Crawl before you walk ?

I get a lot of phone calls regarding this topic. Many are established beekeepers, but increasingly many are people from the city or small and larger rural landholders who have in some instances little knowledge of what is essentially gardening on a grand scale.

I always suggest to people with a non-agriculture or non-horticulture background to start slowly to get a feel of what’s involved should their project be carried forward on a more commercial scale.

I am always available to assist with advice, so my suggestion is to start with a smaller quantity and build with time. Rather than jumping into the deep end, consider starting with a modest number say 40, 80 or so seedlings which you can order online. (Bear in mind that internet orders are more expensive than the costs associated with bulk orders).

Observe and become acquainted with all this for a year or so while maybe planning stage 2!

If the plan involves beekeeping in the medium to long-term, then rest assured there’s a massive amount to learn and I am not qualified to advise. You will have a few years before flowering to learn these skills. My suggestions are;

Search the internet. There is a vast amount of information on Google and YouTube.

  1. Join your State and/or local beekeeping Association. There is a wealth of knowledge within these groups and they openly welcome new members who are keen to enter the industry, if even on a small scale.