Nice Shelley! I use Alfalfa tea all the time too. Stinks like hell, but it sure does work.

If anyone is interested in the recipe, heres the link.

Sharon

Here is a link that might be useful: Take Your Roses to Tea

Wow they look great Shelley! I have heard wonderful things about alfalfa tea but I'm too afraid of the smell. Stinky tea disaster would be something that would happen to me. LOL

It does not smell that bad. But I grew up on a pig farm so...... I used a different formula similar though.
I bought a 32 gallon garbage can and added
12 cups alfalfa pellets
Fill with water 3/4 full and let sit for 4-5 days or so.
When it's ready ( you can tell ) add
2 cups epsom salt
1/2 cup chelated iron
and then I added some miracle grow as well.(About half as much as usual)
Fill to the top after stirring and water.
I think the results are amazing. Some showed results almost immediately and others are starting to sent up lots of basal shoots now.
I have been searching a bit and others say not to use it on new roses. So I haven't.
Shelley

Big bump, but I made some alfalfa tea last weekend and applied it (I just let it steep for 24 hours), and the results so far have been AMAZING. I am getting crazy new growth. My Turbo has four new canes shooting up, all with multiple buds on them. Emily Carr has three new canes out of nowhere. My tiny new Therese Bugnet has literally doubled in size.

And my tomatoes grew a foot. In two days!

I would like to ask a question to anyone of you that use the alfalfa tea--have you used it on any of your other perennials or clematis and what have been the results?
I was thinking of making some for my roses and wondered about the effects on my clematis.

Bump

I've used it on my Hostas, some say you can use it around on bearded irises.

Found this article--apparently it works great on different perennials

http://www.mastergardener.ca/content/images/alfalfa_tea.pdf

jtjjdc,

I use it on everything, clematis especially just love it, actually I have not found any green leafy thing that didn't respond well to the alfalfa tea.

I have used it half strength on first year roses and saw no damage.

I buy the meal instead of the pellets and also dump the sludge from the bottom of the garbage can around the roses that I know to be heavier feeders.

When I think about what I used to spend on fertilizers and compare that to what Alfalfa costs, well i'm sold and always will be.

cathy