# Goldenrod?



## Sickdog5 (Jun 8, 2016)

Is this goldenrod?


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## Harley Craig (Sep 18, 2012)

yes one of the many varieties


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## Sickdog5 (Jun 8, 2016)

cool i have like a hole field of it rite next to my bees


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## enjambres (Jun 30, 2013)

See the greenish yellow not-quite-open flower to the left of it? That, too, is goldenrod (but a different species.) There is a third very common species in our area, which blooms even later, prolonging the flow. In NY there more than 100 species of goldenrod. And up until now, you probably thought they were "just weeds".

Enj.


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## Sickdog5 (Jun 8, 2016)

lol, yes i was going to cut all this tall stuff down last year. Glad I didn't. There's all kinds of diff wild flowers growing here. And even wild parsnip. Hope the girls like it.


Enj got a quick question. My hive is going to be subject to a lot of wind this winter no place else for them. Do you wrap your hives? If so with what?


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## Joe Hillmann (Apr 27, 2015)

Sickdog5 said:


> lol, yes i was going to cut all this tall stuff down last year.


If you want to keep the largest variety of wild flowers around it is best to cut or burn (if you don't know how to do a controlled burn get experienced help or don't do it) half the area every other year so that way over two years time all of it gets mowed but only 1/2 per year. If you cut it more often grasses and clovers take over if you mow less often trees take over. Also the standing dead in the winter provides lots of habitat for birds and insects.

Depending on the time of year you mow you can control some invasive species but if you overall goal is to get more wild flowers very early spring or late fall is the best. The easiest way to do it is mow a 20 foot border around the area you want cut late in the fall then burn the rest in early spring. The 20 foot border creates a firebreak.


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## GoodyFarms (Jul 10, 2016)

Get some t-posts, zip ties and snow fence and put up a wind break ~10 feet from your hive. This way it blocks the wind but not the sun. I do 2 layers of snow fence with t-posts every 5 feet. Space t-posts too far apart and the plastic fence will rip.


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## Victor (Apr 11, 2015)

So if goldenrod is blooming, does that mean that the fall flow is on? I just saw some today and of course honey bees were happily working it.


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## Sickdog5 (Jun 8, 2016)

I was wondering the same thing


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## Brad M (Dec 23, 2015)

Be careful around that wild parsnip. That stuff can cause some nasty chemical burns on you. Especially if you are weed eating or mowing and slinging the plant juices around.


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## Michael Palmer (Dec 29, 2006)

If you have a wild flower book, look up Tall Goldenrod, Canada Goldenrod, and Flat Topped Goldenrod. 

Goldenrods begin blooming around here at the end of June, or beginning of July. I never smell it until about August 10. If you don't smell it, it ain't happening. 

No smell yet. Tall and Canada just beginning to bloom.


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## deepster (Apr 14, 2016)

My bees have started to bring in lots of pollen but no signs of major nectar flow. We have had goldenrod here for a while. Does anyone knows what particular goldenrod they prefer?


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## Mr.Beeman (May 19, 2012)

Goldenrod is just starting to bloom here. Yes it is the start of the fall flow. 
The hives have "that smell" now. lol


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## Andrew Dewey (Aug 23, 2005)

I generally figure that the first Golden Rods to bloom don't give nectar. That factor may be that the usual climate condition for late July/early August is dry and the GR needs moisture in order to give nectar. In the 2nd half of August comes with more regular rains and thunder showers, the Asters and the Golden Rods produce. You should have supers on them. Some old timers hereabouts feed during the dearth so that the nectar from GR and Aster are put in supers and not saved as winter feed for bees. High Ash content they say.


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## frustrateddrone (Jan 31, 2015)

Here in Central Tx I have seen stalks about 4ft already. None are blooming, but should be shortly with all this rain we've had. Total rainfall we've had about 9 inches since last Sunday night. "BRING IT FLOWERS!" That's a challenge!


