Re: CULT: Alfalfa After Bloom?

John:
I have been using alfalfa pellets at transplanting time for many year; I'll try the alfalfa tea. In the past I have also used manure tea.
Does anybody in the iris world use Bio-solids? I started using it earlier this year, but I need to be a bit more scientific in comparing it to other fertilizers. 


Jim Reilly
Region 23


John I Jones wrote:
I would agree with Dave with the caveat that if you want to get the alfalfa nutrients to the roots of an established plant, alfalfa tea is probably the most effective way. Top dressing with alfalfa pellets and scratching them into the soil would be much less effective.
Put a couple of inches of pellets in the bottom of a 5 gallon bucket, fill with water and let sit for a day or so. Stir it once or twice after the pellets break down.
Drench the plants with the liquid. You can then use the left over "mush" as a top dressing (scratched in) or as a soil amendment when transplanting or potting 

John


On Jun 1, 2009, at 1:32 AM, Dave Silverberg wrote:
Anner: I have found (for me) that the best application of alfalfa pellets is mixing it in the soil at transplanting time. The watering-in procedure after transplanting begins the release of the micro-nutrients and the triacontanol (growth stimulant). Early on in my use of alfalfa pellets I just sprinkled a handful over the clump. I found that the pellets disintegrated into a mush over the rhizome, became mouldy and had an umpleasant odor not to mention the unsightly mess. As Linda has mentioned do NOT use rabbit pellets. Besides the salt that is added there is cracked corn included and there is something (?) in the corn germ that is detrimental to the growth of the iris. There are those who prefer to use alfalfa tea as a foliar spray or as a drench but it seems to me to be a great deal more work than just mixing the pellet into the soil at planting time. 

Dave Silverberg

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