Yes, I've known this for many years. The feed store I buy it at makes their own
alfalfa hay and products. Alfalfa is so rich, it can mess up hoofs of horses,
giraffes, and animal which eats too much of it.
If I buy pellets, I just throw the on the lawn after they come core aerate. I
put it in the compost pile, throw it out on the beds, it's just great stuff
which is a great mulch as hay. Especially in vegetable beds.
So, now you're on to it. I buy 50 pound bags for about 16 dollars in
Georgetown.
V
On Fri, 17 Oct 2003 16:19:40 -0500, J Kolenovsky opined:
V., you know, I always heard that about Alfalfa and read a bit here and
there until now. I went and found what's in the stuff. Gosh, darn, the
stuff is loaded.
Ingredients:
Alfalfa ingredients:
Triacontanol (growth stimulant)
Vitamin A (high concentration)
Thiamine
Riboflavin
Pantothenic Acid
Niacin
Pyridoxine
Choline
Bentaine
Folic Acid
co-enzymes
Crude proteins (16 - 25% in dry alfalfa)
Amino acids (% in alfalfa meal).
Tryptophan, 0.3 %
Aspartic Acid, 2.3%
Threonine, 1.0 %
Serine, 1.0%
Glutamic Acid, 2.7%
Proline, 1.2%
Glycine, 1.1%
Alanine, 1.1%
Cystine, 0.2%
Valine, 1.0%
Methionine, 0.3%
Isoleucine, 0.8%
Leucine, 1.6%
Tyrosine, 0.5%
Phenylalanine, 1.0%
Histidine, 0.4%
Lysine, Total, 1.1%
Arginine, 1.1%
Minerals (contained in dry alfalfa)
Nitrogen 3.75-5.5 %
Potassium .75 - 3.5 %
Phosphorus .3 - .7%
Calcium 1 - 2 %
Magnesium .30 - 1 %
Sulphur .2 - .5 %
Manganese 30-200 ppm
Iron 20-250 ppm
Boron 20-80 ppm
Copper 5-20 ppm
Zinc 20-70 ppm
Alfalfa tea is a natural and inexpensive fertilizer.
Alfalfa pellets and meal are available from garden
and feed supply stores in 50 lb. bags. Get together
with your neighbors to share the cost (and
transportation) of a bag or two. Pellets are easier to
handle, but I feel that the meal makes a better
fertilizer. Some also say that the higher temperature
processing that goes into making pellets lowers the
nutrient value of the alfalfa. Epsom salts are also
available in bulk. In our area, Buckerfield's, Borden
Merchantile and Integrity stock bulk feeds and
fertilizers.
Dry alfalfa is a good slow-release source of nitrogen,
but since you will be "digesting" it by letting it
ferment in water, the resulting tea is a soluable,
fast-acting nitrogen source. Also, by making alfalfa
(or manure) tea, you don't have to worry about weed
seeds sprouting from the fertilizer.
If you don't have time to make alfalfa tea, you can
still sprinke alfalfa pellets on the ground in the spring
- however the nutrients will take much longer to be
released, it doesn't look as attractive, and the pellets
can attract rodents. A better solution would be to use
Complete Organic mix and add extra alfalfa meal to
it, then scratch it into the surface of the soil.
Orchid and rose growers use alfalfa tea as a foliar
spray. If you grow delphiniums and irises, they also
love alfalfa tea. Some iris growers mulch their beds
with alfalfa meal. And an additional benefit for
delphiniums is that the Epsom salts in the tea help to
ward off slugs and snails. In addition to nitrogen,
alfalfa supplies enzymes and trace elements that are
not present in chemical nitrogen fertilizers.
JK
animaux wrote:
I've not seen it at Lowes here in this area of Austin...actually Round Rock.
I'll seek it out, but the alfalfa pellets are sold much cheaper at tack and feed
stores. It's virtually the same thing.
V
On Fri, 17 Oct 2003 07:36:12 -0500, J Kolenovsky opined:
On their website is a retailer dealer locator. Well, wouldn't you know
it? I just clicked it and its in repair. Seems like Lowe's was one of
the retailers. The Texas rep is Greg Phillips: Fort Worth, Texas Phone:
(817) 731-9141.
Less turf, more diversity. Yes!
JK
animaux wrote:
Actually, Bradfield is a terrific fertilizer. I used to be able to have access
to it up in the Dallas are, but I haven't found it anywhere in Austin or
surrounding. Do you have a source in Austin?
I like it for a few reasons, but mainly for the material it's made of. There is
so much organic matter in it, that it serves as both fertilizer and almost as a
compost top dress.
What I've done is to buy alfalfa hay, and pellets from the tack and feed store
and I've been using it on very sunny areas of turf. It's moot now because all
of that turf is coming out in about a week. Less and less turf. I love that!
Victoria
On Wed, 15 Oct 2003 17:54:49 -0500, J Kolenovsky opined:
An ORGANIC one.
These guys are out of Springfield, MO - http://www.bradfieldind.com/
JK
Chris Farmer wrote:
I am in the process of getting my lawn ready for winter and spring.
I plan to power rake the lawn to remove thatch,
Aerate with a rented machine
spread seed
and apply 1/4" or so of top soil
My question is which fertilizer is appropriate?
Winterizer or starter fertilizer for the seed?
The levels of nutrients vary greatly and I don't want to plant a bunch
of seed and use winterizer only have the seed suffer through a harsh
winter.
I live in MO, so we get into the single digits at times during winter.
Any advice would be appreicated