Beebombs are essentially a pack of wildflower seeds compressed into a ball made of clay and topsoil. They work very well if you take into consideration the surrounding area and follow the instructions carefully.
Wildflowers, like many other low-to-the-ground plants, have to compete for sunlight and their roots have to compete for nutrients in the soil. So you have to be careful where you place them. Putting them amongst a pile of weeds, vines, and other extremely hardy plants is a waste.
Are Beebombs Any Good?
Beebombs are every bit as effective as you are vigilant. They aren’t exactly the “pitch it and forget it” gardening tools that they are advertised as being. As stated above, location is important as the wildflower seeds will have to compete with surrounding plants.
Once the seeds germinate, they’ll need space away from weeds and other plants that are brutally territorial. If you were thinking you could replace a weed-strewn space with beebombs, you will be disappointed.
They also don’t really live up to the “bomb” in their name, as you can’t just toss them around wherever and whenever you have an urge to do so. Once you’ve located a prime spot, you will need to crumble them up in your hand, letting the seeds and clay fall.
It’s also a good idea to walk around on top of them to press the seeds down into the earth a little bit. While some may germinate on the spot—their roots penetrating the soil’s top layer—you can help give them a boost by pressing them in a little more.
What Plants Are In Beebombs?
If you buy the original Beebombs—not similar products that do not fall under the same label—then you can expect a certain variety of bee-friendly wildflowers, in case you’d like an idea of the kind of flowers to expect we’ve listed them for you.
- Oxeye Daisy: A perennial that blooms between June and September
- Cornflower: An annual flower that blooms between May and October. It’s also considered endangered
- Common Sorrel: Perennial that blooms from May to June
- Corn Marigold: An annual that’s native to the UK and flowers between June and October
- Common Knapweed: Perennial that blooms between July and September
- Red Campion: Blooms between April and August
- Common Poppy: An annual that blooms between June and September
That’s just a bird’s-eye-view of the wildflower that should show up in your Beebombs. You can also expect Corn Chamomile, Salad Burnet, White Campion, Cowslip, Rough Hawkbit, Ribwort Plantain, Yellow Rattle, Self Heal, Lady’s Bedstraw, Wild Carrot, and Yarrow.
Now there are plenty of other brands out there that are certainly just as effective but may not have the exact same number or types of wildflowers. Eighteen wildflowers is a good number, however, and will definitely help nurture biodiversity.
You don’t have to worry about the packaging either, as the wildflower seeds are packed in an environmentally harmless clay and topsoil mould. There are no additional ingredients.
Where Can I Buy Beebombs?
You will find that shopping for Beebombs isn’t that difficult. You can either order online through Amazon or go directly to the source. If you’re a Prime member, any orders through Amazon will arrive much quicker but that’s basically the only difference. Check the latest prices below:
How To Plant Beebombs
According to the Beebomb website, it’s just a matter of scattering the Beebombs, allowing the clay to protect the seeds until it’s time to germinate, and letting nature take its course.
However, as discussed briefly above, it’s often not that simple. Perusing the internet uncovers quite a bit of information from customers who have purchased and used Beebombs.
The prevailing wisdom is that they need to be crushed and sprinkled around the areas where you want the wildflowers to grow. After spreading the seeds and clay, gently walk around the area—no stomping—pressing the seeds into the earth.
Try to avoid areas where the weeds are heavy. The new wildflowers will have to compete for sunlight and nutrition from the soil. Since weeds are generally pretty hardy plants, it’s an easy guess as to who will win out in that early struggle.
It’s best to either weed the area thoroughly or—if you’re just spreading them in the wild—find a place that’s either bare or standard grass with as few weeds as possible.
While the website states that the compacted clay and topsoil balls protect the seeds, they also make the struggle to take root more difficult. This is why it’s advisable to crush and spread the seeds.
Walking around and pushing them into the earth will restore some of the protection that the clay was responsible for.
Do Birds Eat Beebombs?
Birds will absolutely devour seed bombs with no compassion whatsoever for your prospects on wildflower spreading. Beebombs look like seeds, nuts, or acorns, all of which birds will feast on when able.
Of course, after they swoop in and pick them up they’ll realize that they hit paydirt, with all of those available seeds, ripe for consumption.
This is why it’s more important than ever to break the balls up and press them into the ground. You kill two birds with one stone (pun intended) by destroying the appealing aesthetic of the Beebomb and getting the seeds down into the soil where they’ll have the best chance.
If you’re just completely averse to crushing the little clay balls and spreading the seeds that way, wait till the soil is moist—such as after heavy rain or early in the morning when the dew is still on the ground.
When the soil is moist, you can spread the Beebombs out, without crumbling them, before pressing them into the ground with your shoes.
Do Beebombs Flower Every Year?
Some of the wildflowers inside of the Beebombs will flower every year. There are a variety of perennials included with a healthy mix of annuals as well.
The annuals will bloom for one year and then die off. Of course, it will leave behind seeds or its seeds will be spread out by bugs and other animals. The new seeds will bloom a new flower each year.
Your bee-friendly perennials will return every season, so you don’t have to worry about those unless they’re somehow destroyed, you can expect to see them each year, in the same area.
3 Wildflower Seed Mix Alternatives
As we briefly alluded to earlier, there are other competing alternatives to Beebombs. Each one has its own, unique selling points and all of them seek to achieve the same level of biodiversity.
- Bee mat seed carpet: A specially chosen mixture, of annual, biennal and perennial plants that will encourage bees into your garden.
- Seed bombs – bees feast: This contains more than 20 different types of seed that will help attract bees to your garden.
- Seedballs for bees: These Bee Mix seedballs contain a perfect selection of wildflower seeds that bees and Bumblebee will love.
All three mix alternatives are designed for “guerilla gardening.” Of course, you’re more than welcome to spread them around in your backyard as well. All three also contain wildflowers native to the UK.
All Things Considered
Beebombs not only work, but they also work well, especially if you’re careful to follow the instructions and are able to adapt your methods to the local environment. There’s no better way to increase biodiversity and help fill vacant areas with a colourful array of wildflowers.
Beebombs aren’t a new concept, but they are a returning approach that will help mitigate the spread of industry by returning a sense of wild beauty to whatever region you choose to spread them. Also, when planted the right way, they will last for years to come.
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