# What to plant in field?



## queenbee3074 (Mar 7, 2013)

I have a field that is 1-2 acres in front of our house. Wanted to plant something for my 8 hives. Would like something that produces a darker, good tasting honey that will do good in wet winters. Anyone have any ideas? Thanks


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## Danpa14 (Jun 12, 2013)

Here in Ky our county extension agent could answer that very well. If you have a similar resource they should know your areas plants. And will probably know a little about bees too. I know ours do.


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## quietman (Jul 1, 2013)

buckwheat?


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

Dutch clover.


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## notaclue (Jun 30, 2005)

Vetch, maybe?


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

basswood trees? locust?


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## bid (Jun 1, 2013)

My hives are located in one of our deer food plots. The food plots are planted with turnips and white clover. Both the deer and the bees love these items. The yellow turnip blooms provide a tremendous amount of nectar in April and May and the clover blooms during the summer. I'm very pleased with this combination so far.


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## Beregondo (Jun 21, 2011)

A tree, like Basswood, will multiply the surface area available to bloom as the crown of the tree has a greater surface area than the surface of the ground.
Basswood is a popular honey, and the lumber form a mature tree is marketable as well.

Sweetclovers have a deep taproot and will do better in the dryness of a western Oregon summer than a shallow rooted clover like white dutch or alsike. 
A mix of white and yellow sweet clover will give you a longer flow, as their bloom times will overlap.

Hairy vetch will do well in a Roseburg w̶e̶t̶t̶e̶r̶ winter. 
Birdsfoot trefoil will too, but it blooms in July and might not give much nectar as dry as it is there in July/August.


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

bid said:


> My hives are located in one of our deer food plots. The food plots are planted with turnips and white clover. Both the deer and the bees love these items. The yellow turnip blooms provide a tremendous amount of nectar in April and May and the clover blooms during the summer. I'm very pleased with this combination so far.


This sort of thing makes more sense to me than planting for the bees. Plant for your meat locker and get benefits for your bees. I bet you have more than two acres in your deer plot, don't you?


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## bid (Jun 1, 2013)

sqkcrk said:


> This sort of thing makes more sense to me than planting for the bees. Plant for your meat locker and get benefits for your bees. I bet you have more than two acres in your deer plot, don't you?


sqkcrk, this particular food plot is only about 3/4 of an acre. I put the hives there because this plot has numerous trees on three sides, including locust, oak, maple, plus there is a small pond for a water source.


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## bdbee (Jul 29, 2013)

I have a similar challenge I would appreciate advice on. I have a 5-acre pasture that is just pasture grass at the moment. This fall I would like to plant a "field of dreams" for honey production, and put a bee yard of about 10 hives there next spring. I currently have 6 hives. I'm in planting zone 6. I thought I would plant some sourwood trees around the perimeter and maybe do a variety of clovers. All advice welcome.


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## woodsy (Mar 3, 2013)

bdbee said:


> I have a similar challenge I would appreciate advice on. I have a 5-acre pasture that is just pasture grass at the moment. This fall I would like to plant a "field of dreams" for honey production, and put a bee yard of about 10 hives there next spring. I currently have 6 hives. I'm in planting zone 6. I thought I would plant some sourwood trees around the perimeter and maybe do a variety of clovers. All advice welcome.


To plant crop seed like clover or anything else really you would need to properly prepare the seedbed .
That means getting it back down to dirt. 
A fall plowing would let the sod break down over winter if you have one in zone 6. Then it could be disc harrowed in preparation 
for seeding in the spring. Of course a soil test for ph could help . Lime takes several months or more to work . Getting the proper ph of soil
for the crop you are planting can make a big difference in production.
Do you have any farm equipment ?

http://www.plantmanagementnetwork.org/pub/fg/research/2004/treat/


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## bdbee (Jul 29, 2013)

woodsy said:


> To plant crop seed like clover or anything else really you would need to properly prepare the seedbed .
> That means getting it back down to dirt.
> A fall plowing would let the sod break down over winter if you have one in zone 6. Then it could be disc harrowed in preparation
> for seeding in the spring. Of course a soil test for ph could help . Lime takes several months or more to work . Getting the proper ph of soil
> ...


Thanks Woodsy for the advice and valuable link. I do have a tractor and the necessary attachments to work the field. It is a corner piece of 200 acres, mainly wooded, that we have. I would rather do a fall planting if I can get away with it to get a jump on next year, but if doing it right means preparing the soil first and planting in the spring, then so be it.


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## red (Jan 15, 2013)

Dutch clover will last through June. Blackberries last through the 20th of July. Saint Johns wart and penny royal last into August along with Canada thistle. After the Blackberries it's pretty tough to get enough flow to produce a honey crop. I have only had bees in Roseburg the last two years so i'm still learning but this has been my experience.


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## woodsy (Mar 3, 2013)

Buckwheat will flower for months or until frost hits.
Have a small plot of about 3,000 sq ft. going this year. 
Bees love it and so do all the other pollinators. 
Its amazing the hum that comes out of that crop when the honey bees are in it.
Cheap too compared to some other crops, tolerates poorer soils.
Have not tried buckwheat honey but said to be darker and more pungent.

http://www.wvbeekeepers.org/buckwheat_for_the_bees_&_birds.pdf


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