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The bee willow (Phacelia) inspires hobby gardeners and bees alike. Its flowers are decorative, an interesting source of food for insects and also ideal as a green manure plant. Propagating the Phacelia is simple and uncomplicated.

In a nutshell

  • Phacelia is basically an annual plant
  • tends to self-seed, however, grows wild in the garden
  • Sow as bee pasture, herb meadow or for green manure
  • Sowing time depends on type of use or purpose

seed

Seeds are available in specialist shops under the names of Bienenfreund, Bienenweide and Büschelschön. It is usually offered in bulk packs of up to one kilogram. However, the seeds remain germinable for up to five years, so that if necessary, overseeding can be carried out on areas that have already flowered. Calculate 200 g of seed for an area of about 50 square meters. If possible, you can also harvest the required seeds from existing plants and sow them on the spot next spring.

Tip: Phacelia will also reproduce themselves from their seeds if left alone.

sowing time

The right time for sowing usually depends on whether you only want to lure insects into the garden with the phacelia or whether you want to treat the kitchen garden to green manure. In principle, sowing is possible from April to September, in very mild locations even as early as March. The risk of ground frost should definitely no longer exist. For use as insect pasture, it is advisable to start sowing in April. On the other hand, if you want to do something good for the vegetable garden, you should only sow after the vegetable harvest.

Source: Patrick Alexander from Las Cruces, NM, Phacelia coerulea - Flickr - aspidoscelis, edited by Plantopedia, CC0 1.0

The right location

When it comes to sowing location, it's hard to go wrong as long as it's sunny to partially shaded. Phacelia is also undemanding when it comes to soil conditions. It thrives on sandy substrates as well as on acidic ones. It can also improve lean and dry soils. The bee friend can even be planted on rather difficult or fallow areas. Solely loamy and waterlogged soils are not suitable for sowing.

Notice: This pretty plant can also be cultivated in tubs, balcony boxes or other planters.

Sowing Instructions

Before you can multiply or sow the Phacelia, the soil must be prepared accordingly. It is thoroughly loosened and then smoothed with a rake. Ultimately, it should be finely crumbly. Now you can sow.

  • Seeds of these plants relatively fine
  • therefore mix with some sand before sowing
  • This makes sowing much easier and more even
  • broadcast on the affected area
  • Sow more densely if there is a lot of weed pressure
  • also applies to late sowings in summer
  • rake in lightly after sowing
  • Sowing depth about one to two centimeters (dark germs)
  • roll over it if necessary
  • water and keep moist until the seeds sprout
  • later do not let the young plants dry out either

Tip: For pot cultivation you can mix normal garden soil with some sand or peat-free potting soil and then sow the seeds in the same way as in the bed.

germination time

The seeds of the bee friend only germinate in a well-prepared soil with a finely crumbly structure. If it is simply spread on any surface, for example between different weeds or on the lawn, germination will be impaired or will not occur. The time until germination is similar for tall and low-growing varieties and is about 10-15 days at an average soil temperature of 15 degrees. As a rule, the phacelia blooms about five to seven weeks after sowing, depending on the location and the weather.

Tansy phacelia (Phacelia tanacetifolia)

Tip: You can also propagate the Phacelia very well as an attractive intermediate seed on raised vegetable beds that have already been harvested.

Subsequent care

Bee friend is drought tolerant and easy to care for:

  • keep moist until germination
  • otherwise water only in extreme heat and drought
  • Specimens in tubs or flower boxes are correspondingly more frequent
  • Fertilizing the bed is not necessary
  • give some liquid fertilizer in the pot from time to time
  • emaciated and rich soils
  • If necessary, prevent self-seeding: cut off or mow off withered flowers

Notice: Even if these plants in the bed do not usually need to be fertilized, a little compost can occasionally make the flowering more lush.

frequently asked Questions

How to harvest the seeds of the bee pasture?

When they are ripe, the two-column, brown capsule fruits jump open slightly when touched. The seeds are immediately visible and can be easily shaken out. After drying, they can then be sown in the following spring. As a rule, the seed from the bee friend ripens unevenly. Immature seeds are generally not germinable, nor do they ripen. The seeds of these plants are generally sensitive to cold and frost. They die at temperatures below minus five degrees.

Is there anything to consider when sowing in relation to crop rotation?

Crop rotation is not a problem at all for bee pasture. Since it is not related to any other cultivated plants, it can easily be integrated into all conceivable crop rotations as intercropping.

Why should you sow the Phacelia as a green manure plant?

There are several good reasons for this. On the one hand, with its dense root system, it uses nutrient reserves in the soil, which it then passes on to subsequent crops after they have rotted. The large proportion of organic material remaining in the soil increases the humus content and thus the productivity. Soil structure and fertility are preserved or improved. In addition, the plants shade the soil and can effectively suppress weeds, which in turn makes maintenance easier.

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Garden plants