We have been reading about using alfalfa pellets / meal as a soil conditioner and fertilizer. Does anyone have any suggestions about methods? Here is the link to the method we are considering:
Thanks for any other ideas!
seems like an awful lot of trouble (and expense) to get a product which does the same as a well rotted compost. Their theories on N fertilizer from the organic products are way off!
If you cant do your own compost there are lots of local sources…try composted steer or poultry manure for lots of organic nutrients.
I was advised when I bought my new Bearded Iris last year to give them some alfalfa pellets in the Spring and that would be all they need - over fertilizing Iris will cause lots of leaf growth and no flowers - so the pellets may just fit what they need. I am going to try it this year. I bought a bag of Rabbit Pellets (hope I don’t start feeding those pesky critters!) for $15 and am going to dig a little in around my iris and some other plants too. I heard years ago from Lynette Callum (who recently passed away) and was the Rose Queen - to feed my roses with them as well (which I have done in the past). Seems like lots of plants could use a little boost of alfalfa.
Thanks to you both. We have good compost (and access to horse manure), but I’m always looking to improve our soil; and, this year, give a new bed a kickstart.
I like the ideas of a few pellets to support plants like roses; looking at our bearded iris, I think the soil alone has been enough to encourage them - may be digging some up for the plant sale next year!
I sprinkle a little alfalfa meal around in the late winter when there’s not much else going on; the rain seems to carry it through any mulch on the surface. It appears to keep things happy, although I’ve not done any controlled experiments. I just buy it in bags at Black Creek Farm and Feed. It’s never attracted any critters that I’ve seen. I agree that compost is an ideal solution, but if that’s tough for someone, this is an easy alternative.
1 Like
I have been buying a small bag of alfalfa from Art Knapp’s and pouring 1/2 into a garbage pail and filling it to the top with water to make alfalfa tea. I leave it for about 1 week, then pour it on my roses and peonies. The suggestion came from the Warwick Dahlia team and it certainly seems to help I have 125 roses and about 10 peonies and 2 garbage pails of ‘tea’ does the lot of them
Barbara
This is all great information - thank you! I found alfalfa pellets at Sharcare - a 20kg bag for under $20.
I may do a trial with some of our dahlias.