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## costigaj (Oct 28, 2015)

south-west central PA its starting to bloom. Saw it blooming on the roadside on my way home today. Yesterday when I checked the hive, the beens had some pollen coming in. Today their baskets are chock full of yellow pollen!


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## funwithbees (Mar 27, 2010)

We have the smell :banana::banana::banana::banana::banana::banana:
AND some rain
Nick


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## Johnnycake (May 13, 2016)

Southeast PA too. Acres and acres of goldenrod just starting to open in VF park... glorious goldenrod.


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## Michael Palmer (Dec 29, 2006)

Andrew Dewey said:


> High Ash content they say.


They do, don't they. Doesn't mean bees won't winter well on goldenrod. Mine do. Like those years when I remove the supers before the goldenrod flow, and the hives are light. After the GR flow, the hives are heavy. I've seen it too many times to agree with what they say.


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## Clairesmom (Jun 6, 2012)

Goldenrod here in our area (NW Central Minnesota) has been blooming for several weeks. I haven't seen any honey bees on it yet, but loads of other native bees and pollinators have been working it.

I have read in a couple of different places that goldenrod honey is not good for winter feed- guess my bees haven't read the books, because that is what they normally winter on, and they do just fine.


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## jwcarlson (Feb 14, 2014)

Victor said:


> So if goldenrod is blooming, does that mean that the fall flow is on? I just saw some today and of course honey bees were happily working it.


Been blooming here for a couple weeks. Absolutely no flow other than pollen. The later variety is getting close. Hope we get a flow from it.


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## deepster (Apr 14, 2016)

Same here, been blooming for two to three weeks, but no flow, haven't seen honey bees working it either other pollinators have been on them. Anyone having a flow on Goldenrod?


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## COAL REAPER (Jun 24, 2014)

blooming here for about 3 weeks but still no smell either. lots of pollen coming in.


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## Sickdog5 (Jun 8, 2016)

jwcarlson said:


> Been blooming here for a couple weeks. Absolutely no flow other than pollen. The later variety is getting close. Hope we get a flow from it.


NewB question. How do you know if there is a flow? You said no flow other than pollen. Thanks


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## Sickdog5 (Jun 8, 2016)

jwcarlson said:


> Been blooming here for a couple weeks. Absolutely no flow other than pollen. The later variety is getting close. Hope we get a flow from it.


NewB question. How do you know if there is a flow? You said no flow other than pollen. Thanks


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## clyderoad (Jun 10, 2012)

Sickdog5 said:


> NewB question. How do you know if there is a flow? You said no flow other than pollen. Thanks


Look in the comb for fresh wet nectar, sometimes you can smell it before you see it.


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## COAL REAPER (Jun 24, 2014)

if they are bringing in goldenrod nectar you will smell it. it smells like dirty socks or a football locker room until it is cured. some people freak out and think there is something wrong in the hive. you will learn to not only appreciate it, but eagerly await it. its a frequent topic in august and september.


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## deepster (Apr 14, 2016)

Anyone having Goldenrod nectar flow?


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## jwcarlson (Feb 14, 2014)

It's cooled down so much here that it seems to have kind of stalled it. Not getting much closer to bloom... feels like fall. If it's going to do it, it had better do it.


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## Double D (Feb 12, 2009)

deepster said:


> Anyone having Goldenrod nectar flow?


Mine are on it. Over the last couple of weeks you can notice the hue of the fields turning from green to yellow. While not in full bloom everywhere, there has been enough blooming to smell it at the hives.


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## COAL REAPER (Jun 24, 2014)

C'MON BABY!


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## COAL REAPER (Jun 24, 2014)

marked increase in hive activity last night. def a flow starting. some are open and drooping but all the other goldenrod plants are getting color. hope to get the smell this weekend. will be having a peek and adding supers this afternoon. hope everybody gets some!


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## bxtplus (Jun 8, 2012)

Goldenrod that the bees will visit just began about two days ago. Very weak flow though due to lack of rainfall most of this summer. Knotweed and asters soon. All my supers are off as this has always been my winter feed. I may resort to bulk feeding syrup this year as many colonies and nucs are very light.


