Alfalfa pellets works wonders!!!

as everyone here knows i love to experiment with brug cuttings that has been shared with me by lots of good friends here on DG. due to very unlimited budget, i have no other recourse but do some experiment. the following photos i will post are the result of using Alfalfa Pellets ... cost is very minimal $5.60 for a 50 lb bag from a local farm place or some pet stores. these plants had Alfalfa Pellet treatment merely less than a month.

Alfalfa from researched i have done allows the plant to digest fertilizer [16/16/16 from HD for less than $6.00 for a 20 lb bag], we apply in our plant to grow. the molasses incorporated in the Alfalfa Pellet feeds the bacteria in the ground.

Tequila Sunrise ... hope the bud is visible.

here is Daybreak, going crazy forming one Y after the other. there are buds forming in there too.

Solid Gold, although so small is also competing with the other brugs grown in full sun. a small bud is forming.

Shirley's Peach is actively forming Y and is vigorously growing.

Suaveolens White has also formed Y on it's less than a foot height.

finally good old Frosty Pink!

Hello MaVie!!! Wow...I love to learn anything new and that is tried and true! This is great! Quick question....how much or how many pellets per 5 gallon pot?

BTW...your brugs look great!

Edited to ask....in the soil or on top of the soil?

This message was edited May 30, 2004 2:39 PM

hi Brenda,

50 lb bag seem a lot of Alfalfa pellets[AP], that was what i thought 1st time i bought it. it is never enough. i have used AP on all my plants around here. am on to buying the 3rd bag.

here is what i do: i have a 32 gal. plastic container. fill 1/4 of the bottom part of the plastic container with AP, then fill the rest of the container with water. allow it to soak overnight and feed ur plants once a week with this solution. this is the solution i normally use.

soaking over night is the best solution i have found to be the easier way of doing it. when i ask around how to do it, i was told to place some in food processor NOT!!! it just does not work, it will also dull the blade of food processor. soaking them overnight, the pellets sort of burst into small pieces. plus soaking AP, the plant roots have easy access to the nutrients AP impart to the plants.

be mindful when u buy AP, the 1st ingredient will be alfalfa, and molasses, included in the mixture. so read the label as they say.

i have applied this formula to roses and other plants too, and they are blooming galore. the roses went wild.

edited to make instruction clearer.

This message was edited Feb 23, 2005 3:04 PM

I think that alfalfa in almost any form is beneficial. I have mulched veggies with alfalfa hay with good results. I have used chopped alfalfa hay as an ingredient in a lasagna garden--whopper plants. And I have been mixing alfalfa pellets-rabbit food- in my potted plant soil. All to good results.

Thanks, MaVieRose, I'm going to try this, assuming i can find the Alfalfa Pellets. It seems that my plants do better when I feed them a variety, rather than the same ole fert. I love your name and your plants look oh so healthy!!!!

That sounds great, although if I thought I had a problem with blood meal and my dogs, I can only imagine what would happen with alfalfa! Our Golden used to spend a lot of time in the barn and knew which horses dropped the most feed. he would lie under the feeders and wait for it to drop. He was up to around 150+ lbs! He's been banned from the barn for a couple of years and is now down to about 100 lbs...

...seems like I heard that rabbits like the alfalpha too! You just reminded me I have a 1/2 bag at Tracys house. We bought one bag to split. I will have to try making the tea! We bought it from a feed store.

I made a batch of compost tea last summer with some alfalpha hay and various other ingredients. Let me tell ya... if you let it sit too long... it STINKS to high heaven! I don't mean kinda smelly...... It stunk so bad I thought I had a dead body in my yard!

Flicker this is all new to me. i had barely used it less than a month now.

Sherry... try some pet store, maybe u can find them there, after all this concoction is made for horse food. since this works for me, from here on in, the only fertilizer i will use is 16/16/16 and the AP.

Gretchen ... i mix the AP concoction into the soil and water well after each application... that way the mixture goes down into the root level.

Margie... give it a try, u won't regret it. i am very pleased with my experiment. the last few years, i have tried so many kinds of cheap fertilizer for lack of funds in the past. in those years, the only time the brugs i grew bloomed late Oct. and Nov. this is the 1st time, all my plants are blooming early.

