Colorful summer flowers and delicious vegetables can not only make you happy, but also the bees. We give you tips about bee-friendly seeds.

An important part of bee protection is the supply of different bee forage plants

Active protection of bees is promoted by nature conservation associations and politicians, since bees not only affect beekeepers and agriculture, but also the he alth of entire ecosystems. An important area of bee protection is the supply of different bee forage plants. There are also varieties among annual summer flowers and vegetables that encourage bees. This article therefore deals with bee-friendly seeds in the following and explains why it makes sense to use them.

What does "bee friendly" mean?

When bees fly to a colorful flower, they expect a calyx filled with stamens and pollen from which they can take nectar. In return, they carry the pollen in their hair or on other parts of their body to the next flower. Bee-friendly plants - or "bee food plants" - are accessible to bees, have a lot of nectar and bloom particularly often or for a long time. Plants that can give nectar at special times are also very "bee-friendly". After all, in early spring and autumn, food sources for bees can be difficult to find. The complementary flowering times of different bee forage plants thus ensure the nutrition of the bees over the entire vegetation period.

But it can happen that the flower that is controlled does not have any nectar ready for the bee: some garden plants are simply too exotic and their flower structure is designed in such a way that bees cannot reach the nectar. Many ornamental plant varieties are sterile through breeding, they lack pistils, stamens, pollen and nectar. Agricultural cultivation in monocultures is also not bee-friendly. This means that only a few plant species can be found in the catchment area for the bees. This becomes a problem if these do not cover the entire flight period of the bees (February to October). Also, feeding on only one type of pollen is not very beneficial for bees.

Helenium autumnale is a perennial which is sown by seedcan be used and is readily accepted by bees

Summary: What does "bee friendly" mean?

  • Bee-friendly plants are plants whose nectar is accessible to bees, which flower for a long time, produce a lot of nectar or which offer food for bees at special times.
  • The flowering period of bee forage plants should cover the entire foraging period of the bees.
  • Plants whose flowers cannot be accessed by bees or which do not provide nectar cannot be used by bees. Even one-sided or irregular nutrition from large-scale monocultures does not suit bees .

Why is bee-friendly seed important?

Beekeepers and agriculture, including fruit and vegetable growing, depend on honey and wild bee populations being as stable and he althy as possible. Together with bumblebees, it is their pollination that makes fruit set possible in the first place. Without pollination, many plants do not reproduce and therefore do not produce fruit. The honey bee pollinates about 80% of local crops. Both honey bees and wild bees are therefore an irreplaceable and indispensable factor in our agriculture and nutrition.

Various factors are threatening both honey bee and wild bee populations. One factor is the monocultures mentioned above and the "cleared" cultural landscapes, which only show a low diversity of bee forage plants. Sowing bee-friendly seeds can help encourage honey bees and wild bees. You can read here why it generally makes sense to encourage bees in your own garden.

Many bees prefer lamiaceae like lavender

Tip: Providing forage plants is a step in the right direction. But if you want to go a little further and actively protect bees, you can get tips for a bee paradise in the garden here. Or you can get advice from a hobby beekeeper and find out how you can promote and protect bees in the garden more comprehensively. From April 1, 2022, those who are particularly committed can also register for the nationwide planting competition of the "Deutschland buzzt" initiative.

Which bees are threatened?

While honey bees now have a huge circle of supporters in the form of beekeeping, agriculture and now also politics behind them, wild bees are unfortunately often overlooked. The honey bee does not have it easy, but because of its importantIt is promoted so strongly that its complete extinction is hardly an option. However, nature is by no means dependent on the honey bee, wild bees could also carry out pollination. These are often even disadvantaged and further decimated by the honey bee’s collection work. For this reason, the protection of wild bees should also be given greater focus.

What should you look out for when buying seeds?

When purchasing any seeds, here are some things to keep in mind:

  • Does the plant that emerges from the seed yield nectar at all? For bees, of course, only those plants that reproduce through insect pollination are important. Anything colorful and fragrant is interesting for bees.
  • Does the seed bear a mark identifying it as a bee food plant, or is there an alternative available with the same mark? Many seed dealers refer to particularly bee-friendly plant varieties.
  • Wouldn't seeds from native plants be a good alternative? The native wild bees are best adapted to these.
  • Does the seed cover the entire bee flight season (February to October)?
  • Are the seeds suitable for the location where you are sowing them?

Our Plantura bee pasture meets all these criteria. It contains over 20 proven annual and perennial species that provide bees with a rich supply of food. The easy-care mixture can simply be sown in the bed or in the balcony box.

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