> No red clover does not need pollination as it is self pollinating,
>however bees gather some store of pollen and nectar (honey) from red clover.
Could be true on the island you live on, but here in Central
California I spent several years supplying bees to seed companies and
farmers to pollinated several verities of Red Clover, such as Kenland
red, and I am sure they would be very happy to hear that you can do it
without honeybees. Sure would save them a lot of money and extra effort
at protecting honeybees when it comes time to protect the crop from
those bad bugs who always seen ready to demand their share of the crop.
The red clover seed growing has moved off to other places and little
can be found in California now, but large acreages of common and
certified white clover fields still are grown each year in Northern
California. Red clover here was not sought after by beekeepers for honey
production, but would produce a skimpy crop because of the 4+ hives
per acre used to pollinate it, the honey was off white in color.
It has been my experience in working bees for clover honey in Western
Colorado and in other states that the soil and moisture conditions make
all the difference in the world to honey production and I am sure seed
production as well.
In Colorado we had several large acreages of the much touted alsak'
clover from Canada for hay and at our altitude 6,000+ feet it grew good,
bloomed good, but never produced enough nectar that the bees could reach
it. It stunk, and these fields of bloom was enough to excite this old
beeman, but never a honey flow in several years trying. At the same time
the yellow and white sweet clovers would produce good crops, also the
small white dutch clover that had taken over the local back nine of the
golf course was a real hot spot for several yards of bees.
GOD bless the liberal American democrats who paid for these golf
club's in such far out places, just too bad the government subsidies and
money ran out. The poor American beeman is getting hit by government
cutback from every direction. No more honey subsidies, or new wilderness
golf course's, honey loans, bee research, and just at a time when all the
wild honey bees are dieing out, (so some say), no wonder the price of
honey is almost at the level of parity of 50 years ago. Beekeepers who
can get a good crop and sell it at today's price will experience the
middle class life and pay some taxes for the first time in a generation.
Maybe we should find some more government programs to cut.
ttul, OLd Drone
(c) Permission is granted to freely copy this document
in any form, or to print for any use.
(w) Opinions are not necessarily facts. Use at own risk.
(D) Donations are accepted in CASH any currency always welcome.
---
~ QMPro 1.53 ~ "Where there is honey, there are beekeepers"
|