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## vtbeeguy (Jun 10, 2016)

I noticed a very strange not exactly pleasant smell at my hives a few days ago. Goldenrod is blooming everywhere here and been getting good mix of rain and Sun. I'm a beginner but I'm almost positive the flow has started here. Been also seeing lots of yellow pollen but saw some bright orange-red pollen coming in as well not sure what it was though.


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## jms86233 (Mar 18, 2015)

Went and looked at the hives today noticed a lot more activity. Got a bit closer and there it was, the smell!! I think I can finally put the hummingbird feeders back out they tried to hit them hard for a few days


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## iahawk (May 19, 2009)

Lots of goldenrod, yellow and green, been blooming for over a week here in E. Iowa. I see no honey bees on the goldenrod, lots of beetles and other pollinators. Also watch for wax moths right now--they can totally destroy a weaker hive (as I found out sadly today). Looked in the hive 10 days ago, no sign of them but now they went through 4 hive bodies, 40 frames.


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## AthensM50 (Jun 7, 2015)

so I was at our local bee meeting and over heard someone saying that when the GoldenRod starts blooming that's when they pull their supers.

If that's the fall flow everyone is waiting on.....why are they pulling now?.....to allow the bees to put up for winter?

please enlighten...thanks


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## jms86233 (Mar 18, 2015)

I keep my supers on I love goldenrod honey it makes a great creamed honey because it crystalizes fast. But if the bees need to pack stores I prefer it to be real honey and pull supers on those hives that are low on stores


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## psfred (Jul 16, 2011)

Saw the first goldenrod in bloom last Sunday in central Indiana around Logootee. Bit higher elevation that here, but the non-yellow varieties and joe pye weed are in full career, so it won't be long.

Saw some bright yellow pollen going into the hives yesterday, haven't looked today, but the fall flow is starting a bit early.

Peter


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## beestudent (Jun 10, 2015)

Goldenrod is going the last couple days hard, getting a good whiff when standing close to the hives, as well as TONS of bees bringing in pollen


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## Zephyr (May 4, 2016)

This far south still not too much with the goldenrod. I can see it now but my bees are more interested in the woolly croton. I guess GR is just now starting to spread pollen here as my allergies have come back with a vengence today  Doubt I'll be able to smell if the nectar whenever it does decide to start! Edit: correction, got a "great" whiff of it... vinegar in the hive? Gross. 

Around here I heard wet seasons make for poor GR. What's yall's take? We normally have dry summers but it's been oddly wet, over 13 inches in my area the last month & 1/2 alone.


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## COAL REAPER (Jun 24, 2014)

noticed a bit of the smell last night. not much at all but it is there. bees are hard at work.


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## Sickdog5 (Jun 8, 2016)

Man I was up next to my hive yesterday and you can really smell it. Pretty Neat


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## frustrateddrone (Jan 31, 2015)

commonly called goldenrods, is a genus of about 100 to 120 species of flowering plants in the aster family, Asteraceae 
Here in Central Texas I imagine 70% of Texas that has had descent abnormal rainfall in the month of August can just about drive anywhere and see the large 5 to 8ft stalks. The allergy forecast has Ragweed in it for my zipcode, but I have not seen any in bloom. I have seen TONS of stalks though ready to bust open. I am sure my happy bees will remain happy. Oh and Elm trees are in bloom too.


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## pejam (Mar 20, 2016)

First year so I never really paid attention before. Fortunate enough to be surrounded by acres and acres of goldenrod. I could smell the hives from about 10 yards away. I could have sworn I caught the scent in the fields all weekend long.


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## Johnnycake (May 13, 2016)

It's on here for sure. Lots of blooming and hive activity picked up big time about 3 days ago, but I ain't going close to the hive to smell it. I went near it a few days ago like I normally do... stood about 3 feet to the side and observed. I've been doing this all year. Suddenly BAM! head butt and I am walking away, then there are a few bees at my ears and I am trotting, then I am running full speed with a bunch of bees after me - in flip flops no less. I was totally expecting them to sting me but they stayed a few inches from my head all the way back through the yard, past the pool (which I considered diving into) and all the way to my front porch where I ducked inside. But hey, I'll take it. If there is a flow on, I'll let them bee.


