When you grow your own, it is difficult to even purchase seed. There are so many genotypes of sweet corn now, that I have a hard time finding varieties. I always want the su types, as they taste the most like corn. The aothers all concentrate on sugar, so they are sweeter but less "corny". Old heritage-type tomatoes also taste the best to me as well.
I always enjoyed the "delicious" variety of tomato. They averaged over 1 lb each but I did get one close to three pounds once. Most people will pick Brandywine for taste it's another good one. I can't recall the name of the Corn I planted, I believe it had the word Silver in it, maybe silver queen.
On Friday we got a delivery of plants that I had ordered. It contained Asclepias butterfly plant, I ordered 5 yellow plants, and 5 mix colors. Should get them in the ground this week. Also received 5 Milena Fleur border Dahlias for pots. 2 have been potted. Here's what they look like.
This is not even Biden's fault. I was so excited because all of my fruit trees are bursting with blooms. Even my PEACH tree, in Wisconsin! but there are no pollinators. What few there were are being eaten by birds--orioles and some little tiny birds. At our house AND the farm. So fruit and veggies might be in short supply too.
Do you have an fruit tree farm? If so you might be able to get a beekeeper move there hives to help with pollination. Just a thought.
I've been buying some used tractor implements, and have scoured the postings in 3 regional Craigslist Farm & Garden sections (covers a broad agricultural region) for the past several weeks, and while I've not seen honeybee services, I have seen the occasional "nucs" for sale. I'm no expert, but it seems as though the "nucs" are sealed frames (to prevent the bees from escaping) containing the honeybees and some food to keep them alive, and the marked queens are provided separately. You merely unseal the frames, introduce the queen, and let the bees do their thing...no maintenance required. I don't know if the primary motive for the intended buyers is to make honey or to get pollinators...the ads don't say. Most likely the two are so inextricably bound that the human motive is irrelevant.
About 12 years ago my wife and I were walking towards the back of our property, when we heard this loud buzzing sounds like a chainsaw, we looked up and there were hundreds of bees swarming. Carefully we backed away and just watched from a distance. They started clinging to a branch of a large holly tree and to each other. Eventually they look like a large football shaped group of bees. Afraid of getting stung I called a work acquaintance who worked on the side as a beekeeper, he came right over. Without protection he cut the branch and put the whole football hive into a wooden box. Apparently there was a shortage of honey bees, so he was very happy to get these. From what I'm told honey bees do this before they find their permanent hive, it's like an interim methods for them to stay together. It would have lasted only a couple of weeks before they moved on. Within the next year this happened two more times this time I did not call the beekeeper since I knew it was only last a couple of weeks, we let nature take it's course. It did not happen again since then but was wonderful to see first hand.
Interesting stuff. I've never heard of this before. When I see these bee kits for sale around here, my first thought is "How do you keep the bears from destroying them?"
By yelling shoo Haha Sounds to me like you have to put them in a cage or jail to protect them. I do have photos of the bees in the holly tree when I come across them I will post them.
I've been here 12 years and have had bear at my house a few times. I yell "Shoo!" and they look back at me with this over their heads:
Yep, Silver Queen is one of the old tasty varieties. I can't grow it here as our season is too short. Lots of good tomatoes, and the two you mentioned are great. There are several "Brandywine" varieties, and not all of them are the same.
A good electric fence will go a long way to protect your hives. Be aware that if you are trying to maximize homey production it is a great deal of work.
I was wondering the degree to which electric fences might repel bears, and how often bears hit a level of desperation where Need overrides Pain, and they barge right through.
How great you guys got to watch that. I actually have bees but they sleep in until they are sure the weather won't turn cold, apparently. I used to worry the hive died, but then, when I had all but given up, Surprise! There they were. I wonder if banging on the hive would work to wake them up or if they know something else I don't know like a freeze in June.
Honeybees don't "hibernate" in the traditional sense. They don't leave their hives in the cold months (with no flowers blossoming, there's no need to)...they store up enough food to last the winter. The workers may drive the drones from the hive, especially if resources get scarce, since their stud services are no longer needed and a new brood will hatch when the weather warms. The queen bumblebee does engage in traditional hibernation, fattening herself up to sleep during the cold months. The rest of the bumblebee hive dies off. The queens are the last to be born in the season, when they mate, fatten up, hibernate, and lay their eggs after awakening in the spring. Interesting article here