Return to the Lawn Care Forum | Post a Follow-Up

 o
Which alfalfa?

Posted by wwwonderwhiskers 6b or 7a, depends on (My Page) on
Tue, Jun 19, 12 at 11:18

Hello. You'all have been marvelously helpful so far.

This might be splitting hairs, but thought I'd ask.

Being "on board" with the Alfalfa thing, following the "Basics of Lawn Care" trilogy, and planning more of the organic style lawn treatment for this summer (I have molasses & baby shampoo on the grocery list), I am about to pick up the 2nd load of alfalfa pellets.
First go-round, I found two suppliers with two slightly different pellets, so did a controlled re-hydration test in the kitchen overnight, then studied them both. Can you review the below, and tell me if you see any preference between the two? Thanks!

Supplier #1 has 40# bags, pellets are slightly larger. When re-hydrated, they look more like shredded alfalfa - plant fibers are easily visible. Looks like it would be superior as feed. Ingredients on the bag: Alfalfa (Standlee Hay brand).

Supplier #2 has 50# bags, pellets are slightly smaller. When re-hydrated, they look "creamy", more like they were formed with a medium grain alfalfa 'powder'. Ingredients on the bag: Alfalfa, Vegetable oil. (Southern States brand)

Seems to me that #2 would be better since it's more broken down to begin with, but I am questioning their addition of vegetable oil - will that help or hurt? May not matter. Cost is $0.02/lb, so I'm willing to pay either.

Having fun - thanks for all the info, and your thoughts on which pellet appreciated.

9 month old lawn, central mid-Atlantic, some type of fescue, mix sod & seed, mixed sun & shade, about 55k sq.ft. - Les.

PS - any rate / ratio on spraying the molasses? TSC has agri feed grade gallons - thought I'd pick up 1 or 2....


Follow-Up Postings:

 o
RE: Which alfalfa?

I don't know that it makes a difference on the alfalfa. Get some of both. Apply one to half your lawn and apply the other to the other half. Then report back.

Spray molasses at 1 gallon per acre or 3 ounces per 1,000 square feet. The dilution on the sprayer makes no difference as long as you start with three ounces and it ends up inside of 1,000 square feet.


 o
RE: Which alfalfa?

Thank you. First go-round I ended up mixing pellets due to availability. If there was a concern about the vegetable oil additive, I figured it would red-flag with you, so I won't be concerned with that.

I am / will be taking pics at one month intervals, and will be happy to post back (and to view the results myself!)

Regards & Thanks - Les.


 o
RE: Which alfalfa?

There is a farm near here that is selling baled alfalfa?

Would that do anything for the yard?

What about if used as straw for newly planted grass?


 o
RE: Which alfalfa?

If you used baled alfalfa then next year you would have an alfalfa lawn. Straw is straw with no seeds. Hay is hay with seeds/protein for the livestock.


 o Post a Follow-Up

Please Note: Only registered members are able to post messages to this forum.

    If you are a member, please log in.

    If you aren't yet a member, join now!


Return to the Lawn Care Forum

Instructions

  • You must be a registered member and logged in to post messages on our forums.
  • Posting is a two-step process. Once you have composed your message, you will be taken to the preview page. You will then have a chance to review the contents and make changes.
  • After posting your message, you may need to refresh the forum page in order to see it.
  • It is illegal to post copyrighted material without the owner's consent.
  • HTML codes are allowed in the message field only.
  • No advertising is allowed in any of the forums.
  • If you would like to practice posting or uploading photos, please visit our Test forum.
  • If you need assistance, please Contact Us and we will be happy to help.



 
Click here to learn more about in-text links on this page.