RE: Fw: Alfala pellets

 

Hello everyone,

I have been following the discussion of alfalfa with interest. 

 

The lead article in the most recent issue of The Avant Gardener titled Alfalfa Vitalizes Plants makes strong arguments for use of alfalfa (medicago sativa)and rates it as high as fish emulsion, seaweed and worm castings as a top organic fertilizer.  Thirty years ago a study at Michigan State discovered that alfalfa conations a fatty acid alcohol called triacontanol, which stimulates plant growth.  They suggest working it into the soil or making a tea from the pellets or clippings taken from your own small alfalfa patch grown for this purpose.  Johnny’s Seeds sells an annual alfalfa, ‘Nitro,’ that grows into the late fall and produces 50% more nitrogen than perennial alfalfa.

 

Eartheart Gardens
Sharon H. Whitney
1709 Harpswell Neck Road
Harpswell, ME 04079
Phone & fax (207) 833-6905

sharon@eartheartgardens.com
www.eartheartgardens.com

From: sibrob@yahoogroups.com [mailto:sibrob@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Ellen Gallagher
Sent: Thursday, August 04, 2011 1:49 PM
To: sibrob@yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: [sibrob] Fw: Alfala pellets

 

 

Iris - I am not an 'expert' on soil but I would have my test tested before I start added amendments to my soil. Here in the New Hampshire and I assuming in other states, we take a little soil sample (I take a sample in various parts of my garden) and send or I take it to my county extension service and they send it to the the state university for testing. I get back an analysis of the 'make-up' (told I was not an expert :-) of the soil....pH level, the potassium, etc. In different parts of the garden (I only took two samples),there was  divergence in the soil....not extreme but in the pH. One was more alkaline than the other one so I didn't plant any Japanese irises there but planted bearded irises.

 

Just my experience....I go with the bloom also...if I get good bloom, I do nothing and I mean nothing except occasional weeding and I mean occasional. :-) The one time I fertilized my garden at this property, I had the worst bloom ever! We have very rich soil on the acid side and we don't add amendments even to our vegetable garden and don't spray anything.....no iris borer here but I do have occasional problems with the iris bud fly but not too bad.

 

Don't know anything about alfalfa except the sprouts on my salads...

 

Have a good day.

 

Ellen

 

From: iris clarke <iris.clarke1@tesco.net>
To: sibrob@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Thursday, August 4, 2011 12:40 PM
Subject: [sibrob] Fw: Alfala pellets

 

 

----- Original Message -----

From: i*@tesco.net

To: s*@yahoo.co.uk

Sent: Friday, July 22, 2011 10:38 AM

Subject: Alfala pellets

 

Hi All

Hope you all had a successful siberian iris year.Mine was pretty disappointing .Hardly any bloomed for me.

The question is ,why. I know some have outgrown their space and need splitting ,which I will be doing soon,but the others all had their fair share of sun and lots of water.So is the problem in the soil?.I read in articles written by American growers   that alfalfa pellets are good for them ,.On looking up on the internet ,alfalfa pellets is an animal food made from herbs.I thought alfalfa meant chicken poo pellets,which I use too.Can someone enlighten me on this theory and how to apply it please.

Many thanks

Iris Clarke

 

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