Alfalfa is a suoer cheap animal feed and can feed your garden, build soil, start compost, Check out our new clothing line! http:www.freshpickedapparel.com
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@jeffd19193 жыл бұрын
I get alfalfa for my garden after its been through the horse.
@loganyoutube48183 жыл бұрын
It is vastly superior after it falls out of the southward end of a north bound horse...as long as your horse is chemical free
@brianduncan82763 жыл бұрын
Must be nice. Your plants must be 8 ft tall lol.
@JujuBee773 жыл бұрын
I get it from a local with horses 🐎👍🏼
@susieq7253 жыл бұрын
I do that too! I had people telling me I shouldn’t use it but I had plenty and I did anyway and I had the best garden I’ve ever had. Everything grows like crazy! I don’t add anything else except powdered eggs I save from my chickens. I usually put in about a 1/4 cup for each tomato plant and don’t have blossom end rot.
@markheintz18783 жыл бұрын
@@susieq725 i used egg shells and a couple teaspoons of crushed up Tums to supply calcium,it eliminated blossom end rot. I also sprinkled some Epsom salt around the drip line of my tomato plants. It created a new problem of too many tomatoes.
@megan19503 жыл бұрын
Alfalfa is not a grass at all! It’s actually a legume, like clover or peas. That’s why it is so nitrogen rich, it's a nitrogen fixer. We use it to keep weight on horses particularly over the winter because the high nitrogen is why they’re higher in protein.
@lucasbleyle50153 жыл бұрын
Was about to comment this lol
@wvbonbonqueen3 жыл бұрын
When we had our horses we fed Alfalfa Cubes only. They had free range of 25 acres too, but when we fed them, instead of Hay, we fed them Alfalfa Cubes. When we bought them in 1995 they had a "poor" look to them, their hair wasn't shiny etc. But after going to the Alfalfa Cubes, they really did look good, healthy and had lots of muscle too. A lot of people told us we needed to stop feeding them these cubes ,but our Farrier said that it was the best of the best we could feed them. So we fed Alfalfa Cubes for about 10 years.
@cet7653 жыл бұрын
Thank you, I knew it was a legume. So when Migardener called it a grass, I doubted myself.
@megan19503 жыл бұрын
@Andrew Shay yes that's because alfalfa is more nutrient dense than other forages you can grow. High protein, lower sugar. As a crop, you often don't have to spray chemicals on it, so it's great to grow if you're doing a pesticide/herbicide-free farm. Recovering from a stroke is no small thing, glad it worked out.
@megan19503 жыл бұрын
@@cet765 do not doubt what you know :)
@LAMBKILLER3 жыл бұрын
Great episode! I just have one correction. Alfalfa is in not a grass. It is a legume, like clover. In fact, it looks like really tall clover while growing. I also use it for soil building for container plants and think it is great. I soak and then drain my pellets to expand them. I place the mash on a window screen (over a bucket) to drain. I reserve the drainage for plant watering. Alfalfa also contains triacontanol, which is a growth stimulant. Where I live, a forty pound bag from TSC is around $10, so very affordable, and it lasts me a full season. I also use it for green in my compost bins during winter to keep heat up
@kimberlymayo99512 жыл бұрын
Where does your mash go?
@wandaarnt2342 жыл бұрын
Thank You cheers from Pennsylvania 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸👍👍👍🙏🙏🙏
@downfallofusa11 Жыл бұрын
$23 at tsc here
@strawberrymage85935 ай бұрын
very helpful - thank you!
@robingalloway35415 ай бұрын
Great advice! Thanks!
@TheEmmyjean3 жыл бұрын
If you read some of the "classic" gardening and composting books, they always talk about lucerne hay. Took me ages to realize that lucerne hay= alfalfa. Just fyi.
@doloresreynolds81453 жыл бұрын
Thank you for explaining that.
@markr15505 ай бұрын
Lucerne is the name used in the UK, and other places, it's alfalfa in North America.
@ellenorbjornsdottir11664 ай бұрын
@@markr1550 The word "alfalfa" comes to American and Canadian English via Chilean Spanish, where it comes from Spanish Spanish, where it comes from the Spanish bungling pronouncing Arabic.
@petermackay42673 жыл бұрын
FYI, to open the grain bags without having to tear them apart, face the front of the bag and pull the tape stitched into the closure. Pull the tape from the right end and it will open up like a zipper. Great video, thanks.
@wendymetcalfe27702 жыл бұрын
Just remember Right side Single strand
@dchall82 жыл бұрын
City boys. They need this kind of training.
@fmbz8584 ай бұрын
@@dchall8 everybody did at some point.
@leonschuette37403 жыл бұрын
I spent years in a feed mill making alfalfa pellets. They definately NOT soaked in water. Steam is mixed with the finely ground alfalfa seconds before before entering the tie to be compressed into the pellets. Repeat they are Not soaked in water that would make it impossible to pellet!!!
