keeping the Evodia alive? I started one inside and grew it for two years before putting it in the ground. It went downhill in a few weeks. Tried an older one from a nursery at a beekeeper feild day. Made it one season. I have another going now planted on a hillside since I heard they are easy to drown but, even though it has some new growth, the larger leaves are curling and browning already.


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## Trin (May 6, 2020)

Deens Bees said:


> Whats the secret to keeping the Evodia alive? I started one inside and grew it for two years before putting it in the ground. It went downhill in a few weeks. Tried an older one from a nursery at a beekeeper feild day. Made it one season. I have another going now planted on a hillside since I heard they are easy to drown but, even though it has some new growth, the larger leaves are curling and browning already.


Looking around I found this; What is killing my Bee Trees? - Rock Bridges Trees

I would try to plant them in decent soil not to wet or dry. It looks like they prefer a slightly acid to slightly alkaline soil ph. Plant database entry for Bee Bee Tree (Tetradium daniellii) with 8 images, one comment, and 43 data details.

Despite what is said I would aim for a neutral soil. It usually doesn't hurt to top them in the fall with some well composted manure. If you can get the horse or rabbit version all the better because it isn't so acidic. Knowing the soil ph is a starting point.


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## Deens Bees (Feb 11, 2021)

Trin said:


> Looking around I found this; What is killing my Bee Trees? - Rock Bridges Trees
> 
> I would try to plant them in decent soil not to wet or dry. It looks like they prefer a slightly acid to slightly alkaline soil ph. Plant database entry for Bee Bee Tree (Tetradium daniellii) with 8 images, one comment, and 43 data details.
> 
> Despite what is said I would aim for a neutral soil. It usually doesn't hurt to top them in the fall with some well composted manure. If you can get the horse or rabbit version all the better because it isn't so acidic. Knowing the soil ph is a starting point.


My soil is 6.9 but I live in clay country so I’ll try digging a bigger hole and maybe blend in some sandy mix. My dead trees roots never seemed to spread any wider than the original hole. I’m on the waiting list with Rockbridge currently for another as well as a pair of sourwood. 
thanks for the info


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## AHudd (Mar 5, 2015)

Deens Bees said:


> Whats the secret to keeping the Evodia alive? I started one inside and grew it for two years before putting it in the ground. It went downhill in a few weeks. Tried an older one from a nursery at a beekeeper feild day. Made it one season. I have another going now planted on a hillside since I heard they are easy to drown but, even though it has some new growth, the larger leaves are curling and browning already.


Our Evodia have not done well. I am going to try some on the side of a hill.
Alex


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## Trin (May 6, 2020)

I suspect that rhizoctonia or some other similar "pest" is the problem*. * I know that I have dampening off issues in my garden*. *I might be inclined to treat the soil for that preemptively. It is my understanding that nursery people often start with sterilized soil when starting seeds. I know that when I try to start some Evodia trees from seed I will heat the soil up to kill off any live pathogens.

Mulching around tomato plants with 6 inches of pine needles will usually prevent blossom end rot. The acidic nature of pine needles is part of the picture, the other issue is that rain drops hitting bare soil will splash up the spores of the fungi causing the rot. So the pine needles act like a springy anti splash cover. The point to this is that we don't know exactly what is causing Evodia sapling death and how it gets into the plant. However it sounds like it is drawn up from the soil or gets in by direct contact. It may be a pain but worth it to get enough sterilized soil to plant into. 

I would be interested if starter soil ph factors into survival rate.


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## Trin (May 6, 2020)

Rhizoctonia


Rhizoctonia, a soil-borne fungus, is known to cause root rots, stem rots, damping-off and, in some cases, a blight of leaves.




extension.psu.edu













R is for Rhizoctonia rot on ornamentals


Know the ABCs of ornamental greenhouse diseases, including Rhizoctonia rot.




www.canr.msu.edu





It might be a lot of extra effort to get sterilized soil in large quantities, but I expect that getting trees through the first few years is the ticket.


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## Deens Bees (Feb 11, 2021)

The one I’m nursing along currently thrived in a 5 gallon bucket with my native soil and a grow light for two seasons. It started to decline the second week in the outdoors. I’ll read up on the treatment you spoke of and do the treatments. 
thanks for the information.


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## AHudd (Mar 5, 2015)

Our soil varies from 6.0 to 6.5 in the area where we planted ours. It is also clay. I suspect my issues are drainage related leading to the various root rots.

Alex


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## pbuttry (Jun 29, 2021)

bluegrassbeek said:


> I have a spot that is approximately 1/4 acre that I could dedicate solely to nectar/pollinating plants. After researching much on the internet, I am just as confused now as when I started. I know white clover is good, along with lavender. What are your suggestions for planting this spot to have a spring to fall resource for my bees? I am in Kentucky, and my growing zone is 6-7. Thanks


I’m in southeast mo. I planted some wild mint in my pasture close to the bees. If you have sand you’ll have to amend the soil some. I mixed potting soil and hay. Wild mint IS considered an invasive species but will bloom for 3 three months and is on the list of best plants for bees.


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## GregB (Dec 26, 2017)

This may sound crazy, but the more I read about it, the more I like Canada Thistle (as well as I observe it around my area).

Along with the Sweet Clovers, the Canada Thistle is one of the best nectar producers.
If one has a total crap piece of property (like a sand mine) - heck, Canada Thistle is another good option to add to the Sweet Clovers and the Knapweed.

To some it is a weed, to the Honey bees (and the bee owners) it is a great pasture.

"The plant is beneficial for pollinators that rely on nectar. It also was a top producer of nectar sugar in a 2016 study in Britain,...."








Cirsium arvense - Wikipedia







en.wikipedia.org


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## pbuttry (Jun 29, 2021)

bluegrassbeek said:


> I have a spot that is approximately 1/4 acre that I could dedicate solely to nectar/pollinating plants. After researching much on the internet, I am just as confused now as when I started. I know white clover is good, along with lavender. What are your suggestions for planting this spot to have a spring to fall resource for my bees? I am in Kentucky, and my growing zone is 6-7. Thanks


Tractor supply has a wildflower mix that my bees like. It has flowers that will bloom through the season. Plus it has crimson clover in it. It’s a 3 lb.bag for less than $9


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## herb (Jun 7, 2018)

you are better off investing in shrubbery or trees on the borders of you property. it may be attractive to plant wildflowers but your 1/4 acre is but a tidbit in their flying range. much better to buy shrubs that can provide winter nectar or pollen. same for late summer to fall. clover and such can also be bought by the bulk. check your local garden clubs or Facebook and trade for pollinating wildflowers suitable for YOUR AREA.


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