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The phacelia has experienced a real boom in the gardens of Europe in recent years, and not without reason: After all, it is not only an attractive ornamental plant with a persistent flowering period, but also a valuable bee pasture and green manure plant.
Phacelia seeds are very smallSelect the right variety and pack size
Most subspecies of this plant, also known as the "bee lover", have light blue to violet-bluish flowers. There are differences in the growth height, which, for example, is slightly lower in the Phacelia purshii variety than in the widespread Phacelia tanacetifolia variety. In terms of location and substrate, there is usually not much that can go wrong as long as the plants get enough sunlight. It is not without reason that the bee friend is considered a soil improver and green manure, so that even hard and stony soil can be used as a cultivation area. For an area of around 50 square meters, 200 grams of Phacelia seeds are generally sufficient. However, packs with a content of up to 1 kilogram are also offered for private gardeners, since the seeds remain germinable for a relatively long time and so reseeding can be flexibly applied to areas that have already flowered.
The Phacelia in the beekeeper's garden
The phacelia is popular among beekeepers not only because each of its individual flowers can produce an amazing amount of nectar for the bees during the flowering period. After sowing the seeds, it only takes about 5 to 7 weeks, depending on location and season, for the first flowers to open. In this way, months such as August and September, when only a few plants of interest to the bees bloom, can be provided with an additional supply of food for the hard-working nectar collectors. In addition, the basically annual Phacelia can be successfully settled in the garden by self-sowing the seeds if the plant is not harassed by fast-growing weeds.
Sow the seeds easily
Phacelia seeds are very fine, so sowing and dosing by hand can sometimes be difficult. Therefore, for a better distribution of the seeds, it can be useful to mix the seeds with plenty of fine sand.
tips
Since the phacelia belongs to the dark germs, the seed should be raked lightly into the soil after it has been sown and watered immediately.