@jessicacanfield54083 жыл бұрын
I wonder why he ssaid they were soaked. Do you work at a plant that does this? Just interested
@bigflatsominxy90383 жыл бұрын
I’m thinking steam is made from water so he wasn’t completely wrong.
@jessicacanfield54083 жыл бұрын
I'm sorry i appreantly didn't read your post very well, i have been s bit under the weathet lately, sorry. But i do think it would be interesting to see how all yhat.is done
@renafarted90753 жыл бұрын
He didn't say soaked in a huge vat of water but he could have said, with water
@homesteadknowhow3 жыл бұрын
Water soaking is a seldom used process anymore. It's quite common in other countries with less modern equipment.
@Stevew4433 жыл бұрын
I have been adding alfalfa pellets to my raised beds all winter to beef up the nitrogen. They break down nicely in the rain and snow and I will turn it all in before I plant. I also use the pellets in my leaf compost to keep the heat up. My compost pile has been running at about 160 degrees all winter because of the alfalfa pellets.
@leohorishny95614 ай бұрын
Roughly how much alfalfa do you add to your compost pile?
@RayMirshahi2 жыл бұрын
I love your videos. Thanks. Unless you buy organic, animal feed alfalfa is GMO alfalfa. This makes them resistant to herbicides, allowing farmers to spray the crops heavily. I would not put GMO alfalfa in my garden. The herbicide residue will adversely affect soil's microbial life.
@lorib53234 ай бұрын
agreed! I was told to never use Roundup ready alfalfa which is what most US alfalfa is.
@hannahcohen15303 жыл бұрын
I live on the side of a mountain in the Appalachians. My garden is on a slope that is terraced. I have lots and lots of leaves, but I do not have a yard with grass. Finally now I have a way to compost my leaves without grass clippings. Thank You!
@jessicacanfield54083 жыл бұрын
One thing I like about this channel is MI Gardener is that he explains things. A lot of time other people tell you to do this to do that but don't tell you what it does
@user-uz8sn1qv8y5 ай бұрын
there's no point in explaining, if you are explaining wrong information.
@BarbinAZ3 жыл бұрын
Another good feed store product is shredded beet pulp. I don't care about the nutrients I use BP in my containers to hold more water for slow release. Soak shreds untill they fully expand and mulch your container plants with the spongy mush. It will dry up and next watering will last much longer and soil will stay cooler. My kale was good all through the heat of summer for the first time.
@BarbinAZ4 ай бұрын
same thing worked for me in my container tubs of kale and swiss chard.
@ralphinkley813 жыл бұрын
I love your channel! I live in Chicago and having someone who gardens in the same zone is awesome. The other KZbin gardeners typically live in much warmer zones. It's awesome to see what you can do in a shorter growing season.
@Teefs3 жыл бұрын
Welp, I better stock up on alfalfa pellets for my horses before all the local gardeners scoop them up. (They really are great for the garden, too.) Thanks for the warning, Luke! 😉😂🤣😂🤣
@stevefromthegarden11353 жыл бұрын
The people who use them for feed are going to wonder what happened. ?? Where did all of the alfalfa go?? There have been several videos on using alfalfa pallets for the garden this winter.
@salnenz3 жыл бұрын
Exactly
@homestead363 жыл бұрын
Yep
@analarson29203 жыл бұрын
Get organic and grow your own.
@sherivanwert57893 жыл бұрын
I don’t even own horses and my immediate thought was “uh oh, I hope there will be enough left for the animals!”
@scottjohnson85762 жыл бұрын
I like my alfalfa after it’s been processed by my rabbits. They actually add large amount of nitrogen as well! Seriously, as purely organic fertilizers go, I’ve never used anything more productive than rabbit droppings. It makes cleaning out the underside of my cages feel like a harvest of sorts. About a week before every planting season, I till in a few wheelbarrow loads into my soil and I’m done. I may use an occasional side dressing in the form of store bought plant food for some crops, but not often.
@suevandokkenburg28493 жыл бұрын
I'm picturing the roller coaster of emotions playing across the faces of my cow, horses, and goats as I come out of the house with an alfalfa mash... and dump it on the garden.
@sierralivin79623 жыл бұрын
🤣😂👍!!!
@terric3233 жыл бұрын
Lol I could think of a million jokes!😆😆😂
@dana1020833 жыл бұрын
Haha.. Love the hand that feeds you!!
@kimhickernell3593 жыл бұрын
As I was watching this I was thinking the same thing, our horses LOVE their alfalfa cubes 😂🤣 and then I saw your comment.
@melissaskaggs72292 жыл бұрын
🤣🤣🤣
@andylee4843 жыл бұрын
Not just to feed your garden, I use alfalfa pellets as supplement for straw to grow gourmet mushrooms.
