[doodlebug]

Is is too late to plant borage and expect it to bloom?

 

[djei5]

Usually quits blooming in September so I doubt it. Wait til spring and stagger your planting so you have a longer bloom time.

 

[doodlebug]

Is there anything that can be planted now that will bloom by fall?

 

[Dave Burrup]

Buckwheat

 

[jbraun]

I have some borage that I planted from seed about 5 or 6 weeks ago. They are just about ready to put in the ground. I don't expect them to bloom this fall but you never can tell. It's been my experience with this plant that one you have it, you always have it. Maybe next year.

It's pretty late to plant much of anything for fall blooms. You should start in spring to get fall blooms. If you want perennials you may want to start them soon as a lot of them germinate better in the fall and will be ready to go in the spring when they would normally start up. Whew! what a sentence.

Good luck with whatever you get in the ground for your bees.

 

[doodlebug]

Thank you!

 

[djei5]

Golden rod will be blooming in fall, I've seen fall flows that have matched spring.

 

[ravikmd]

Borage will definitely bloom if you plant it now. I live in Minnesota and plant borage every year. It blooms within a month of sowing and reseeds itself within the same year and for the following year. Bees go crazy over it. Make sure you put it in full sun for the best results.

 

[lilhouseonprairie]

Most annuals still have time to bloom. For low maintenance look for native to your area, and profuse seeding so they reseed themselves in your plot. You could still get Sunflowers planted at this point and get blooms for fall is you choose especially short season varities - some are only 50-55 days. Yes, still time for Borage. Another annual you could plant now would be bachelor buttons. Also, poppies.

Perinnials you could still hope to see flowers from -- black eyes susans, blanketflower, milkweed, any and all in the mint family including bee balm (also called bergamont), and maybe anything in the salvia (sage) family.

Happy planting!

 

[doodlebug]

We did plant Buckwheat and it grew very well. The only problem was is that the entire time it was blooming I saw maybe 2 bees taking advantage of it and it was 25 feet away from their hives. I'm thinking that it will reseed itself and maybe they will be more interested in it. I'm going to plant the Borage and look for some sunflower seeds as you have suggested. Very helpful. Thank you all again.

 

[Dave Burrup]

Buckwheat only produces nectar in the morning. A patch that is absolutely crawling with bees in the morning will have very few to no bees in the afternoon. Borage produces nectar from dawn to dusk and will out yield buckwheat. Our borage volunteered the first part of May and is just coming into full bloom now. I have never planted Borage in early summer. Doodlebug did you look at your Buckwheat in the morning? I have planted Bachelor Buttons in warm soil and could not get them to germinate. The same thing happened to late seed poppies. Poppies do not produce nectar, but are a great pollen source.
Dave

 

[doodlebug]

To be honest, I usually observed the Buckwheat in the afternoon when I came home after work. Maybe they did work it, I just never saw them. Hopefully it will reseed itself and come back again. I'm still going to plant the Borage. I have the seeds. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

 

[beepro]

Have you try the white borage before?
I read here that they are harder and not bend over like the blue ones.
I'm trying the white borage also. Yes, in 2 months they should bee blooming.
I regret not planting them in succession.