Subject: Fall honey - golden rod

From: [email-masked] (Alex Kooney)
Date: 9 Sep 1996 21:09:47 GMT

I live in extreme SE Louisiana near New Orleans (NU or LUNZ).  I had some
queen problems early in the spring (which thankfully was 1 month late) and
I didn't get a very good crop.  Is the fall honey from flowers like golden
rod any good for table use.

					Timothy Kooney

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From: [email-masked] (Pollinator)
Date: 10 Sep 1996 06:24:21 -0400

In article <[email-masked]>, [email-masked] (Alex
Kooney) writes:

>Subject:	Fall honey - golden rod
>From:	[email-masked] (Alex Kooney)
>Date:	9 Sep 1996 21:09:47 GMT
>

   The government never thought so, as they always listed it as
"non-table" grade.
But some goldenrod is excellent.

   There are many species of goldenrod, and the yield and quality vary. 
Generally the bigger and quicker the flow, the lighter the honey. It
stinks while they are making it (good attraction for bears), but has a
nice odor and a spicy taste when finished.

   In the north, I always found that goldenrod did not yield very well on
the limestone soils that made the best clover crops.  Goldenrod grew
profusely in the area; the bees worked it, but just did not produce much. 
The best spots were the more acid and well drained hilly shale and
sandstone based soils.  It also yielded best when there was good rainfall
in August, while the buds were forming, then warm sunny weather during
bloom.  In western NY, I have seen a hundred pounds of goldenrod put in
per hive, in just a week of nice weather.  Once I walked between two bee
yards that were six tenths of a mile apart, on a sunny afternoon when
goldenrod was at peak.  There were bees galore on the plants within a
couple hundred yards of the sites.  But there was a large section in
between, that hardly had a single bee on the flowers.  So the yield is so
great, under ideal conditions, that the bees cannot utilize all the
resource.

   In South Carolina, it also yields poorly in low, poorly drained coastal
areas. It is much better on higher, sandier inland soils, but again it
does need a couple of good rains before bloom.  In an ideal situation
here, with the bees ready, and perfect weather, you might get 25 or 30
pounds per hive.

   I am not too familiar with your area specifically.  You might ask local
beekeepers weather it would be better to move the bees to some higher
ground.  I love the cool crisp fall days with warm sunny afternoons.  The
bees work the goldenrod until dark, and beyond. Then they all sit on the
porch until the wee hours of coolness.

   The little white asters follow directly, and will continue to yield
after frost.  Both goldenrod and aster will crystalize fairly quickly, so
don't wait too long for harvest, or you won't be able to extract.

[email-masked]                                   Dave and Janice Green
Practical Pollination Home Page    
http://users.aol.com/pollinator/polpage1.html  
PO Box 1200, Hemingway, SC    29554