I have been using your alfalfa tea on my plants and they are loving it! With my Brugs and other plants, I've been using it every 2 weeks. Is that too often??? How often should I use this alfalfa "brew"???
Alfalfa pellets works wonders!!!
June 9, 5:01 pm posting i mentioned: in my experiment, i use 1 cup of the AP concoction once a week and water thoroughly after each application. but ever since it has been overwhelming hot here, now i use 2 cups of the AP concoction once a month. and water it thoroughly. so far, each day i am amaze how the "Y's" and new buds keep forming.
i have not been posting any blooms, of late cuz the heat seemed to 'melt/wilt' the flowers from too much heat. the blooms only lasted overnight. whereas during the colder month, a bloom last for several days, which allows me to see the changes in bloom color.
am glad to hear that this concoction is helping some of u. i am very pleased with my experiment, specially seeing for myself all the end result of my hard labor.
edited to add:
Betty the rain is to ur advantage cuz it is allowing the AP concoction go to where it belongs >> the root zone.
Jenny, am so happy for u... u finally were able to see a bloom on the brug u grow. so glad the AP concoction is also working on ur other plants. i had a gardenia i had nurse for 4 yrs and never bloom. now is blooming like mad LOL!
Shirley am glad it is working wonder for u too!
use ur best judgement as to how often u should use the AP. as i am not too familiar with ur area/s. i can only share info on what i deal with taking into consideration of the dry hot weather in the desert, not to mention the constant winds blooming that never let up!
try not to over use the AP, a little goes a long way. use in moderation is the best rule in life. some people will have the tendency to think a wee bit more will be good, WRONG! over indulging is always a bad thing. so, use in moderation, and u will be happy with the end result as i am!
happy gardening to everyone.
This message was edited Jul 12, 2004 3:06 PM
I think I'll try this again with two pots of plant cuttings that are the same age and size and treat one pot and not the other. That would be the best way to see if there is a big difference. If it doesn't do much of anything, I'll stick to what I've always done in the past and I've had some heafty brugs and blooms. If there is a remarkable difference, I'll keep using it.
Now there's an intelligent to test it.....
Ma Vie sitting here reading this again and a thought came to mind (thats dangerous) we used to use Real Vanilla extract to repel bugs when painting boats. They do not like the smell I guess. That would work just as will as lemon scent.
I have been using chopped Alphafa (A bale in a bag). Mix it in a five gallon bucket, then Pour it on and use the left over as a mulch around the plants.
spelling check
This message was edited Jul 12, 2004 8:51 PM
Wow, this is turning into a long thread. As you can see, there are many different ways to apply alfalfa - and probably most of them give similar results, so just do what works for you. I'm glad no one has started a pointless argument proclaiming their way is the best way and everyone else is 'wrong'.
Brugie, I like your idea of testing with two identical plants. Please let us know how your experiment turns out.
My two cents worth - I figure even if alfalfa has no special properties, at least it makes a nice slow-release organic fertilizer and soil conditioner. So even if it doesn't help much it's unlikely to do any harm if used in reasonable quantities. I'd advise using it like any other fertilizer - i.e. don't use it late in the growing season on plants that need to slow down and harden off new growth before cold weather. Also, of course, make sure the alfalfa you are buying for your garden does not have any added salt. (That can be a problem with some rabbit feeds - check the ingredients.)
MVR: I want to try your spray for my brug bugs. What size spray bottle do you use? Also, the Palmolive soap--is that liquid dishwashing soap or bar soap. I have a lot of spider mites and would appreciate any other suggestions.
...............The age-old idea has always been to use alfalfa hay ,whole , chopped, chopped formed into cubes , ground into meal -or- compressed pellets made from the meal.
That's all.
When you start buying animal feeds 'instead of ' the pure product , of course there will be added ingredients. AP is an 'ingredient ' in many feeds from hamsters to bovine, equine , lamas , hogs, exotic animals and so on. If you don't use the pure product, you takes yur chances =))
This message was edited Jul 13, 2004 3:00 PM
Brugie that is a nice idea. although, i can tell u right now. the other brugs i grow that never had any AP treament are not doing anything.... super slow growth, no signs of any Y-ing, no signs of growth at all...just leaves growth but too small leaves growing.
Ted and others... so far the AP concoction is doing a good job on my plants. so! i will stick to what works for me. everybody has their own way of growing plants and feeding them. all i can say is do the best u can on ur end. am merely sharing info in the hope that others may benefit from it. good luck and more power to u. as Emeril says 'it don't hurt my feelings!' LOL!!!
Abbethel ... the sprayer i use are the empty spray bootle of 409 only cuz they have good spray pump. u can use any sprayer available to u. be sure to wash it thoroughly before using. also be sure to alternate the H202 with the alcohol. if u use H202 in the mix today, tomorrow u should use alcohol.
if the infestation is heavy, try to spray everyday till the buggers are gone!. i try to use the foliar feeder as there are way too many plants to spray, easier that way.
