If you had to choose.....need an opinion

[Jared77]

Lets imagine that you didn't have either of these, and you had to decide which one you'd put in first on your property. The goal is to have both, but given the costs to do each one right it would be a couple of years before you could get the other one.

Cost isn't the issue I'm trying to decide which one would be more beneficial and that's the one Id have first. So I figured Id toss it out to you folks and see what you think.

Bee hive or greenhouse. I have a big garden roughly 2000sq ft. So its tough to start enough plants indoors to do the garden justice. I need a greenhouse. I also know that I could boost my production if I were to get bees.

I want bees because the pollinate, not for honey. I don't want gallons of honey, or have any desire to sell it. I'd give some away at the holidays as gifts but thats really it. I know if I got serious I could use one to help finance the other but that's time that I really don't have/want to commit to selling at the Farmers Market.

Thats the debate. I know the benefits of both but I can't decide which one to focus on. Both are projects in the future, right now I'm still in the learning stages and figured Id toss it out there.

So what would you put in first?

 

[momofdrew]

I'd get the green house if I had the money to do it...you need the plants before you can feed the bees...

 

[digitS']

We had a beehive on the farm when I was a kid. Only 1.

Dad & I both have some problems with stings. The beeman would come and "rob" it every year. He was an interesting guy. Once, he did it for free because he found a queen developing in a cell.

I get lots & lots of mileage out of my greenhouse. Honestly, building one isn't at all tuff - if you need to save some money.

Steve

 

[Carol Dee]

GREEN HOUSE!

 

[Southern Gardener]

Greenhouse first, then bees - that's what I did - well, I have the hive, but not the bees YET!

 

[Indyanna]

I would go with the Greenhouse. I think a greenhouse would serve you best and quite frankly, I'm afraid of bees.

 

[lesa]

I don't see it as either, or... I ended up with my greenhouse (off Craigslist) and I enjoy having it... but I started all my seeds prior to that in coldframes, with no problem. Nothing was spent on these (drawers, hay bales, old windows, etc.) I love having bees. If I had to choose between my beehive and my greenhouse, I would choose bees ever time. We have had bees for 3 years, and have never been stung. There is no wrong answer to your question- both are great options!

 

[thistlebloom]

I want both too Jared, but I think for me, getting the bees would be my priority.

 

[Gnome_Czech]

In the spirit of your request, I, too, would pick greenhouse. The ability to harvest more food from it would be more appealing than what I could do with a beehive, since it's more limited. The goal, though, would be for both so I'll keep my fingers crossed so you are able to.

 

[Jared77]

This is something I've been tossing around for quite a while. I'd been leaning towards the greenhouse to save me money by being able to start so much more from seed than I currently do,and as mentioned the longer season for harvesting but I keep reading about the benefits of bees but I've never kept them (and yes I'm fascinated by them) so I couldn't decide what to do. Knowing I can only budget a small amount of money each month towards getting each project I knew it would be a bit before I could get both my a greenhouse and hives on the property.

Long term I will have both. I just wanted to bounce this off you folks on here to be sure the first project I got was the one I would get the most out of since right now I don't have either one. Although while posting this I just had a thought. Once I get things rolling here I may talk to the local beeks and see if they want to put a hive on the edge of the property in exchange for a few quarts of honey at the end of the season. Let someone else deal with the harvesting and colonies I get the benefits of the extra pollinators. Might be a good way to learn how to keep them before I take on some of my own.

Im open to ideas just trying to make lemonaide from all the lemons we've been handed lately.