Sour cherry
Its white April-May blossom gives good nectar and pollen, boosting spring build-up, while bee pollination raises the fruit yield.
- Nectar
- Good
- Pollen
- Medium
- Flowering
- JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
- Height
- 2-8 m
- Life cycle
- Perennial
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Sour cherry belongs to the same group as sweet cherry; it offers its nectar in open cups and is easy for honey bees to work. The amount of nectar per flower is good, and the pollen is plentiful and nutritious. Around Afyonkarahisar, Konya, Kütahya and Ankara, with their large sour cherry orchards, it is a valuable source for spring build-up.
Flowering
It flowers a few days after sweet cherry, between mid-April and early May, for about 10-14 days. Secretion is good on sunny days above 15 °C and weak in cold, windy weather; late frosts can damage the blossom.
Honey and pollen
No separate sour cherry honey is produced commercially; it is a component of spring fruit-blossom honey. Most of the nectar collected is consumed in raising brood.
Note for the beekeeper
Many sour cherry varieties are self-fertile, but bee visits still improve fruit set. For pollination services, 2-3 strong colonies per hectare is a common recommendation. Agree with the grower that no spraying is done during flowering.