Alfalfa Meal, Not Pellets

17 years ago

My local feed store has been out of alfalfa pellets for two weeks just when I wanted to buy them the use on the daylilies. I did this last two springs and I think it worked great.

I prefer to soak them and make the tea, which I did the year before last but last year, having so many roses and daylilies to do, I just tossed the pellets around and waited for the rain to soften them up and work them into the ground.

Well, since the feed store guy told me they might not even get the pellets in next week either, I bought the alfalfa meal. Wanted two bags but they only had one bag of that as well. So I will do the daylilies and it should go around if I go lightly. I guess I can redo when I can get another bag in May. Meantime the roses are on ther own, not enough for everyone so the daylilies get first attention. You can see where my proirities lie.

It rained for the past two days and I did get the Greensand and the fertilizer on both the daylilies and the roses before the rain. You can already see things greening up as the rain was heavy and good timing to soak the fertilizer in.

Since its raining today, I have not opened my bag of meal and have not started putting it around. Hopefully tomorrow. Too bad I could not get the alfalfa on before this drenching rain that I had to go out and do errands in today.

So, I know lots of people recommend the alfalfa pellets but has anyone used the alfalfa meal instead? Thanks!

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Comments (5)

albertar
17 years ago
Hi Rita
I've used both at different times, I prefer the meal, but the pellets will break down real quickly in water. I know many use them directly, but I use both for "teas", fermenting it in 5 gallon buckets. Of course the roses love it and so does clematis. Since last year was my first for daylily's it's great to hear that they will love it also. I just got an order in the mail today for 23 new ones and I'm looking foreward to getting them in the ground tomorrow. I'll pick up the alfalfa pellets or meal (which ever is available at the feed store) this weekend. Happy Gardening.

Alberta
shortyhead
17 years ago
Rita, you'll want to get rabbit food. It is alfalfa, but it does not have weed seeds like "alfalfa" has. Pellets or meal makes no difference. No need to make tea. Put alfalfa on the top of the soil and each time you water you make "tea" that drips down.

Jim
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lynxe
17 years ago
How much alfalfa meal do you all sprinkle around each plant?
aggiegrl
17 years ago
i just sprinkle it liberally all over my dl beds, not more than 1 pellet deep. kinda like an alfalfa mulch! i know i have been amazed at the difference in the increase in my dls since i started using it last fall. this time last year, i had very few increases at all. this year, i have plants that i got in last fall that were 1 fan that are now 4 or more fans! i have dbl fans that are now have 8-10 small increases. i have always fertilized my dls well, so i really believe it is the alfalfa making the most difference.

tracie
newyorkrita
Original Author
17 years ago
Gezz, nothing like getting to something right away (alittle sarcasm here). I FINIALLY put out my Alfalfa meal today. My bag did get me around the front yard and the backyard and the drioveway side yard. All the front yard daylilies still need to be done.

I should have done this yesterday as it rained heavily last night but the way its been going, I doubt that I will have to wait long for the rain to wash the meal in.

I liked working with the meal better than the pelletts as it was really easy to spread a layer of it thru the entire daylily beds. You can easily see what you have already done.

I made it the first thing on todays gardening chores to make sure it did get done. I hope I can find another bag. Plus I never did my roses either.