Sue, as big as this property is [1 acre], the 32 gal. container, i soaked is used up in all the plants here. there are no left over. beside soaking overnight, i do not smell any funky or stinking scent.

i do not make compost tea, i just soak the pellets to soften it and be able to apply to the plants as needed.

if some of u would like to try, take a cup of AP, soak the pellets 3-5 times the amount of water. if u need to add more water to dilute the AP, do so. incorporate the concoction into the soil and water it down so the nutrient go direct to the root level of the plant.

here is a photo of the plumeria i added some AP concoction.
this plumy is blooming for the 1st time. i could hardly wait to see the bloom!

Gosh Mavie! This sounds wonderful, I figure I might as well try it, I dont have anything to lose. :o) Thank you for sharing this info.

u're very welcome Shelly. u know me, i like to share what i find in my experiments.

do not forget to alternately foliar spray ur plant with H2O2 and alcohol with some palmolive soap to avoid insect bugs infestation. i better post formula just in case

using bottle sprayer:
2 tbsp. H2O2 or alcohol
1 tbsp Palmolive soap [is wetter than water which is why everything u wash in it is squeaky clean]
1 tbsp MG 15/30/15
fill the rest of the bottle with water. spray on the plant.

for foliar feeding:
1 c H2O2 or alcohol
1/4 c Palmolive soap
1/4 c MG 15/30/15*

* using the MG will be ur indicator on the foliar feeding bootle that the concoction has ran out. so refill again if need be. since u are spraying the bugs to go away, why not feed the leaves too LOL! several jobs incorporated into one.

i noticed last year, after religiously using the above formula, i did not have any bug problems when i brought some of the plants in for the winter. NO whiteflies, no aphids, no spider mites! i spray early in the morning or late in the afternoon. i have no problem spraying in the after noon since it is always windy in the Upper Desert, plants have chance to dry up after spraying or watering.

what i would like to find is a concoction that will irradicate locost, cricket and cicadas. boy are they a pain in the rear LOL!

I'm so sorry to ask this, but could someone tell me what H202 is??? MaVieRose, I'm going to try all your tricks and I sincerely appreciate your posts!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! SherryLike

Hydrogen Peroxide = H202

Shelly221, just straight hydrogen peroxide???? Thanks!!!! Ugh, I know this is a silly question, but why don't they say hydrogen peroxide, or is is a special mix for plants????

I think she probably said it H202 because its easier to type.. lol There are a couple different strengths of hydrogen peroxide, maybe MVR will tell us if it was just Over The Counter, like at the grocery store or not.
The H202 goes with the periodic table of elements.

This message was edited May 30, 2004 8:29 PM

MaVie,

Very interesting post. I've heard that Alphalfa was very good for your plants, especially roses. I've been putting alphalfa in my compost tea since I've been making it.

Question....what do you do with the left over soaked pellets? Could I just put them in my compost pile?

Thanks,
Donna

the H2O2 is the regular hydrogen peroxide 3% u can buy anywhere. i get the 32 fl. oz. @ Walmart for less than $2.00 a bottle. although lately, i found a gal. size at Smart & Finals for less than $5.00 a gal.

Sherry i foliar spray all my plants twice a week. the 1st time i use H2O2 on the mixture. later in the week, i use the alcohol mixture. so far, i have noticed last Fall/Winter when i brought the plants in the house, i did not see any bugs at all. that is why i swear by that foliar mixture.

Donna ... yes u can put left over AP concoction in the compost pile. i never have any left over around here cuz if there are any leftover, i put them along the rootline of some of the trees growing around here. am not too selective with plants around here. LOL! soaking the AP overnight is far easier for me than making compost tea. to tell u the truth, i do not even know how, which is why i like to experiment. besides, i can not stand anything that will smell. my stomach is too weak.

thanks everyone for the nice compliment/s. i do appreciate ur kind words. as always i love to share results of my experiment/s.

edited cuz i can not spell some words right LOL!

This message was edited May 30, 2004 11:25 PM

MaVieRose, this is a most interesting thread, I like your stuff. As the spirit moves you, please update us, okay??!!

Sherry... some people call me MVR, others call me ma vie, either way is fine with me. i think it is easier than typing the whole thing. if u noticed, everything about me is the easier way LOL!!!

i will surely update as i find good result on my experiment/s. there is another one, i am at the moment trying to observe and working on. if i find that one to work right... i will surely share.

Your brugs look just great Ma Vie!

