Alfalfa

[peachguy]

For the poeple on this forum who use Alfalfa and other green crops for composting how do you use it, when do you plant it and also where can yoou buy the seeds for it?

[opabinia51]

Yep, you can purchase the seeds from various stores though, I've found that Local nurseries do not usually carry large bags of alfalfa, and so on so, I also look at farm orientated stores that carry large bags of the seeds.

It's actually a really good idea to use more than one species in a cover crop because it provides a healthy habitat for many beneficial soil organisms and associated insect inhabitants. You can purchase tried, tested and true mixes of soil builders (Rye, Alfalfa and so on) with Nitrogen fixers (beans, peas, and so on).

Anyway, just spread over the soil, water (if the weather is dry) and mow regularly.

When you mow the cover crop, part of the root mater of the crop will decay and fall off, thereby feeding the soil subsurface, the leaf matter taken by the mower will decay on the soil surface.

Be sure to rake the area to avoid the build up of thatch.

There are two options when you are ready to plant:

1) Turn all the cover crop in a few weeks before planting and break up with a shovel then plant over a few weeks later.

2) Just clear small area that you want to plant in and leave the surrounding cover crop in.

[peachguy]

thanks I thought some one would have an answer

[peachguy]

I was also wondering if I gould use alfalfa dried clippings in my composter? As the carbon part of the C/N ratio.

[opabinia51]

Hi Peachguy,

yes you can put alfalfa clippings in the composter, it is a green which means that it's C:N ratio is closer to 1 or less than 1. Be sure to add some browns as well like leaves or black and white newspaper. I personally like using leaves as they contain minerals and other nutrients whereas nespaper is mostly just Carbon and Nitrogen in the form of lignin and cellulose. Also, nespaper has a C:N Ration of about 800:1 and leaves have a C:N ratio of about 300-400:1.

I think Alfalfa is in the C:N ratio thread in the organic forum. If you can find a copy at your local library try looking in Rodales Composting guid, they have a pretty thorough list of C:N ratios. Not to mention a ton of other information.

[peachguy]

thanks I will definately look fo rthat book

[opabinia51]

It should be availbable at your local public library, I first read it at the Horticultural center here and I've seen it at the University Library and at the public library. I've also seen it at Amazon but, if you can read it for free, no need for rushing out and buying it.... yet.

I will say that when you are reading any material; read it critically and use your best judgement. Same goes for reading our advice, critical thinking is what leads to new and amazing ideas and also can save you a lot of trouble.

[peachguy]

Yes I will definatley look for it a library first, I actually borrowed my first organic gardening book a few days ago as I like that aspect. But I was wondering about using dormant horticulture oils on my peach tree, when you spray it on are you suppose to leave it on to dry or rinse it off soon after spraying. I know oils are totally organic but they are good start and was just wondering.

[opabinia51]

Also, check out Gaia's Garden by Toby Hemenway this book has changed my whole outlook on gardening techniques. It's a hands on book on Permaculture.

[Durgan]

https://xrl.us/rzba
https://www.durgan.org/30%20September%202006%20Parsnips%20Over-wintering%20Composting/HTML/index.htm

The last picture indicate the clover growing, since parsnips were amongst my last crops removed.

I purchase the annual red clover form a feed supply house used by farmers like a Co-Op, or sometimes if it is difficult to find from the internet. Five pounds goes a long way. I have stored it for three years with no problem in a sealed container.

Bare ground is considered dead ground, so every fall when a portion of the garden becomes bare I plant annual red clover. This means it has different heights come winter. I plant until the end of September in Zone 5.

In the spring if any is alive I weed wack, it and rototill it into the soil when the ground become dry enough to work.

Whether it does any good or not I don't know, since I haven't run any controls, but it makes me feel better.

I have used annual rye, but prefer the red annual clover. Once I planted the white clover in error and spent all summer removing the plants. Annual propagates by seed and perennial propagates by roots and seeds.

Durgan.