SuperBee Phacelia
Super Bee Phacelia is a fast-growing variety that can be used as a cut flower or cover crop. Attracts pollinators, builds soil, scavenges nitrogen, and reduces harmful nematodes by up to 30%. Phacelia tanacetifolia. 60 days to maturity.
For cover crop applications, sow 6-8 lbs per acre.
Description
Super Bee Phacelia is a fast-growing flower that produces abundant clusters of lavender-blue blooms. This versatile cover crop thrives during the spring and fall months and prefers full sun. It is frost tolerant down to the 20's but can also thrive in warmer zones. Plants can reach 48" tall and the flowers are very attractive to bees, butterflies, and other pollinators. It has been listed in the top 20 pollen-producing flowers for honeybees and also attracts bumblebees and hoverflies. The stamens project outward far beyond the petals to give this flower a beautifully unusual appearance.
Super Bee Phacelia is also very beneficial when grown as a cover crop for the vegetable garden. It quickly forms mycorrhizal fungal associations to improve soil biology for future vegetable crops. It has an elaborate root structure that can penetrate as deep as 30" in some instances. This makes it a great option for improving aeration and workability in hard, clay soils.
Super Bee Phacelia is a nitrogen scavenger and has been reported to scavenge up to 15 to 20 units of nitrogen per acre. It has dense foliage which forms a carpet over the soil to retain moisture and prevent erosion. The dense foliage decomposes quickly once cut or tilled and adds carbon and organic matter to soils. Phacelia has also been noted to reduce harmful nematode populations by up to 30%. In milder climates, it can be grown as a fall/winter cover crop because it can withstand temperatures down to 18 degrees Fahrenheit.
Super Bee Phacelia can be transplanted or direct-seeded. For cut flower applications, transplanting is favorable. This flower variety grows great in our heavy-duty seed starting trays with Sun Gro Black Gold Seed Starting Mix. Place 1-2 Seeds per cell and dust lightly with finely-ground seed starting mix. Once seedlings emerge, thin to one seed per cell. Transplants are ready to go in the ground when they can be easily pulled from the seed trays. For cover crop or soil-building applications, direct seeding is preferred. Be sure to terminate the cover crop shortly after flowers appear to prevent reseeding in the vegetable garden.
Super Bee Phacelia Planting Information
Planting Method: direct seed
When to Plant: after last frost
Planting Depth: 1/4″
Seed Spacing: 9-12"
Row Spacing: 2-3'
Days to Maturity: 60
Disease Resistance: None