I am sure going to try your mite control spray. I am so sick of mites!! I have a fungal infection also on 3 brugs. I wonder if it will help that.

I have been using the alfalfa pellets also this last month. I have used 100 pounds. So far I have noticed nothing. I did it like the Davers do on the rose forum and just sprinkled them under my plants. So far I am not impressed. I will try doing it like Ma Vie does it. I have got to say Epson salts has been my miracle this year.

SO Flicker, are alfalfa pellets really rabbit food? I told my DH when I got this them that we probably will have every rodent within 50 miles coming to chow down under my brug trees............ LOL

I used 150 lbs. of Alfalfa pellets around my daylilies this year and last. The plants look very healthy. My sack os AP say rabbit food on them. There is at least one Cottontail rabbit in my yard. The AP were spread 2 months ago and have pretty much disappeared now. The rabbit is very busy eating my lovely leaf lettuce!!! Donna

Thanks Kell... that coming from u is a great compliment.

on the fungal infection try this link, i have not use the formula as i do not see any fungus around or near my plant... http://www.whyy.org/91FM/ybyg/fungicide.html

this next link is informational only http://www.hgtv.com/hgtv/gl_diseases_pests_diseases/article/0,1785,HGTV_3579_1372002,00.html

Kell, spreading the dried AP on the ground takes time to disintegrate... takes a lot of watering to do this. the experiment i did is the easier way [modesty aside] cuz the concoction goes direct to the root zone. furthermore u will see results after a few weeks of application.

i am not so sure Kell, course i am not Flicker, but i believe Alfalfa is incorporated in a lot of farm animal food.

i have a dog in the yard, there are lots of wild rabbits roaming around both day and night ... so far, none of these animals bother any of my plants!

What a marvelous thread....what gems you have come up with!!!

I just saw this post MaVie and it looks great!! I am putting it in my favorites and will study it thoroughly when I'm more awake. ;)

Thanks Carol and Pam. when i see something interesting, i do a lot of research and study the materials. then use my common sense and start experimenting. so far i have been lucky to get good results.

Ma Vie, WOW! & WOW! again...Very interesting (still reading) but wanted to say Hiand thx for the GREAT info.

Very Nice Plants you have there...I know next to nothing about this plant but, I do know they are beautiful...


Thx, Carol

ps
How R the new Babies?

mine are all doing wonderful

hi Carol... so far everything is doing great! once they catch up from the shock they have been thru, i will apply some AP concoction on them. i will be posting some pic of the babies u sent me. thanks Carol :).

That's something else sound good!

MaVieRose
I went to visit my new grandson yesterday and for my birthday today my daughter and her husband bought me a brug for my birthday today. I was so excited. It is about 2 feet tall but no blooms yet. I have not put it in a pot yet but have a large pot to put it in and bought a bag of miracle grow potting soil to pot it in. Is that a bad idea. I am so excited over this plant and want to do the right thing for it. I have always read your thread on the brugs and looked at the beautiful plants and now I have my own am really excited about it. I live in a very small town and don't remember seeing a feed store except for the place they sell chicken feed. Also I have some leaves that shows some signs of insect. They is some little black things on it. I will use your formula to spray on it. As soon as I can get to a feed store will check out the rabbit pellets. Also I have a neighbor that has horses and was wondering about the horse munure. But don't want to burn the plant. Don't have a compost here because we will be only here temporarily. Just sold our place in Florida and brought some plants with me and have them on the patio here and just hope they will last in the pots until I can get them in the ground in our new place. Sorry to ask so many questions but really want this brug to make it. Sending a couple of pics to show you
Sami

Here is another pic of the Brug taken from the top of the plant
Sami

Ok last pic of the brug. This a leaf view where the insects have been eating. Also don't have a name for this brug. The tag says Brugmansia arborea. I will have to do some research and will need to send some info to my son-in-law because they bought one for themselves. I have really talked about the brug so much they decided to get them one.

Sami

am not ignoring anyone, i am having server problems from early this am! will respond later when things get stabled.

Hi Sami. I haven't seen you around for a long time. How are you?

MVR, I'm heading to the grain elevator tomorrow to get some AP's. Have to give them a try. Thanks.

Happy Birthday Sami

Cool....I hadn't even looked at today's birthdays. Happy Birthday Sami. How are the air potatoes doing? LOL!