alfalfa tea- help

I started some alfalfa tea 4 days ago. It foams when I stir it but not by itself. Also there is a lot of alfalfa that sits at the top, hense, that's why I stir it. I mixed one of the buckets and started pouring it on my roses but I quit when I got near the bottom and there was a lot of sediment. I had put 5 handfuls it the large bucket. 2 questions- did I use too much alfalfa, or not wait long enough for it to decompose, or it suppose to be this way. It looked kinda sea greenish.Thanks
Oh I forgot to mention that it doesn't smell at all.

This message was edited May 2, 2007 10:43 AM

I haven't used alfalfa tea, but from reading this description -
http://www.emilycompost.com/compost_tips_and_tea.htm -
I think I'd like to try it.

Yuska

I'd say you did it fine. If you have a compost pile you can put the sediment in that -- it won't dissolve in the water. Odd it didn't smell after 4 days, but if it's not hot enough I guess it won't smell as quickly. It's good stuff.

My plants love the stuff...I left a bucket of it out in my greenhouse and a couple of 110 degree days...that stuff foamed like crazy!

Getting back to your question, mine rarely foams on it's own. I always stir it, pour it on the plants and add a little more water to the sediment and use it all up.

Michelle

approximately how much does everyone put on each plant? I have some that is done brewing and I would like to put some on plants tommorrow.

I use about 2 cups a plant...

I bought my first bag of alfalfa over the weekend, and I am looking forward to try it. I have to go add the first emulsion, and epson salts now. Thanks for the link!

After going back and reading the attached thread on alfalfa tea, I have decided not to add the fish emulsion and epson salts now. I may add some just before I use it though.

http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/695702/

How well do you think this would work if it doesn't have an opportunity to ferment? I'm thinking that I may be allow some of the alfalfa to sit in the water just for a day, and then use it. I wanted to get pellet so that I would be able to broadcast them in the garden, but the store only had hard cubes. The cubes are too large to put on the ground, but I think that I could soften them up in water, and then use this. I believe that it would still be beneficial, but certainly keep down the smell.

The cubes will behave just like the pellets in water -- I've used both and I prefer the pellets but it's the same stuff.

Besides roses, tomatoes and clematis, what other plants like alfalfa tea with epsom salt and fish emulsion added? I have some left over but do not want to put it on something that will not like it.

I don't know about the epsom salt, but fish emulsion and alfalfa tea will be good for pretty much anything (epsom salt may fine for just about everything too, I'm just not very familiar with when to use it so I don't want to accidentally lead you astray!)

Not sure about the epsom salts, but I use the alfalfa tea on everything. :)

Michelle

I've been scattering alfalfa pellets around my plants and containers and I'll sometimes throw handfuls of pellets into the watering can for a few minutes before watering, but I haven't bothered brewing/fermenting any tea. I guess I should give that a whirl...

The rose forum is usuallly were I have found people are using epsom salts, especially when planting a new rose.

Interesting tidbit: I started my tea just two days ago in my garage, in a five gallon pail since I wanted to try making a small amount first. It is already foaming. It smells earthy, but not rotten or offensive. I guess I'm ready to start!

I make mine in a 5 gallon bucket, it just smells earthy to me also. The only time it was really what I would call offensive was when I left it in the greenhouse! PPPPP UUUUU

At first, it just smells like alfalfa tea like you'd make from teabags. It takes a few days to get that set-your-neighbors-on-edge smell. Be careful getting it on your fingernails or anything else. The smell lingers... and lingers... and lingers... I have gotten rid of it by rinsing my hands with white vinegar. THAT smell dissipates.

LOL... and don;t add the fish emulsion until just before you are ready to start using it. Which is what I did the first time it made it! After 5+ days of fermenting my whole yard stunk like the county dump...

Your neighbors were probably wondering who was buried in some shallow grave...

Oh yeah - so was my husband!

I only let my alfalfa tea set about 24 hours before using it. It gets pretty nasty if it sets too long!

Nathalyn, that is good to know. Right now, I am working on a 48 hour cycle, so it is helpful to know how long others are letting it steep. I'm not sure that there is any additional benefit in letting the tea ferment. As soon as I finished my first batch this week, I just added additional alfalfa to the sediment that was left, filled it up with water, and started again.

Since these are fairly small batches, I still have many plants that I want to experience this yet.

kiwi, I hope you told your DH, "just practicing, DEAR..."

;}

Please correct me if I am wrong on my explanation as to why I am using the alfalfa tea. I was trying to explain this to my husband, when he asked why I had the "dirty water" in the garage.

I think that I read somewhere in another post that alfalfa is able to fix nitrogen in the soil, which is why alfalfa and clover is used as a cover crop. Is the advantage of the alfalfa tea that it adds nitrogen quickly to the soil, and thus can be used as a fast greening agent?

Here's a description of the benefits in the DG glossary: http://davesgarden.com/terms/go/2295/

Thank you Nathalyn. I've never looked at the glossary before. There is a another description under alfalfa tea. Here's the link

http://davesgarden.com/terms/go/2294.html

There is a thread on Epsom Salts in the Texas Guardening forum. Several people have said not to put ES on salvia, especially garden sage, but everything else should really enjoy it.

I have never tried alfalfa tea either, but there is a nursery here that was making it with aeration. They had an aquarium pump. I can't remember exactly what they said, but it's supposed to be a better way to make it. Somehow it turns out even better for the plants. The nursery is a place called Oma's Haus and Garten. I'm not sure they still make it, but I need to find out.