Where to buy bulk seed for bees?

[LeonardS]

Where have you found the best prices on bulk clover/flower seeds for bees? I have 3 acres I would like to plant with clover and flowers for the bees this Spring.

[Rader Sidetrack]

If you are buying a lot of forage type seed, shipping can be an significant cost. A local vendor where shipping is part of the price may be your best choice. I would check with a local farm supply store/coop to see what they offer.

It appears that Tractor Supply and Mills Fleet Farm both have stores near you.

[Saltybee]

Hancock Seed , advertises on Beesource Has good prices . A little hard to get around, search for clover.

[alblancher]

You may want to try these people. They seem to have a good selection. Your local feed and seed and some hometown hardware stores will stock clover for deer forage and other crover crops. I haven't decided what I want to seed yet so I haven't placed an order with them. In Thursday's bee meeting the conversation was cover crop vs trees and shrubs as far as nectar and pollen source. The opinion seemed to be that the trees and shrubs where the way to go.

http://www.outsidepride.com/seed/clover-seed/

[LeonardS]

We do have a local seed store that sells bulk clover seed, but nothing for bulk flower seed. I will give these places a try. Thank you for the suggestions!

[Michael Bush]

I go to the local farm store for things like white sweet clover, yellow sweet clover, white dutch clover, birdsfoot trefoil, chicory, alfalfa, aslike clover. Wildflowers I don't get in bulk...

[Barry4321duck]

I have had great success with deer creek seed.
www.deercreekseed.com

[LeonardS]

I was able to find yellow sweet clover, white Dutch clover, birdsfoot trefoil and wildflowers. Yellow sweet clover is by far the least expensive per pound.

[sergie]

Check with your forestry and fish and game departments.. To restore some abandoned farm land I was able to get 5lbs of seed from forestry and 10 lbs from fish and game for a little leg work and minor proseesing fee's, 2.00 and 3.25 respectivly. Also pictures of the restored land before and after.

[TWall]

Leonard,

The sweet clover will probably give you the most honey.

You should talk to the store manager where you are going to buy the clover and they may be able to order bulk wildflower seed for you. Figure out what you want, or find out who their supplier is and they may already have some mixes.

Tom

[LeonardS]

They did have wildflower mix for $15 per lb. Yellow sweet clover is $2.79 per lb. White Dutch clover was $4.29 per lb. and birdsfoot trefoil was over $10 per lb. Bought 20 lbs of yellow, 5 lbs of white, 1 lb of trefoil and 1 lb of wildflowers.

[BTKS]

LeonardS,
I use MFA, it is a farm supplier / grain / fuel company. They have bulk seed on hand and have special ordered some seed for me in the past.
My real reason for responding is, do a soil test. Clover needs above 6.5 ph to grow well or even establish roots. Just a reasonable precaution before spending quite a few bucks on seed. Oh, also be aware some clovers are perineal and some self sustaining. I use perineals in low pressure or unmown areas so they can reseed. I use the self propagating in grazed and mown areas.
Hope this helps.

[Nature Coast beek]

Ernst Seed

They sell a variety of conservation mixes and what not. They specialize in bulk sales to places like road departments and construction companies doing jobs where seeding with local wildflowers when done is desired or required.

[R Dewhurst]

I was given advise on birdsfoot trefoil from the seed supply shop here local, it can take 3 years to establish. So I got yellow and white sweet clover for like $3 per LB and chickory

[krisdanielsis]

I tried some white clover seed to take over a Bermuda grass area with no success. I bought it from a local hardware store. That being said, there is a great website that has seed mixes especially for bees. They are all non GMO, non hybrid, etc. I have had great luck with their seeds.

http://sowtrueseed.com/flower-mixes-.../bee-feed-mix/