@truepeacenik3 жыл бұрын
Do tell...
@cristymenapace6773 жыл бұрын
Great tip! Can’t wait to try it❤️
@andylee4843 жыл бұрын
@@cristymenapace677 It does put out a lot of heat so keep it to about 10-15% by weight.
@cristymenapace6773 жыл бұрын
@@andylee484 That’s what I was thinking too, thank you❤️
@robingalloway35415 ай бұрын
What kind d of mushrooms do you grow? Been wanting to learn mushroom growing 😊
@amandawass57183 жыл бұрын
I truly appreciate how thorough you are in your research, (pellets vs. cubes) and the differences due to the process in which each are made. Thank you!
@shadyman63463 жыл бұрын
I’ve only had a garden for 5 years, but I never even heard of this! Will give it a spin thru my compost and worm bins...can’t wait!
@lashoneblack91053 жыл бұрын
I needed this video a couple of days ago. I just dumped a bunch in my elevated garden beds, mixed it in, and covered them in preparation for the spring.
@poolman86763 жыл бұрын
That is what I did just planted everything in there. Is that not a good thing to do?
@lashoneblack91053 жыл бұрын
@@poolman8676 I think its about preference.
@katiekane52473 жыл бұрын
I worked at horse farms as a teen & baled literally TONS of hay. Given the current cost of good hay, especially alfalfa, I can say "I've handled millions of dollars in products" 😆
@Scoutdogs3 жыл бұрын
Be aware that alfalfa (& hay) is often sprayed with broad leaf weed killers, that will last a LONG time (even surviving the digestive system of what eats it and the composting process of the manure) and will still affect broad leaf plants like vegetables. So you might be adding some long lasting chemicals to your soil by adding any grasses that are grown commercially or in large quantities.
@elisabetk2595 Жыл бұрын
True of hay, but Grazon kills alfalfa just as much as any other legume. Alfalfa pellets are safe from that particular disaster, but of course there are other sprays that might contaminate them. You can find organic alfalfa pellets, though - just usually in smaller sizes and not as cheap.
@usa2342 Жыл бұрын
I wonder how are horse’s staying alive eating alfalfa?
@usa23429 ай бұрын
I guess just like us humans who eat chemical sprayed veggies... The most important factor that chemical amount is controlled, not like in third countries where they spray out of control.
@cet7653 жыл бұрын
Never heard alfalfa being called a grass before. I knew it is a legume. I thought it was related to clover but read it is related to peas. Never would have thought to use alafala pellets/cubes sold as feed to use as fertilizer! And even cheaper than fertilizer. Like I have said before, always learning something new from your channel!
@Nee96Nee2 жыл бұрын
It is a legume.
@suzannefronzaglio24272 жыл бұрын
I saw a video on the "Impatient Gardener" yt channel, and she adds the alfalfa pellets (actually I think it is cubes she used in the video) to her compost bin. She has a video on this alone. And she explains how it works thoroughly.
@BBCTopgearfan2 жыл бұрын
You are right. It is not a grass.
@marianneescobedo2 жыл бұрын
Clover is also a legume and it fixes nitrogen as well. Clover used to be part of a healthy lawn and pastures.
@kevinhipps8136 Жыл бұрын
He said it has a grassy smell
@christinemccoy44713 жыл бұрын
Excellent video. I've use bales and cubes , for many years for the fruit trees.
@ZE308AC3 жыл бұрын
Does it really help and what benefits do the tree get from alfalfa pallets?
@geeker2113 жыл бұрын
If I was a store manager I'd be honored to have Luke film there.... :D
@MIgardener3 жыл бұрын
I would be honored if anyone wanted to give me free publicity.
@geeker2113 жыл бұрын
@@MIgardener Yeah exactly! They're crazy for turning that down
@cindyskillman5443 жыл бұрын
Tractor Supply is great to have around, but both of ours are kinda quirky. What they're famous for in the poultry community is getting breeds/sexes wrong. 😅😂🤣
@wormweirdo3403 жыл бұрын
I run (ground) alfalfa pellets through my vermicompost bins as worm chow, plenty leftover to use as fertilizer too! Nice hack!
@miquelabeggs4783 жыл бұрын
LOL, Worm Weirdo, cute moniker. I love my worm bin! I call it my worm condo.
@ThomasBomb453 жыл бұрын
What is the benefit of giving it to the worms rather than use it directly?
@wormweirdo3403 жыл бұрын
@@ThomasBomb45 The worms will break it down and make some of the nutrients available sooner rather than later.
@aphillips5376 Жыл бұрын
Thank you for the soaking tip. Great idea! I learned these work great in my Hotbin composter by accident. I bought some of the small Timothy pellets for my chickens but they won't eat them so I was throwing them into my composter so they wouldn't go to waste and they have been keeping the temp nice and high; now I know why. Great channel!
