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Alfalfa tea for newly planted bare root hostas?

15 years ago

HI there,

I've just potted up my first bunch of bare root hostas. I'm pretty new at this - previous hostas were bought as potted plants and put straight into their new garden beds. I'm wondering if I could give them a nice stinky drink of freshly brewed alfalfa tea now or should I wait? Oh, by the way, there are eyes peeping on two and new green growth on the others.

Thanks for the help!

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Comments (4)

ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
15 years ago
in my zone 5 michigan ...

I NEVER FERT BEFORE THE LAST FROST DATE OF 5/25 ....

no use getting lush soft growth that might be frosted to death ...

now.. as to pots ... if you used fresh potting media... then there should be nothing lacking.. for now ...

i presume they will be protected from frost ...

BUT ....

hosta come up on stored energy .. so adding any fert to the pot ... is useless at this time of year ...

sooooo .. it comes down to what your plan is for these hosta...

if they are to remain in the pots all season ... then .. fert ... starting in late may ...

if your plan is simply to hold them in the pots ... until summer ... fert them a few weeks after planting in mother earth ...

if you plan on leaving them in the pots .... then fert them in june july and august.. and stop in late august ...

i would prefer low fert in each watering .. like 1/4 water tsp soluble per gal or your alfalfa brew .. every time you water.. rather than high doses infrequently ...

it is very important in our zone that they start hardening off in september... ergo no more fert ...

good luck

ken

PS: in my definition .... anything that stimulates growth is a fert ... i do not want to argue whether the tea is technically a fert ...
gardenitis
Original Author
15 years ago
Thanks for the info. Pots are living right now on the dining room table; too cold in Nova Scotia to put out yet. Then will be quarantined to watch for HVX in a separate/holding area of garden.

Great talking to you Ken!
Michelle
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HI Marianne Compost tea is not a fertilizer, it is a soil enhansier( SP)--You must fertilize in the normal way (what ever that is ?--Compost tea will allow the plant roots to grow longer and stronger and the microherd will allow the soil to break down into sugars and carbs that the plants can take in to produce stronger and healther plants. If you want to incourage bigger and strounger plantes.--spray with worm poo or fish and seaweed emoulsion. Alphafa should be mixed in to the soil as an additive (good stuff). Don`t be discouraged by all the advice you are getting--try it your way--and be willing to change only if you want to---its your garden GOOD LUCK AND GOD BLESS Bill
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I personally would not put alfalfa tea on my roses the first year. However, that is up to you but be careful about young tender roses and the burn that you can get if you make full-strength alfalfa tea. I would just use composted organics or liquids the first year and not a lot of that. Give them time to set their roots in the ground before demanding them to grow and bloom too rapidly.
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Comments (19)
adding new questions at the bottom of another persons note.. may not get you the best answers ... some peeps .. like me.. don't come back to a given post forever ... upon arrival of bare root stock ... i open the bottom of the plastic sleeve ... and put them into a pail of cool water for no more than a day ... and hopefully just for an hour or two ....... they are not water plants ... they probably wont care if they are left in a pail for a few days ... but why risk it ... rot starts in too much water ... if i am expecting more than i know i can handle on arrival day ... i either have a small area to 'heal' them in ....spacing is not an issue ... just put them into the protection of mother earth ... for a day or two ... until you have time to properly site them .... or i have pots and soil ready for immediate potting ... again .. a sloppy job can be redone.. a rotted plant can not be saved ... only one caveat ... if you are expecting arrival before last known frost date ... pot them .. and put them in a wagon .. so they can be brought into the garage at night .. and back out during the day .... some of the providers grow them in greenhouses.. and they come fully leafed out.. and they are tender ... and if they came from south of you.. and from a greenhouse.. they may not appreciate a MN night e.g. .... in cool spring... they will not need a lot of water.. after the first planting ... cold and wet is not conducive to a healthy plant ... ken
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Just planted my bare roots.
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Comments (2)
dmoo66 -- I doubt that you would need to water it after the initial plantting given the rain that we will be having. I don't really feed bareroots during the first year either, but I suppose a bit of organics cannot hurt. I don't expect my bareroots to do anything much in the first year, and pretty much just plant and forget about them. :)
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ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
15 years ago
you too ...

if they are fully dormant.. there is no reason they cant be in the garage..

and perhaps only brought in if a FREEZE is noted ...

if you have more than one.. it would be a fun experiment to see if you can FORCE early growth ... but i wouldnt do it with all of them ...

hosta are fully winter dormant in z5 .. so keep your dormant plants outside ... and let them wake up with spring ...

if they are plastic bag bigboxstore partially leafed out plants.. i would harden them off to the garage temps ... if you know what i mean .... if not.. ask ..

ken
gardenitis
Original Author
15 years ago
Hardening them off to garage temps sounds like the best plan. Certainly will make husband happy to have myriad of pots off the dining table.

I can barely wait for the time to be out in the dirt. Hard to wait. This is the worst time of year for impatience...starting to get shack-wacky.

Michelle

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