Viper's bugloss (Echium vulgare L.), 0.5 kg

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Viper's bugloss (Echium vulgare) is a drought-resistant biennial herb that grows up to 1.5 m tall. It has an upright, sturdy stem that branches abundantly at the base and a well-developed root system; its taproot can reach 60 cm deep. The flower buds and flowers, clustered as if in whorls, are initially slightly pink and turn bright blue after pollination. The plant blooms gradually from June to October.

Importance for beekeeping
Viper's bugloss begins flowering in mid-June. It flowers gradually for an average of 30–50 days. The plant secretes nectar in dry, rainy and cool weather as well. Bees visit it throughout the day, collecting both nectar and pollen. An average of 20–30 bees can be found per square metre of flowers. One bee colony can bring in 6–8 kg of honey per day from a viper's bugloss crop. The honey yield can reach 200–400 kg/ha. If the plants are mown, they regrow quickly and continue flowering until autumn. In autumn, the late-flowering viper's bugloss is especially valuable to bees, helping strengthen colonies for winter. The honey produced is light amber in colour, thick, excellent in flavour and slow to crystallise, forming a fine-grained mass.

Cultivation
Viper's bugloss is undemanding and can be grown successfully in less cultivated or abandoned fields, and even in sandy fields, but it is recommended to sow it no farther than 0.5 km from the apiary. In the year of sowing, it grows slowly and forms only a leaf rosette, so it can be sown under a cover crop such as mustard, phacelia or buckwheat. Sow the cover crop at about 20% of its full seeding rate. Mix the cover-crop and viper's bugloss seeds and sow them at the same time. After flowering, mow the cover crop to a height of 8–10 cm. Viper's bugloss can be sown as a pure crop from early spring until July, in rows 40–50 cm apart, with the seeds covered to a depth of 1 cm. The seeding rate is 3–4 kg/ha. After the seedlings emerge, thinning is recommended, leaving 30 cm between plants. In the spring of the second year, a compound top-dressing fertiliser can be applied. Although viper's bugloss grows quickly, care should be taken to prevent weeds from overgrowing it; before flowering, cultivate between the rows and weed areas where weeds are present. The fruits of viper's bugloss are brown, slightly angular nutlets. Harvest the seeds when two-thirds of the seeds in the lower inflorescences have ripened. Mow and dry the plants, then thresh and clean the seeds, yielding about 500 kg/ha. The seeds ripen gradually and shed easily, so the plant can grow in the same place for several years. After the seeds ripen and fall, the plants die. Collect the straw and chaff so that the plant does not spread through fields as a weed.

Viper's bugloss seeds are also recommended for sowing in meadows where increased productivity is needed.

Warning!
The plant is poisonous. All parts of the plant contain toxic alkaloids.

Weight: 0.5 kg

Harvested in: Druviena parish, Gulbene Municipality, Latvia

Packed in: Baļļas, Turlava parish, Kuldīga Municipality, Latvia