Glandular globe-thistle seeds «Star Frost»

Glandular globe-thistle «Star Frost» or great globe-thistle or pale globe-thistle / Echinops sphaerocephalus - is a perennial, drought-resistant plant belonging to the Compositae family. The height reaches from 0.8 to 2.5 meters.

The flowers are small, grouped in 200-300 pieces in spherical inflorescences of lilac-white color. The ball-headed muzzle can grow in one place up to 20 years. Chalk and calcareous soils are favorable for its growth. Seeds should be stored in paper bags or sacks in a well-ventilated area.

Under proper storage conditions, their germination is maintained for three years. Seeds do not require preliminary preparation for sowing. Globe-thistle can be sown in late autumn or spring, scattering seeds on loosened soil at the rate of 1 gram per 1 m2. It is possible to sow in a mixture with phacelia tansy, the ratio of seeds is 2 to 3.

The seeding depth is 2-3 cm, the inter-row width is 70-80 cm. After sowing, a leaf rosette will grow from the seeds in the first year, and a flower-bearing shoot will grow in the second year. Globe-thistle can be used for seeding adjacent to the apiary, uncultivated land (meadows, slopes of ravines, among shrubs).

The ball-headed Globe-thistle blooms for more than a month, starting from mid-July to the end of August. The nectar productivity of the plant is very high. In conditions of average humidity and temperatures above 25 degrees, seasonal nectar is on average at least 2 mg.

In dry weather, Globe-thistle nectar decreases by 50%, but does not stop, unlike many other honey plants. The nectar is colorless, transparent, has a pleasant spicy smell. The concentration of sugar in it is very high and reaches 65-70%. Under favorable climatic conditions, up to 700-800 kg of honey can be collected from one hectare of Globe-thistle thickets. In addition to nectar, bees collect whitish pollen from the flowers of the plant.

The honey that the bees collect from the ball-headed Globe-thistle is part of the honey collected from the herbs. It has a delicate aroma, a light amber hue and a pleasant taste. Such honey contains useful biologically active components, therefore it is considered curative. The yield of Globe-thistle seeds reaches up to 20 centners per hectare. Seeds are harvested in mid-August, they are easily threshed from the flower heads. From them you can get a large amount of oil, just like honey, which has healing properties.

The more bees there are on your site, the more fruitful your vegetables will be!