@trishthehomesteader98733 жыл бұрын
I did a winter cover crop of alfalfa in one of my raised beds. I was going to just cut it and leave it but the compost pile really does need a wake up call. Thanks Luke!💜
@randalmarshik43203 жыл бұрын
Alfalfa also contains Triacontanol an extremely good plant growth regulator.
@skimark82753 жыл бұрын
growth stimulant I think you mean
@randalmarshik43203 жыл бұрын
@@skimark8275 Triacontanol is a growth stimulant for many plants, most notably roses, in which it rapidly increases the number of basal breaks. 1-Triacontanol or n-triacontanol is a natural plant growth regulator. It has been widely used to enhance the yield of various crops around the world, mainly in Asia. same thing
@northernkarma92963 жыл бұрын
Very interesting, thx!
@garykellogg27583 жыл бұрын
I love how the squirrel was like "run to the garden while he's at the compost pile"
@daledurbin23543 жыл бұрын
Good information, I'll put it to good use very soon. Thanks Also the 5 dollar bags of wood shavings at T supply work wonderful as ground cover in the garden and decompose very rapidly.adding humus.
@cherylkygirl71814 ай бұрын
If you have a saw mill nearby, you can buy wood chips, saw dust, etc much less expensive than bagged. A few months ago, $10 for trailer load (1 loader bucket full). I added a layer in chicken lot to give some traction after a rain. As would chips break down, soil is nourished and worms love being under the chips.
@stephanieray65873 жыл бұрын
Thank you so much! I just found out my long-lost father grew alfafa for a living... this reminds me of him. Can't wait to try this.
@lauriedavis40453 жыл бұрын
This sounds cool as a compost addition, bc I can't generate enough green material in a single-person household to get some heat going.
@michaeldorety6243 жыл бұрын
If you do 2 bags of alfalfa pellets and a bag of wood pellets.... it will compost great and if you add to your pile if will 100 percent heat it up
@kellymorgan47833 жыл бұрын
Laurie I grow fast growing beans and sweet potatoes which I use as my nitrogen source in our dry months. That way I get for for myself and nitrogen for the compost heap. But I'm too stingy to buy things like these Alfalfa bags 😄
@samshambles3913 жыл бұрын
That sounds like a euphemism for something.
@tuppybrill49153 жыл бұрын
Mine is not a one person household but I have a plastic dustbin that I drilled loads of half inch holes in (base and sides) and with no lid on but a plastic bag weighted with bricks I am really impressed with the rate at which organic matter decays in it. It’s almost impossible to fill up. Making a wormery is good too.
@racebiketuner3 жыл бұрын
I collect grass from my local park right after they cut it. I know they don't use any herbicide on it. If you decide to give this a try, I would recommend avoiding dog waste. Most dogs are on worm medicine and you definitely don't want that making its way into your soil.
@cristymenapace6773 жыл бұрын
Great tip! It’s hard to find enough green material in the spring for new lasagna beds. This will help tremendously! Thank you for taking the time to share.❤️
@marzisharifi94913 жыл бұрын
Haha i actually bought 2 bags of 50lb of alfalfa (horse feed) from tractor supply last week. i soak them and just throw some on my raised beds.i’m making 14 more raised beds for this year so i need so many composts and fertilizers.
@user-vc2ir9kz5l5 ай бұрын
The word alfalfa is from latin meaning perfect food, the roots can go very deep where no other plant roots can reach, pulling minerals not many other plants reach.
@AbundantAcresHomestead3 жыл бұрын
Thankfully we have chickens on our homestead so we use that to build up the nitrogen as well as potassium and phosphorus. I would think the alfalfa would probably be quicker to use as the chicken manure takes awhile to break down safe enough to garden with.
@crunchyrollser3 жыл бұрын
Rabbits 🐇 produce tons of cold manure!!! Plus you can breed them and eat them. IF you have a garden they are a huge help. You can use the manure during winter to amend your beds.
@Juanrivers20223 жыл бұрын
I use my only rabbits cold manure and spread it on my fruits and they make good soft soil.
@crunchyrollser3 жыл бұрын
@@Juanrivers2022 I am thinking of also using it as a top dressing this year on top of my mutch I flipped my beds and flipped over a few new ones put about a wheel borrow on each of manure,(this has taken a couple months dumping them as I gathered enough) now I have the beds covered with a thick layer of straw and grass that we saved in piles from summer. Now I am ready to try a no dig approach where I keep top dressing with grass and rabbit droppings.
@lienecarter64113 жыл бұрын
I have a house rabbit that I refer to as my indoor composter. Seems silly to spend months composting pellets when you can have them composted in a matter of hours by your bunny. And then there is your potassium. Easy. I never thought of using the pellets for nitrogen. She is too old for alfalfa though. I wonder if the Timothy and orchard hay have as much nitrogen.
