Best use of alfalfa meal?

[pointer80]

Hello all, I have read a little about the benefits of alfalfa meal and was wondering how some of the members use it in there gardens? mix in soil?, make a tea? scratch in for a top dressing? I am putting my plants in the ground outside when ready. Thanks.

 

[Nunyabiz]

I make a sprouted seed tea from alfalfa SEEDS, not meal.
Just soak seeds for 24 hours then pour off water and wet them a couple times a day until they sprout, once the sprouts get about the length of the seed put them in a blender with RO water blend them up and add to your plant water.
I usually use organic corn sprouted seed tea first when in veg, then a few weeks later the alfalfa.
I have malted barley in my amendments that I add a couple times per grow which the worms love to eat.

The meal you can just add to your soil as an amendment but like all amendments you need a good living soil full of microbes, worms and critters to break it all down.

 

[bobrown14]

Alfalfa meal will compost (break down in soil) hot. So it needs some time to "cook".

When we talk about soil mixes that need to sit a few weeks to "cook" they usually have alfalfa meal in them.

If you wanna sratch in soil, go easy with it and don't use it on young plants. Wait until 5th or more nodes. Larger plants can handle it better.

Just go easy specially teas - needs to be diluted say 10:1 with water. For outdoor throw in a cup of the meal with another cup of ewc in the hole. Good stuff.

Great for composting too.