Re: Alfalfa Tea
- To: Multiple recipients of list <i*@rt66.com>
- Subject: Re: Alfalfa Tea
- From: R* T* D* <r*@sierratel.com>
- Date: Thu, 13 Feb 1997 20:04:21 -0700 (MST)
Walter A. Moores wrote:
>
> >
> > I do have some comments about top dressing with alfalfa pellets. I did
> > it this last fall (before our rainy season - which passes for winter
> > here). A lot of them caught at the base of the fans and then at the
> > first rain the pellets swelled up about three fold. I don't know that it
> > would have been bad for the rhizomes to be covered that way, but it made
> > me nervous, so I scrapped it off the rhizomes. Since then, in our rain,
> > sun, rain, sun, rain, sun environment, the resultant mush gets a little
> > crusty as it dries out. Maybe it will break down as the weather clears.
> > In the future I think I will stick to tea if necessary and tilling
> > pellets in before planting (definitely).
> >
> >
> I had the same experience mentioned above with alfalfa pellets. I
> had also worked some of the pellets into the soil and when the rains came,
> the newly-set rhizomes were heaved out. I think the trick in using
> alfalfa pellets is to work them into the soil in a new bed in the spring.
> Then, when you plant in the late summer or early fall, the pellets will
> have broken down.
>
> The tea idea sounds good.
>
> Walter Moores
> Enid Lake, MS
Walter,
The trick to working Alfalfa Pellets into the soil is to first lay them
out on top of the soil and wet them down with a hose. Do this when it
is warm during the summer. In a few hours they will deteriorate into
fine crumbles which can be tilled or turned in easily. No waiting!
Rick Tasco
Central California
Zone 8
