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Fruit & Orchards

what flowers attract bees?

kawaiineko_gardener

13 years ago

I don't really know where else to put this, but it is in regards to fruiting.......fruiting with vegetable plants.

My stuff last year that i tried to grow which was squash never bore fully mature fruit due to poor pollination.

My question is what flowers can be grown from seed

that are easy to grow and attract bees? I also need it to be something that doesn't take ages to mature, and doesn't mind cool weather. This is because where I live has a very short growing season and it's typically a milder climate than deep south climates. The summers do get hot, but by comparison to warmer climates, they're mild. I live in Northern Michigan in the upper part of the lower peninsula.

Gardening zone is 5.

Is what type of flower that should be grown dependent on what type of plant you're growing? As in if you grow one type of squash (such as zucchini) do you grow one type of flower; and if you grow another type of squash (such as butternut) do you grow a different type of flower?

This is mainly for any kind of melon and any kind of squash.

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Comments (5)

Konrad___far_north
13 years ago
Check over the the bee forum...there was a thread on this.

Here is a link that might be useful: Best Flowers for Bees
larry_gene
13 years ago
You would grow any type of bee-attracting flower that blooms at the same time as your vegetable is blooming.

I think it would be hard to get seed-started flowers to bloom in N. Michigan before squash blooms opened. You may want to try putting flower plant starts in the ground.

Seeded perennials might work from the second year on.

Squash can be hand-pollinated. Winter squash such as butternut can be tricky in short-season climates because the male flowers seem to open weeks before the female flowers start, and that doesn't leave much time for full-sized squash to form. Even in Portland (zone 8), we only get about a 3-week window where forming squash go on to become full-sized.
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jollyrd
13 years ago
for my garden/area -- cosmos and hiacinths are the top attraction for bees
sautesmom Sacramento
13 years ago
Our farmers grow mustard as a cover crop between their peach and almond trees, and it is the first thing to bloom in winter/spring, along with flowering quince. Plus it benefits the soil. If you have snow where you are, it might not work for you, but look into cover crops like Crimson Clover to feed your bees.

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My bee favorite is rosemary, which also flowers early enough to attract bees when the plums are in bloom. The major problem is honey bees are not happy or ACTIVE when the weather is cold. Al

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