@Wildflowervalleyfarm3 жыл бұрын
@@lienecarter6411 urine has nitrogen, so your rabbit's litter box has everything you need! 😁
@katiekane52473 жыл бұрын
@@lienecarter6411 nope. As noted above, alfalfa isn't a grass but a legume, hence the high nitrogen. No grass can come close in nitrogen content.
@brianmarshall39313 жыл бұрын
Rabbit pellets - the kind that come OUT of live rabbits... are free and can be used directly in the beds. Been doing that for 30-40 years. Also one year old horse manure... again free. Do not use until aged for a year.
@williamwaters4506 Жыл бұрын
I use alfalfa pellets on my lawn in the fall or early spring. It is a good organic fertilizer. Some people use dried dog food.
@arielrodriguez698010 ай бұрын
Does it green up your lawn?
@williamwaters45064 ай бұрын
@@arielrodriguez6980 Yes
@dindixie3 жыл бұрын
Roses do really great on alfalfa pellet tea, too. Alfalfa tea, anaerobically fermented about a week (it will smell like a drunk with dead fish in his pockets) has an NPK of 5-1-2. If you airate the tea and add wood ashes, manure, epsom salts, Ironite, or greensand, you can change your NPK and make it more balanced for use on other plants as well.
@bettinah.74293 жыл бұрын
The cubes for volume with be a great value as they will swell considerably. It would then be similar to mulching with hay. I’m a horse owner,so these products are not knew to me but it never occurred to me to use them in the garden. 🤷🏼♀️
@crazyrvlady60913 жыл бұрын
Ah, alfalfa is not a grass. It a flowering member of legume family. That is why it is so high in nitrogen. Sorry.
@shihtzusrule91153 жыл бұрын
sweet. So they wouldn't use Grazon on it because it's a broadleaf like clover. That was the thing that was holding me back.
@user-qgtoekq3 жыл бұрын
Cool, glad you cleared that up! Also, don't be sorry ;)
@tamekahill28263 жыл бұрын
Right
@lauraskorczewski58133 жыл бұрын
Thanks for the information. No need to be sorry.
@AcmePhoto3 жыл бұрын
Yes, Alfalfa is in the Fabaceae family, and not a grass. Furthermore it has an npk of 2.5 -.0.5- 2.5 which means it is not low in potassium, only low in phosphorous.
@carriekassick73113 жыл бұрын
I just bought a bag for use as fertilizer at the advice of a friend. Now I know exactly how to use it, thank you!! ❤️
@tammywebb13853 жыл бұрын
I'm already struggling to find feed and will probably have to add this one to the list as well. I'm so glad I have already decided to extend the food plot for our critters.
@debbiewood77183 жыл бұрын
My uncle added pellets to his garden. The soil is the most beautiful I have ever seen.
@jackiehorsley92633 жыл бұрын
Luke that Is very interesting I did not know Alfalfa pellets were high In nitrogen and that you could put them In your compost pile or use them as a fertilizer I well definitely remember that when I start my compost
@ellensoeclectic3 ай бұрын
Good to know about the alfalfa pellets.... I always have them on hand for my 2 wethers, Eugene & Walter, and for my rabbit, Ebunny-zer, for a treat. Thanks for the info, from you Luke, and especially a big thanks to all of your very smart viewers.
@barbaracole43145 ай бұрын
Thanks for the info , you are full of knowledge been watching your video's on lights and now alfalfa, can't wait to get started and I will start at TSC 1st ... I mostly grow flowers working on a cottage garden.
@joeyl.rowland41532 жыл бұрын
I use alfalfa pellets. I use a lot of them especially when growing green beans. I also use hard wood pellets for grilling. Both will help improve your soil. Hard wood pellets need an addition of more alfalfa pellets to prevent tying up all the nitrogen. I use 3 coffee cans of alfalfa to 1 can of hardwood pellets to a 30 foot row.
@ancientorganicarts23103 жыл бұрын
Thanks Luke for all your knowledge and wisdom we all have learned from you
@SimonHaestoe2 жыл бұрын
One of your best videos ever, dude! PURE content, short and concise - not a short video but every sentence and section is - and just good as f. Reference this video whenever you start wondering how you do what you do :). Amazing.
@maureenodonnell9600 Жыл бұрын
Hello Luke, love this video! I use rotten alfalfa hay as a mulch and winter mulch in my garden as I have horses and sometimes there is a bad bale of alfalfa. Pellets are great for the garden but just to let you know, alfalfa is not a grass, it’s a legume and nitrogen fixer. Keep up the videos!
@snarky_farmer3 жыл бұрын
Some feed stores/mills may also offer alfalfa meal.
