Honey plants, trees, shrubs for the apiary – a variety of bee grazing is extremely important for honeybees. Every beekeeper strives to increase the number of honey plants in and around his apiary. Each region has different honey vegetation and different pollen and nectar secretion in different months. To be successful beekeepers and to have strong and healthy bee families all year round, we must have a large variety of honey species around the apiary. Moreover, when we have a period of grazing, due to the lack of flowering vegetation in this period, our bees begin to lag in their development. That is why we serve sugar syrup, imitating nectar secretion in nature. However, it is much better to plant the right honey plants that will stimulate our bees during grazing.
We cannot make the main pasture for the bees with our plantations unless we plant tens and hundreds of thousands of plants. However, we will be able to help the bees with nectar or pollen when it is not available at a time in our beekeeping area. To help our bees out we can sow the following plants:
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1. Hazel
Hazel is one of the first plants to bloom in nature. It blooms from mid-February to the end of March and releases pollen, which is very important for bees, and contains a high percentage of protein. Usually, with the contribution of the first pollen from nature, the bees become more active and begin to feed the mother more abundantly and she begins to lay eggs more intensively. That is why it is very important to have this shrubby plant in the apiary area. We can plant it almost anywhere, but at least in the first years we have to water it more often.
2. Dogwood
Dogwood is a small tree that blooms in March-April. It secretes pollen and nectar, in a very important period for the spring development of bee families. We can also plant 3-4 dogwood trees to help our bees in early spring.
3. White acacia
The acacia is a fast-growing tree that blooms from late April to late May and is an invasive species. It produces a lot of nectar and is one of the first main pastures in the areas where it is found as a large plantation. If we do not have any acacia trees in our area, we can plant 10-20 pieces in an apiary. Acacia is a hedge; it provides the soil with a lot of nitrogen and will be a good addition for bee families. If we have a lot of free and desolate land, we can plant larger quantities of acacia and in a few years we can taste acacia honey from our bees. Acacia honey is my favorite kind of honey and it is worth a lot on the market!
4. Phacelia
Phacelia belongs to the special honey plants. It blooms from early May to late June or depending on the time of sowing, because it blooms 40 days after planting. Gives large amounts of nectar and pollen. We can plan to plant several acres around our apiary when we know we have a grazing period. With the help of the phacelia, we will keep the families active and ready for the next main grazing.
5. Linden
The linden is a large tree that blooms from June to early July, producing nectar and pollen. It releases large amounts of nectar under favorable conditions, and we can also obtain Honeydew Honey from it. There are regions where there are almost no lindens, and during the flowering of the linden there are not many honey plants. That is why it is good to plant 15-20 linden saplings in such areas (maybe more if there is a place) to guarantee some pollen and nectar security of our bees during this period.
6. White sweet clover
White sweet clover is an unpretentious plant that grows everywhere and blooms from mid-June to mid-August. It secretes a lot of nectar, even in dry years, and flowering lasts about 2 months. It releases a large amount of nitrogen, which is good for our soil. It is good in the fall or early spring to throw communal seeds in our apiary. Once settled, this plant will self-sow every year and thus we will ensure some supportive nectar flow during the dry summer months.
7. White daisy
White daisy is a highly branched perennial shrub that blooms from early June to late September. It secretes a lot of nectar and a little pollen, and the bees visit it from early morning to late evening, even in cloudy and light rainy weather. We can make a hedge out of it into an apiary, as this shrub is undemanding to soil conditions. White daisy is very useful because it gives nectar during the rearing of winter bees.
8. Lavender
Lavender is a perennial plant that blooms from late June to mid-August. It releases nectar and pollen, and the honey extracted from lavender has excellent qualities and aroma. In addition, we can use it as a spice. It is like a magnet for bees, which at this time of year do not have much honey. It is good to plant 1-2 acres in an apiary or near it, and the bees will thank us in the future.
9.Sophora
Sophora or Japanese acacia is an extremely honey tree that blooms in July or August. But we must keep in mind that it prefers a warmer climate, so it is not very suitable for colder places. We can plant a dozen trees and will provide a good source of nectar in the future during the winter beekeeping period.
10. Evodia
Evodia or The Beekeeper’s Tree is a strong honey tree that blooms from late June to mid-September. It secretes a lot of nectar and pollen and is quite visited by bees throughout the day. It is good to grow a dozen trees in our apiary, because this will ensure a future influx of fresh nectar in the period of creation of winter bees Keep in mind that if we provide the bees with enough nectar through the Evodia`s, it will not be necessary to feed the bees with sugar syrup in the fall!
Whether we are young or old, it is good for every beekeeper to plant some honey plants in the area of his apiary every year. In this way, we will increase the species diversity to some extent and we will help the bees and our planet!