Alfalfa
$24.40
Introducing Our Dynamic Alfalfa:
Experience the power of alfalfa, a versatile mineral accumulator with roots that penetrate meters deep into the soil.
Plant it over the summer for a continuous monthly harvest from a single patch. While it takes approximately 6 months to establish, once it takes hold, alfalfa offers a prolonged growing and harvesting season, surpassing comfrey.
Harness the benefits of alfalfa in your garden! Whether for composting or mulching heavy feeders like tomatoes, peppers, and pumpkins, alfalfa is your go-to solution for soil enrichment and crop nourishment.
Description
Weight: Approx. 500 grams, enough to plant 200 sq metres.
Description: We love to grow alfalfa in beds specifically for harvesting over the Summer to use as mulch or in compost. It is a dynamic mineral accumulator, bringing potash phosphate and calcium in particular to the places we use it. It can be fed to cows or sheep in molasses etc. and then it grows through the existing pasture if you allow long grass grazing.
It is a great mulch because of the high carbon content it lasts a long time before breaking down. It comes up early in Spring and dies back later in Autumn than comfrey and is also great chicken food.
The Lucerne plant is resilient because it has a large tap root that can reach deep into the soil, accessing both nutrients and water. With its Nitrogen fixing nodules on main tap and lateral roots, Lucerne is known for its ability to render Nitrogen to soil. Lucerne thrives best on a deep permeable soil, so it is not normally the first choice for compacted soils.
Perennial Lucerne varieties go dormant over winter and generally survive well unless heaving, waterlogging or icing occur. Alfalfa/Lucerne, is high in crude protein and it is grown for grazing and hay forage across temperate areas of the world.
Planting Instructions:
- Timing: Plant in early Spring or early Autumn.
- Covering Seeds: Cover the planted area with 70% shade cloth until the seeds are well up and growing.
- Transplanting Brassicas: If planning to transplant brassicas, wait until the alfalfa seeds are up and growing before transplanting them into the bed.
- Alfalfa Ground Cover: Consider using alfalfa as a ground cover for crops like corn by planting it first.
- Autumn Planting: For early Spring plantings such as garlic, plant in early Autumn to allow for the beds to be prepared and ready for planting when the time comes.