@cherylhenley32673 жыл бұрын
Must add to the chorus of - NOT GRASS! Alfalfa is in the legume family, like peas.
@fadeddenims5012 жыл бұрын
I am just starting a compost pile ... thank you for the insight! I appreciate it!
@sarahjustesen13059 ай бұрын
I am so glad you popped up on my screen thismorning to explain the uses of alfalfa. Especially appreciate your comment about avoiding pellets coated with wax or oil.
@hbrws8133 жыл бұрын
Alfalfa pellets: this must be this month's topic for KZbin gardening channels.
@jhgannon3 жыл бұрын
One does it and others jump on it seems. Rusted Garden spoke about this 3 weeks ago. All good as I enjoy several channels and knowledge is power.
@mealbla70973 жыл бұрын
Yep it popped in my feed as well. I saw this guy from 2yrs ago. Fun kzbin.info/www/bejne/p6a4eKiwmsllobc. But now I wonder if grazon is used on alfalfa.
@thetradesman74783 жыл бұрын
I watched a video recently about using alfalfa from 2 years ago. The guy was an ole timer and seem to know gardening like the back of his hand.
@jeangraze80313 жыл бұрын
@@jhgannon I got some alfalfa pellets after I watched Gary's video.
@ProdByXorak3 жыл бұрын
Different channels different viewers
@katipohl24313 жыл бұрын
Botanically alfalfa is not a grass but a member of the #legume family (Medicago sativa, family fabaceae is the botanical identification)!!! Scientifically there is 2 main plant groups: dicotyledons (like alfalfa) and momocotyledons (such as grasses). Those legumes are associated with mycorrhiza to help fixing atmospheric nitrogen.
@randyketcham38403 жыл бұрын
Good tips on how to use this to fertilize Luke. Also the warning about the heat generated form the decomposition was great to point out. THanks
@kristysmith92533 жыл бұрын
Makes sense! We rotate alfalfa on our farm to add back into the soil.
@karensheart3 жыл бұрын
Once again thank you so much MI guy! This was wonderful!! And I can’t learn enough about gardening! With you I go to class and take notes!! Xo
@kmarch66303 жыл бұрын
I'll be skipping the alfalfa. The deer already try to eat everything I plant.
@JohnBrown-wk4io3 жыл бұрын
You can always eat the deer.
@SisterShirley3 жыл бұрын
@@JohnBrown-wk4io 😋
@adarshguptak3 жыл бұрын
Compost alfalfa pellets, beet pellets and coffee grounds along with saw dust pellets (all soaked n mixed) to kick-start hot composting, and keep adding your kitchen waste daily.
@kcfamilyfarm9393 жыл бұрын
One of my rabbits tends to waste a lot of her feed, and while it irritates me to see all the feed under her cage, I scoop it up along with her manure to add to the garden spaces because I know the pellets are mostly alfalfa and are good for the garden. So it's still good for amending my clay soil... which slowly but surely is getting more conducive to growing a garden with all the compost from the farm and manure from the animals (I have goats, rabbits and a variety of poultry that produce manure that either goes directly to the garden or gets added to the compost pile before going to the garden).
@bethhubbs9937 Жыл бұрын
It seems like the cubes would be cool to put into the bottom of a planting hole for 1 gallon plants/shrubs, etc.
@craftynita66333 жыл бұрын
are you concerned about the GMO aspect of alfalfa or pesticides used on it in ? just wondering if it affects the garden produce and 'organic' method.
@prettycleaver3 жыл бұрын
Love you stuff, small correction alfalfa is a legume not a grass.
@jomiller43973 жыл бұрын
Great idea Luke. You can also use the pelleted bedding in your compost when you don't have enough brown in your bin. LUKE, I am interested to hear more about your chicken decision. Did you get them? Do you love the Blue eggs? Have you looked into fermented feed for chickens? Please do a video on "The Chicken Decision" Pros, Cons, This, That, and the Yes or No of it all. Very Exciting! Thank you for all you do for the Gardens all around the World. Blessings ~
@kimiyemlsmallgardendream81153 жыл бұрын
I use alfalfa pellets every year. Best add-in to my soil since I have no area to compost. I grind mine up and sprinkle all around 🥬🥒🍅❤️❤️❤️
@christineg56263 жыл бұрын
How do you grind them? Seems like that would get you more bang for the buck in a small garden. And easy to handle. Thanks for the reply.
@merewhittle3 жыл бұрын
@@christineg5626 I would use a drywall mud beater on a drill.
@davidc15023 жыл бұрын
I bought a fifty pound bag of the pellets so excited to use them!
@biglou44523 жыл бұрын
I just bought the same 2 bags 2weeks ago from tractor supply for my gardening beds👍
@suejarrard22213 жыл бұрын
This is wonderful information. I have never heard of using alfalfa pellets before. I'll definitely be using these in my garden.
