Lloyd Spear wrote:

> IMO, 'aster' is the culprit on granulation and I don't think goldenrod is
> any quicker to granulate than most of our 'wildflower' nectars.

My issue is with fall honey in the NE US and it is difficult to separate
nectars. We get Aster, Goldenrod and Honeydew about the same time and
all are not beneficial for overwintering, especially honeydew.

Not sure how you can count on the bees only bring in goldenrod over the
fall nectar season.

I have said this before, but fall honey is much better than summer honey
in regard to body and flavor. People who like honey will usually pick
the fall honey as their favorite. Kids and people new to honey usually
like light honey.

Fall honey is too good for the bees. I harvest about 20-40lbs of it per
hive. I let my bees overwinter on summer honey, which, in our area, is
usually light.

Any harvested summer honey I sell or give as gifts. The dark fall honey
is for family. Plus, because it does granulate readily (within a couple
of months), they are more forgiving and understand what is going on.

And, as far as the original question, I would still use sugar syrup for
fall buildup.

Bill Truesdell
Bath, Maine

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