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Alfalfa Manure Tea

prairie_northrose (3b north of Calgary AB, Canada)

8 years ago

last modified: 8 years ago

Was in the yard and noticed a stench that would not go away, I though perhaps it was from nearby. Then I realized it was me. :)

Had completely forgot I made alfalfa tea with an added scoop of aged sheep manure quite a few weeks ago.

Diluted it and poured it all over the garden today, and am eager to see the results. This is the first time trying the tea. Hope the lack of stirring did not harm the mixture (aerobic vs. anaerobic bacteria?) ... and the neighbors don't mind the (hopefully) temporary stink.

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Comments (10)

wayne
8 years ago
I have used alfalfa tee in the past, nothing like the smell of cow sh... to start your day LOL. It works good, some times to much grow that attracts aphids. I used to put the alfalfa pellets in the soil at the base of plants but that attracts voles, not good.
Konrad..just outside of Edmonton Alberta
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
Actually...I bought a bag of alfalfa cubes to put into the water..haven't done it yet, was wondering if I can over do this. Also, I would think live seeds might be there also and not to discard left overs into the garden, the last thing is to grow them! Any thoughts?
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wayne
8 years ago
Konrad I don't recall anything that germinated from alfalfa pellets. The amount of fertilizer in pellets is very small but it has trace minerals that are good.
prairie_northrose (3b north of Calgary AB, Canada)
Original Author
8 years ago
Update: I've noticed a good jump of new rose growth and leafy green foliage since applying the tea yesterday. The smell has mostly dissipated. Whether the growth is the cause of the tea or the warm temperatures, or a bit of both is hard for me to measure. I have not noticed any burning (yet).

Konrad, I think it is dependent on whether or not you dilute the mixture before you place it on the plants. I have read elsewhere on this forum that it in extreme cases where there is too much alfalfa meal sitting on top of the soil caused issues as it tends to cake-up and form a crust.

Wayne, good call on the aphids liking the new growth. The aphids here are insane. I have to spray the roses daily with water to knock them off.
Konrad..just outside of Edmonton Alberta
8 years ago
Thank you all,.. isn't pellets and cubes a little different?
wayne
8 years ago
I have not seen the cubes, the pellets are for feed so may very well be processed differently.
prairie_northrose (3b north of Calgary AB, Canada)
Original Author
8 years ago
Update: I burned Sir Thomas Lipton with the tea. I should have known better. They were newly potted into miracle-gro potting soil. Plucked them out, rinsed the roots off, and planted again in plain soil. They are looking better today.

Emily Carr and Winnipeg Parks seems to respond the best to the brew, shoots growing 3-6" within a day or two.
prairie_northrose (3b north of Calgary AB, Canada)
Original Author
8 years ago
This one had the most apparent response to the tea, the basal growth all came after the tea was applied, almost three weeks ago. Before that, it was a very slow growing rose.
shazam_z3
8 years ago
If you're looking for them, try the pet food section, alfalfa pellets are often sold as rabbit food.

Been a few years since I made some, it actually seems to make a real difference.
donna_in_sask
8 years ago
I buy huge bags of alfalfa pellets at a feed store (Early's) in town but I think Peavey Mart also stocks it. I would not buy from a pet store because it would be prohibitively expensive for the amounts a gardener would use - I usually add it to my soil and till it in before I plant. The only things that sprouted from it was the odd corn plant. As far as I can tell, it's not full of weed seeds like hay, for example. It is a great source of organic matter.

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