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## deepster (Apr 14, 2016)

Anyone in the northeast getting Goldenrod nectar flow?


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## DavidZ (Apr 9, 2016)

gr is supposed to be around here, so they say in the books, but I've never seen it bloom here ever, nothing except the nasty camphorweed and snakeplant this time of year..


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## JustKrispy (Jan 8, 2016)

Plenty of moisture here in NE MN. Goldenrod flow is outstanding this year. I can smell hives several feet away in my out yard.


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## jwcarlson (Feb 14, 2014)

All of our goldenrod still looks like it's about to bloom... but has looked that way for a couple weeks.

Not sure what's going on. Finally broke down and started feeding nucs that still have some combs to draw. They're drawing. Big hives might be bringing in a little trickle. Some of them have a few frames left to fill out too and I noticed some new comb on outside frames of the top box. Anytime now, goldenrod.

Soybean fields are staying to turn already! It might end up being a really odd fall. Our state apiarist said something about a really late aster flow a few years back that had some of the commercial guys in the state adding boxes "under" for their bees to cluster in because they'd filled every frame in their brood chambers with honey. Not sure I'm prepared to deal with that.


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## DrJeseuss (May 28, 2015)

jwcarlson said:


> All of our goldenrod still looks like it's about to bloom... but has looked that way for a couple weeks.
> 
> Not sure what's going on. Finally broke down and started feeding nucs that still have some combs to draw.


I'm in the same boat here in Indiana. I fed syrup and pollen to build a bit more population for the flow... Now just more mouths to feed as I wait. We're getting another round of the short goldenrod which brings in some nice pollen but little nectar. By the look of it we're going to have a ton of fall goldenrod... Whenever it decides to pop. I've got sugar on standby just in case as my hives chewed through most of their stores during an unusually long dearth and have a long way to go. Best of luck out there.


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## deepster (Apr 14, 2016)

Is this time to say Goldenrod flow is not happening in Northeast or still time left? waiting to feed my girls for winter.


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## clyderoad (Jun 10, 2012)

Still time left here. Not even 1/2 the tall goldenrod is blooming yet.
Knapweed has been blooming hard for a couple-three weeks, good bloom this year and bees on it hard.


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## laketrout (Mar 5, 2013)

There working the GR here in Northeast Pa. and you can pick up the smell 10 ft. away , also so there bringing in the Japaneese knotweed , bumped a comb the other day while doing sugar rolls and got that red honey on the frames , they were working like crazy last week nice hot day, got the supers back on , shouldn't have to feed this year , I can replace any empty frames in the broodnest later this Fall with full frames of GR and Knotweed from the supers to bring them up to weight , thunderstorms have really been the key for us this summer .


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## Vectorjet (Feb 20, 2015)

Knapweed and goldenrod blooming here in NW PA. Starting to get the smell in the yard and the bee's are getting more active, so hopefully the hives are starting to gain weight.


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## DavidZ (Apr 9, 2016)

found the goldenrod, although it was 50miles east of my location, cut off allot of older flowers head for seed, hopefully there's a few that will germinate next year here


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## CW Finnerty (Feb 4, 2016)

Unfortunately, yes. It may be good for bees, but terible for people like me with hay fever.


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## frogpondwarrior (Aug 2, 2016)

Goldenrod blooming here for over two weeks. Some of my frames are a golden color. Lots of capped honey in supers but it has a very sour taste.


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## lindnova (Sep 6, 2016)

Lots of bees coming back with pollen and nectar here. How long does it usually take bees to make goldenrod nectar into honey? 

I was going to pull my one deep super this weekend. I had 9 good full frames a month ago, but not all of the bottom was capped (70% capped). 2 weeks ago they cleaned out some of that honey and put it below in the brood boxes I think. Friday when I went in to put on an escape board there was fresh nectar in those cells; change of plans.

