Alfalfa Meal is a great all-natural fertilizer prepared from fermented alfalfa seeds and plants. It’s commonly utilized in organic gardening and gives flowering plants a huge boost.
The trace minerals in alfalfa meals offer extra nutrition to flowering trees and perennials, allowing them to bloom faster and keep their blossoms longer during the season.
It boosts agricultural productivity, enhances soil quality, and does a lot more.
We discuss and investigate the several reasons using Alfalfa meal can be useful in your garden in this post. Continue reading to find out more.
Is Alfalfa Meal Good For A Vegetable Garden?
The following are various reasons why Alfalfa meal is good for a vegetable garden:
Minerals are abundant
Alfalfa is a good supplier of nitrogen, as well as phosphorus, potassium, calcium, sulfur, magnesium, boron, iron, and zinc, among other minerals. Based on the source, the N-P-K ratio of alfalfa is around 3 – 1 – 3.
Produces Organic Matter
Alfalfa increases the amount of organic matter in your soil, which provides nutrients to plant roots. Its high nitrogen content aids the decomposition of other organic matter.
Organic matter also aids in soil compaction, works like a sponge to absorb moisture in the soil, enhances soil structure, and aids in erosion prevention.
Microorganisms are fed
The protein, amino acids, fiber, and carbohydrates in alfalfa’s stalk attract soil microbes, who require these nutrients to survive. Alfalfa hay provides a nearly perfect carbon-to-nitrogen ratio (24:1), which is essential for soil organisms.
Encourages Growth
Triacontanol, a hormone found in alfalfa, encourages the production of plant roots, improves photosynthesis, and boosts good bacteria, all of which assist to reduce a variety of soil-borne illnesses.
Nitrogen Fixation
Alfalfa absorbs atmospheric nitrogen and stores it in nodules on its roots, a process known as “nitrogen fixation.” Once the alfalfa plant is cut down and its roots are left in the soil, or when the plant is put into the soil, this nitrogen is present in the soil for other crops to use.
Encourages Composting
Alfalfa works as a stimulant when added to your compost pile. It decomposes quickly, generating heat that aids the decomposition of the remainder of your compost.
When alfalfa is added, the resulting compost will have increased nutritional levels.
More nutrient-dense food in your garden equals higher nutrient levels in your compost and soil.
Limits the spread of deadly nematodes
Research in Italy found that alfalfa pellets decreased root-knot nematode infection on tomato plants and cyst nematode infestation on carrots.
In addition, as compared to the control groups, production for both tomatoes and carrots improved.
Drought resistance is provided
Because of alfalfa’s sponge-like ability to accumulate and keep moisture, it aids in the resistance of plants cultivated in that soil to times of low rainfall.
It’s a Dynamic Accumulator
Alfalfa roots penetrate up to 8 feet into the subsoil, delivering vital, hard-to-reach nutrients to the soil surface and storing them in the plant’s leaves.
Cutting alfalfa and composting it in your yard provides these nutrients to the top layers of your soil, where they can be used by other garden plants.
Alfalfa excels in delivering iron to the top, an essential micronutrient for chlorophyll production.
It’s an Outstanding Cover Crop
Garden beds that are left naked in the winter are affected by the weather. They should constantly be mulched or planted with a cover crop.
Cover crops, sometimes known as “green manure,” are typically sown in the fall and plowed into the soil in the spring to improve soil quality.
Instead of digging it in, the crop might be trimmed down at the soil level and utilized as a mulch.
How Do I Use Alfalfa In My Garden?
To use pellets as an activator in your compost, soak them in water overnight and then scatter them on top.
When alfalfa is soaked, it decomposes quickly, generating heat that will aid in the decomposition of the remainder of your compost, resulting in a higher nutrient level due to the alfalfa’s utilization.
Is Alfalfa Meal The Same As Alfalfa Pellets?
Alfalfa can be purchased as a meal or as pellets. Pellets are more commonly found in feed stores, but they can be used in the same way with a little extra effort. Soaking the pellets might help break them down, leaving you with food.
