I won't do Alfalfa mulch again

It was a good experiment but I'm realizing - as I should have - that there is too much N generated by an alfalfa mulch. I got beautiful blooms but they came late and the stems have been weak. It might be alright if it was offset by a fertilizer high in phosporous and potash. But I think that I'll stick to a more balanced approach next year. The roses have loved it however and I've had lots of bloom and growth has been good.

I'll have to see if just a little gives me such color. Another year, another experiment.

Just thought that you'd like to know.

Doss,
Thanks for your experiment notes.
I was thinking about trying it on a few dahlias but now I won't.
Carol

I would keep in mind how much that alfalfa breaks down over the course of weeks and really gets into the soil before I threw away the experiment to get colors such as yours Doss! I have mulched with used shredded alfalfa three seasons now and no harm done.

Next year I'm doing the alfalfa pellets on a couple trial plants that I have duplicates of ( hopefully have that is, LOL, ever since Candy mentioned my 'nitrogen bath' of late season fertilizer I have to use that caveat for tuber storage : ) Still like you Candy! You are the second successful dahlia grower I know who's used the alfalfa pellets with great flowering success, Doss. I do have deer enemies around, so will use them up by the house where the dog is on closer patrol.

Doss, can you post a link to the place where you read about Nitrogen being balanced out by Potash and Phosphorus? I just went to the 'yardiac' link for one of those products, but would like to read more on this. What else have I got to do all winter? Thanks!

You're going to laugh. It's the one that you posted for me in the fertilizer thread.
http://eesc.orst.edu/agcomwebfile/edmat/html/fs/fs95/fs95.html

Well, maybe I need to add potash and phosperous along with the alfalfa. I was totally surprised by how late some of the dahlias bloomed. I had a terrible problem with leaf miners. Took care of that. Then spidermites and I just treated for powdery mildew for the second time. It's been a real "pest" summer. You would have thought that i was growing roses!

Doss