I am leaving them with a mostly full deep of honey for the winter.


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## cervus (May 8, 2016)

CW Finnerty said:


> Unfortunately, yes. It may be good for bees, but terible for people like me with hay fever.


Ragweed is the culprit, not goldenrod. Ragweed is wind pollinated. Wind pollination = small pollen grains =allergies.


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## deepster (Apr 14, 2016)

Anyone in the northeast having a good Goldenrod flow to report? 
Thank you in Advance


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## Branman (Aug 20, 2003)

We're about a week away from goldenrod here in mid- Georgia. The tops are showing just the slightest hint of yellow.


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## kaizen (Mar 20, 2015)

last weekend I saw a lot of pollinators on the goldenrod. my bees were working far later then I would expect if they were not on a good flow. watching my nuc yard today they are flying with a purpose. I got very little rain here. maybe 1/4 of an inch from the storm.


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## deepster (Apr 14, 2016)

yes, I am thinking lack of rain is the culprit for slow Goldenrod flow! I can smell it at hive but don't see much in the supers!


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## Sickdog5 (Jun 8, 2016)

Put a med super on about 3 weeks ago with no drawn comb. All but 3 are fully drawn. All but 4 full of honey. Love the taste.


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## deepster (Apr 14, 2016)

You are quite bit north of me, Are they on Goldenrod?


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## DPBsbees (Apr 14, 2011)

Johnnycake said:


> It's on here for sure. Lots of blooming and hive activity picked up big time about 3 days ago, but I ain't going close to the hive to smell it. I went near it a few days ago like I normally do... stood about 3 feet to the side and observed. I've been doing this all year. Suddenly BAM! head butt and I am walking away, then there are a few bees at my ears and I am trotting, then I am running full speed with a bunch of bees after me - in flip flops no less. I was totally expecting them to sting me but they stayed a few inches from my head all the way back through the yard, past the pool (which I considered diving into) and all the way to my front porch where I ducked inside. But hey, I'll take it. If there is a flow on, I'll let them bee.


Nothing here in Pottstown. No smell, no rain, no flow. Broodminder monitored hive has been losing weight for about 3 weeks and is an excellent honey producer so fall in southeast PA looks like a bust this year. Get ready to feed.


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## Sickdog5 (Jun 8, 2016)

deepster said:


> You are quite bit north of me, Are they on Goldenrod?


Yes they are all over it. I've had some good rain the last couple of weeks. I am thinking of pulling a frame or two for my own honey and giving them a couple of un drawn frames in its place. Or maybe pull the ones from the outside and put them on the middle of the super to get them worked


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## Andrew Dewey (Aug 23, 2005)

Most GR has faded here from lack of moisture. The smell is in the bee yard but the supers are not full. We normally have the first frost by the middle of the month - the weather forecast for the next two weeks is plenty warm. It was in the 80s yesterday afternoon. I have started feeding.


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## DavidZ (Apr 9, 2016)

I was looking at allot of goldenrod out in Lakeside AZ yesterday, some going to seed, lots still just blooming, huge flow going here in the mtns. and we have another 15 days of warm weather, looks like this so called early freeze is just talk. Hopefully we have a warm Oct.

I gathered a few hundred goldenrod flower clusters going to seed. Just got back from shaking fluffy seeds all over the back flat and on the side of the hill. It was flying everywhere in the wind. Maybe it start to grow here around our place as additional source of resources.


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## deepster (Apr 14, 2016)

Anyone getting good flow in northeast, Here in CT where I am nothing. Is it fare to say it is over, if it was going to do it would have done it by now?


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## Dave Warren (May 14, 2012)

question here? here in Indiana we've had plenty of rain the GR is in full bloom, the front of some of my hives are yellow with pollen, how long does the flow last here? also the temperatures have been in the upper 80's and is going to last till next Monday, so that will help in the drying process. I feel I'm going to have good crop as long as the weather holds up!


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