Sorry was not trying to change your thread. Just trying to add a little knowledge about keeping bugs out. You are doing great
no problem here Ted :), the more info the better. i guess that is why forums and thread are created to be more informative!
pellets or hay, so long as it work for the user and the plant does not really make any difference i guess? i would not know cuz i only use the pellets. it is the only thing available at the local feed store in my area.
I'm really interested in your results Brugie. I had a Butterfly that was struggling and I added AP and I think it has tripled in size in the past 2 weeks. I know there are many different factors as to why this could have happened and I really wish I would have had 2 sitting side by side and done your experiment. Let us know!
You are right Brinda....you cannot believe it was the alfalfa pellets that made it grow that much without growing another plant of equal size and the same variety, but not use the pellet mixture because it is very likely that they could have grown that way without the Alfalfa Tea mixture. Brugs tend to really shoot up when they are ready to grow. I believe it is a daylength thing that triggers them to set buds too. Could be wrong.
Well, I have some setting buds and some not but they are in a row together. Isabella is setting the most buds....
bump
I myself tried the alfalfa tea and I like the results so far, it's the smell lol ewwwwwwww...I am going to soak some alfalfa pellets alone without the fish emulsion or the epsom salt this time. I think they like the stuff to tell you the truth. All are well and thriving...it's so hot I'm surprised by that period! :) Thanks for sharing the recipe
I too tried this, my brugs and dats both are greener and healthier looking within 2 weeks time! Thank you so much for sharing with us!!
I discovered if I put some baking soda in with it that I could leave it longer without its getting smelly.
I too have been very impressed with the results I have gotten using the alfalfa.
Thank you so much, MVR. My brugs started to bloom earlier and have moore blooms with the Alfalfa pellets. And thanks to Darius too, she pushed me into using the pellets.
Thanks, Lizh, glad they helped you!
I totally agree!
THANK YOU, Thank you, thank you for all your help with nourishing Brugs with Alfafa "tea"! My Brugs are growing like gang busters and making more "Y's"! I'm looking forward to a lot more blooms too!
bumpin this thread back up.....
This whole thread is SO interesting! I am going to find some alfalfa in some form tomorrow!
have any of you tried the Alfalfa meal? Sandra
have used the alphalfa tea all summer and have had the most beautiful blooms - I think it is a keeper. My question is, now that fall is approaching, do I stop using the alphalfa tea stuff?
Sandra, I've never seen the meal. Any FCX or Southern States will have the Alfalfa pellets.
AM is a cattle feed supplement/ingredient. AM is what they compress to make AP.
sarv It depends a lot on what plants you are talking about, but I would think it is time to quite using it. Here anyway it is the time of year that most plants other than fall blooming things are starting to go to sleep. Since we are basically the same zone, I would thing other than things that haven't bloomed yet, that its time to back off using the ap.
alice
Alice, it has been so nice here that I applied another dose of it, but only to the brugs - frost can't be far behind!!
by no means i am no expert. this is the last month i am applying AP or any type of fertilizer on most of the plants i grow around here. common sense tells me that most fertilizers will only supply food for plants that are actively growing during warmer weather. it is therefore my personal conclusion to put total halt in any type of fertilizer.
this is the 1st year i have applied AP on my plants. since i have seen good results behind my efforts, i won't hesitate to use it again next year's growing season. all the plants i have applied AP were happy, so am i :).
OK. I went to the farm store for the AP they had it in 50lb bags for $9 but there were no ingredients listed, I asked them if it contained mollasses and they said no....Hmmmm so do I get it anyway or look for different one
kareokie, I did the same thing today and found the same bag! it was $9 (horse feed) and I thought that might be kind of high. None of the regular feedstores were open today.......imagine that. you'd think it was a holiday! lol Sandra
what about using this on house plants all year?
Alfalfa pellets will not have and ingredient list . there is no LIST , only alfalfa .
thanks scooterbug, now if someone will post and tell me it is OK to use on house plants, or the seeds I am raising in the house.
I use it on all , except Iris' only get it once in the Spring .( they do not need fert.)
Houseplants included but never on seed(lings) until they are well on the way and potted up.
For house plants, I just work some into the soil .
what measurement do you use, how much AP to how much water, and what is Alpha Tea?
on your recipe for the spray bottle:
what is MG 15/30/15
I am new to this. I don't know abbreviations yet.
I have a potted yellow and pink that I have been overwintering. Look forward to getting them back outside. Got them late season. Hope they will bloom for me this year :-)
Thank you, your post has been very helpful.
Miracle Grow.
DUH!
Thank you.
I have used one cube of alfalfa per 1-gallon pot or soil, for years. I add one cube for each gallon, just broken up and mixed in the initial potting soil. When I plant my brugs/plants in the ground, I put 1-3 cubes, crushed, around the roots, water in and keep watered. They grow fast, big, and bloom like crazy. Once in a while I soak about ten cubes in a 5-gallon bucket of water, and water everything. It really makes a difference.
Wow, I just finished this thread (I admit I was lazy about reading it all at first because it seemed like the great American novel.)
I'm glad I did.
There's alot of info here....thanks to everybody for the posts!
Jackie