We are attempting to make our 48 ha block into a super productive environment for bees and any other pollinators we can attract. We are not planting strictly native, we do have 20 ha of native bush, plantation, several pine species. We are flat out propogating and planting high producing plants inc english oak, maple, willows, Leptospermum, Bursaria, many Eucalyptus, calistomen, Spruce, Macrocarpa etc. Just wondering if anyone else doing something similar?
Sounds like an amazing planting. Don’t forget some pasture crops that run to flower, they can be important sources of nectar, and pollen, in what could traditionally be nectar dearths. Clovers are a bit of a faviourite here in WA as they can provide both bee and livestock food.
Thanks Andrew,
Things are dropping off here now from a long dry period. Luckily my neighbour has an irrigated dairy farm. Hopefully my various plantings will suffice one day Just trying to propogate Eriostemon cuttings, it is the best pollinator magnet in our garden and by all accounts wallabies don’t like it.
Hi DP,
Your bees are very lucky. I’m a farmer in south west Vic with about 4 hectares of bush, including a wide variety of eucalypts. Usually there is at least one species flowering at any stage during the year. I also rotate cover crops through the paddocks to improve soil health, provide fodder to the cattle and of course the bees. One of the mixes I use is the ‘pollinator mix’:
There are summer and winter versions of the mix and it is bee (and cow) heaven! It’s a useful and fast growing mix to toss in if you have the space and inclination. The suppliers really only deal in large quantities but it gives you an idea of a kind of seed mix for bees.
Much appreciated, sounds like you are looking after your bees, I run 2 composite hives.
I was lucky15 years ago Forestry company leased our 20 ha of pasture and planted Nitens and Bluegum, both flowering well last season, it was a perfect solution for us to eliminate maintenance
That’s great! Sometimes the flowering can be all over the shop. Here, the Blue Gums flower only every 5 years or thereabouts and I’ve read that E. nitens is infrequent with flowering but if you’ve got enough of them, you’ve got part of the year covered for nectar sources