@angelawillis1453 жыл бұрын
Thanks for giving details of what to look for and why! I’m headed to Tractor Supply today!
@beemorehomestead84383 жыл бұрын
I buy the cubes for our rabbits and just place on the wire floor allowing a lot to drop below compost pile
@susanfox1303 жыл бұрын
Alfalfa is not a grass, it's a legume.
@ellensoeclectic3 ай бұрын
I love reading all of the comments....such good information. It's like an added bonus to an already informative video! And hilarious someone too!
@bs-vo1ii3 жыл бұрын
Filming in the snow, not skipping a beat. Only in the north :)
@margaretd37103 жыл бұрын
Great idea for the alfalfa! I am planning on using it as a tea and drench my plants with that. Now I'll do both. :-)
@tlgpb06273 жыл бұрын
Ive used alfalfa pellets as chick bedding in an incubator because it smells nice, is easy to clean and can be tossed right into a compost or garden bed when cleaned out. Also chicks pecked at it and ate some and it was no big deal.
@sbarrett10203 жыл бұрын
Genius
@JJo-zx5pg3 жыл бұрын
In the incubator or in the brooder? You're making me have thoughts here!
@tlgpb06273 жыл бұрын
@@JJo-zx5pg with chicks
@JJo-zx5pg3 жыл бұрын
Right. But I don't put bedding in the incubator since I remove them within hours of hatching. So I was thinking of alfalfa pellets being more helpful in the brooder, under the heat lamp where their bedding gets smelly and damp.
@tlgpb06273 жыл бұрын
@@JJo-zx5pg i meant brooder, you are right. I use same space just take lid off and forget not everyone uses word interchangeably. My bad sorry. Yes in brooder is best use. Also works beautifully with waterfowl babies as they get messy and the alfalfa pellets absorb so well
@ellenorbjornsdottir11664 ай бұрын
In parts of the anglosphere and germanic-speaking world, alfalfa is called lucerne (or similar). It's a legume, and you can grow it yourself. My understanding is that it can be cut with a scythe.
@servihomestead43243 жыл бұрын
I agree, alfalfa smells so good. I never heard of using it as a fertilizer. Thanks, Luke.
@HergerTheJoyous3 жыл бұрын
You could use this in a easy compost tea as well I would imagine.
@paulgentry41723 жыл бұрын
I tried an experiment with alfalfa pellets. I added some to a couple of compost bins. In one I added dry pellets. In the other I added pellets soaked in water. The bin with dry pellets didn’t heat up. The bin with wet pellets heated up nicely in just a few days. The compost bins have been cold since our first frost in October. I added soaked pellets to the rest of the bins. The compost should be ready for spring.
@janalcazar12773 жыл бұрын
How much alfalfa is added at a time? I just have compost in a tote from kitchen scraps. Just beginning my gardening journey. Thanks in advance!
@suzyq67673 жыл бұрын
I love using alfalfa in the garden. I take 4" flakes from the bale and lay them like floor tiles as a mulch--nothing squelched weeds or invites earthworms better than alfalfa tile mulch. I have used the pellets as you use them. But...I've never used the cubes for my compost pile. Guess what I'll be doing this year?
@cherriemckinstry1313 жыл бұрын
You really cover your subject very well. I enjoyed listening to what you were covering.
@lisawaddell75203 жыл бұрын
So I have a question about the pellets heating up...could you put the mash in raised beds where you want to start direct sowing seeds earlier than usual for your zone so that it warms up the soil?
@TheHomesteadingHobbit3 жыл бұрын
Thanks Luke! Be blessed!🙏
@searose61923 жыл бұрын
So...the heat generated by the alfalfa pellets is bad because you don't want to roast your seedlings......but if you wanted to use them as a lower layer in a cold Fram, couldn't they give you a jump start in spring by warming the soil temp? I remember reading about how the pilgrims used to compost directly beneath cold frame-like structures to get their seeds going in the late winter. The heat at that time of year was subtle, but have a few weeks running start. I wonder if alfalfa would work well for this.
@oliveagee62153 жыл бұрын
I live on the west side of Michigan and most of my ground is pure clay with a layer of topsoil for grass. Poor grass and lots of heathy weeds. I've enjoyed a mi gardener to listen to. I've had to use other methods for obvious reasons, but your methods have also been very helpful. Thankyou for sharing all yr round
@angelaanderson53603 жыл бұрын
I heard that beet pellets are also great additions.
@shelbywillis65513 жыл бұрын
Any guess/ideas on how this would affect pests? We have some really aggressive squirrels and raccoons.. I don't want to put out even more appealing food for them. Thanks!
@jampubs13 жыл бұрын
Alfalfa is a magnet for deer and wild rabbits!
