alfalfa, seaweed and compost

I use all three of the above for the same reason: micronutrients. Alfalfa
roots can go down about 20 feet to soils that might not have been stripped
of micronutrients. According to my  understanding, most farming  activities
involve fairly limited soil penetration and accordingly many farming soils
are seriously depleted in some of the essential micro nutrients. Alfalfa
gets around this problem by going deeper. Alfalfa also provides the 3 major
nutrients. Seaweed can supply micronutrients since the sea is a micro
nutrient soup. Compose may provide micronutrients because it generally
involves multiple sources or organic material and usually tree leaves and
wood which have the same deep mining advantage as alfalfa.

I have used alfalfa pellets in the bottom of a pot and as top dressing. I
found no value whatsoever to alfalfa using with iris pots. Top dressing made
reading my labels impossible so the labels had to be washed. Osmocote time
release fertilizer added to the surface of the newly potted rhizome has been
very effective in terms of plant color and growth.

My intent to also foliar feed if actually done would probably be effective.
Foliar feeding has some real advantages particularly for calcium.

Harold Peters
Beautiful View Iris Garden
2048 Hickok Road
El Dorado Hills, CA 95762
harold@directcon.net  www.beautiful-view-iris.com

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