Re: Fw: Re: alfalfa tea
- Subject: Re: [SG] Fw: Re: alfalfa tea
- From: M* L*
- Date: Mon, 7 May 2001 08:31:56 -0600
I hope I'm not a "beer and ammonia" advocate, although I do advocate
household ammonia for slug control...but I use alfalfa meal mixed 50-50
with sterilized steer manure on my chile plants. They love it. I had seen
posts from people on the chile-heads list that praised planting in steer
manure (theretofore, I hadn't thought much of it), and other posts praising
alfalfa meal.So I combined them. I side-dress the mixture, about 1/2 to 1
cup per plant, about six weeks after transplanting. Margaret Lauterbach
> I've tried and tried to get enough science on the Alfalfa issue to proceed
>intelligently. All I get back is more lore from the ' Beer & Ammonia '
>advocates.
>Dr. R.L. Houtz submitted 2 papers ( 1980 & 1984 ) to Michigan State
>regarding Triacontanol ( that is the active ingredient in Alfalfa tea ). I
>have had no luck in trying to get a copy of these documents. I've even
>tracked him to the University of Kentucky, even got his Email (
>rhoutz@ca.uky.edu ). No answers, , ,
>The best I can offer at this time is some second hand information. Heat
>destroys Triacontanol ( how much heat? no one seems to know ). Heat is
>used in the manufacture of most Alfalfa products. Dr B Roston did some
>experiments using 3 pounds of chopped Alfalfa in 5 gallons of water soaked
>for 24 hours, that produced measurable results.
>Currently I am using Alfalfa hay ; as a mulch , as a compost, and as a
>soil amendment at planting time. Until I learn more, I am using Alfalfa
>as an organic fertilizer. The nitrogen content is 2.5%. The phosphorous
>content is 0.2 %. The potassium content is 1.7 %. There is other good
>stuff in it also!
>
>Brian,,, Bye!!!
>----- Original Message -----
>From: "Linda" <falkora@SMIG.NET>
>To: <PHOENIX_HOSTA_ROBIN@HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM>
>Sent: Monday, May 07, 2001 7:33 AM
>Subject: Re: alfalfa tea
>
>
> > I know this is a stupid question, but does "brewing" the tea mean
> > actually heating it, or just letting it sit in the sun for a while?
> > Linda
> >