@shelbywillis65513 жыл бұрын
@@jampubs1 Ahh yeah i'll pass on this then, thank you!!
@megan19503 жыл бұрын
@@jampubs1 groundhogs too
@kmarch66303 жыл бұрын
@@jampubs1 Same thing I said.
@markheintz18783 жыл бұрын
Get a dog or a .22 or pellet gun for the pests. I have an agreement with my furry neighbors, if you eat my garden, i eat you along with the onions, peppers, potatoes and garlic you didn't eat. So far it's been working.
@denipar692 жыл бұрын
Timely reminder that I wanted to “charge up” my hot compost bins from the winter! I soak some handfuls of these and then through them in the pile and they heat it up quickly! I also sprinkle these around my garden beds for feeding!
@julieroberts16043 жыл бұрын
Actually to get the maximum effect I'd just sow some alfalfa in a dormant crop area because alfalfa root systems fix nitrogen into the soil. For example when you rotate your crops every other year, plant alfalfa. Rip up the root system when you dont want it anymore and till the haylage in to add matter into the ground.
@TomiaMacQueen3 жыл бұрын
If you are gardening organically you may want to find an unsprayed non-gmo alfalfa which is difficult. Alfalfa is not easy to grow without spraying for weeds etc.
@ohio_gardener3 жыл бұрын
Just buy Organic Alfalfa Pellets from the same store. About $5 a bag more expensive.
@CG-mj8tk3 жыл бұрын
I thought most was nonGMO?
@Jeffipookins2 жыл бұрын
Yes, I accidentally introduced a harmful herbicide through my tractor supply pellets. Pay the extra $$ for the organic pellets and save yourself the headache. Even better, spend those dollars on good weed free compost.
@amynazza3 жыл бұрын
what sort of pesticides/herbicides are sprayed on alfalfa? I read that it used to be grown without applications of chemicals in the USA but that is no longer the case as of 2017 when the EPA changed some of its rules....
@ohio_gardener3 жыл бұрын
TSC also sells organic alfalfa pellets if you're concerned about pesticides/herbicides on it. They are about $5 a bag more expensive, though.
@jdp6ofus3 жыл бұрын
I was wondering that also. We put horse manure on some of our garden, contaminated with grazon. Couldn't gow tomatoes or beans or anything deep-rooted there even after we removed and replaced the soil for 3-4 years as there was evidently leaching. But in the beds we didn't put the horse manure, but had rabbit manure and there were alfalfa cubes, we also had evidence of either grazon or similar contamination. The rabbits also had hay with the alfalfa cubes, but the farmer said he didn't spray his fields with any herbicides so we never knew. I ended up not gardening for 3 more years until we moved. :-(
@charlesbyrneShowComments4all3 жыл бұрын
@@christineg5626 nah. Grazon and other herbicides will continue regardless of who is in office. Unless you have a lobbyist at the committee nothing will change.
@pbudinsky13 жыл бұрын
@@charlesbyrneShowComments4all Grazon is going to be a nightmare. Soon it will be contaminating garden beds all over the country.
@bettysmitj27023 жыл бұрын
The alfalfa pellets I bought were treated with Sencor. Found out contacting company. Haven’t heard back from university if ok to put in garden. Anybody know.
@SuperManning113 жыл бұрын
It looks SO cold there. Great video! I’m going to try this. I noticed the first signs of Spring today-buds on trees getting fatter, and winter tomatoes are ripening in abundance, so it’s a good time to beef up my compost pile before planting time in a couple of weeks.
@KendrasBrain Жыл бұрын
I bought some recently and though I forget the cost it was better than reasonable. I just put some on the surface of a number of tub containers. I was surprised to see it puff up and also there were little flies. They may have been there from rain but I'm not sure. I bought a metal trash can to keep them in in the greenhouse. Thanks for the info. I listened to this prior to buying it.
@pepperspot8053 жыл бұрын
This sounds great, but when do I need to add the mash to the garden. Now or in the spring. Zone 5 WY
@user-qgtoekq3 жыл бұрын
A bit too much beating around the bush, I wish you went more of a straight way to the points :)
@fannybuster3 жыл бұрын
KZbin pays by the longer you keep an audience watching, In doing a 5min instruction he wouldn't get much money
@bs-vo1ii3 жыл бұрын
True but you can watch at 2x or find someone else who lists info
@susanpaulson74453 жыл бұрын
Main reason I unsubscribed.
@riccidemus13 жыл бұрын
My time is valuable, I found this one to be the first migardener video that had 5mins of content in a 14 minute clip that I fast forwarded through, cautious now on viewing this channel sporadically instead of regularly
@bobgunner30863 жыл бұрын
Thanks Luke! This is exactly what I needed! I have tons of material for composting but its all carbon. I needed some cheap nitrogen source to get my hay and leaves heated up. Sounds like this is it.