Is it OK to use alfalfa hay as a mulch in the garden or am I adding too much nitrogen? I've actually tossed some in garden areas and its doing a fine job of suppressing weeds but wonder if I'm not burning it with nitro. I really can't afford much and was hoping to make this work instead of buying separate bales of hay for mulch. Eventually, I'll be growing my own wheat and barley: instant straw.

Also, I have much alfalfa remnants from the cubes... a sort of fine dust.

So, for my organic completely organic system. How can I best use all this wonderful alfalfa? Some of the alfalfa dust from the pellets is finished into a power form added to wet compost, rotted and fed to the worms as well as added to compost tea! Yet, I have a lot of it and am looking for the best use of it.

I know this alfalfa can be used to activate compost piles which will be happening soon now that the weather is heating up.

What do ya think?

Thanks in advance!
Bon

I have a lawn over-seeded with clover, and I use the clippings as a mulch, and its the only nitrogen source I need for vegetables, even green leafy things like chard, kale, and spinach that want more N.

So, I'd throw it around freely.

Since the alfalfa stems have less N than the leaves it should be fine. There will be more concentrated N in the bunny poops than in the stems. I'd keep it away from growing plant stems in any case.

Note: This is a worked "yarden" that has only produced one set of a bunch of tomatoes and they were beautiful and tasty but all marble-sized. Lack of water and air was the problem - drought and also the soil is clay... not quite a "gumbo" but very similar. At least it's not RED clay, right?

My soil is DARK indicative of some richness but it was low in phosphorous and very low in nitrogen 2 years ago when I tested it at home with a kit. I really ruined the soil with the first till 2 years ago, so I'm basically going with no-till garden using various compost piles to do so. Really wish I could acquire and give numbers, but I just cannot afford to do so. I will as soon as possible but the area is so big I'd need about 20 tests lol!

kimmsr Good questions! Nothing but creeping charlie where the bunny poop hasn't been laid and where we ruined the soil. Need to plant some radishes, huh? That'll help me. Great idea. All I need do is plant radishes and bunny greens. Heck, they don't care if they're flawed or even bitter!

I haven't planted since I started pooping the area. LOL Tomorrow I'm going to just throw some seeds in there for rabbit greens and see how they fair - namely radishes. Tx for reminding me!

@David Thank you! I JUST found out from another Oklahoma gardener who said, "If it weren't a money issue I'd mulch exclusively with Alfalfa because it adds just the right amount of nitrogen as it breaks down." I was really glad to hear that, but she doesn't add manure along with it.

@luckygal Thank you for that. I've never looked at it in depth as much as you described. That gives me a good platform to begin more research. Now that you mention it, I notice they do not eat all of it like say... when I make my own prairie hay by simply gathering dead grasses in the field. I didn't think much of it as it's great for the compost pile. I love permaculture where nothing goes to waste. I'm buying these small bales from Atwoods. Only hay I can get around here comes in those huge round bales which would rot without proper storage.

We'll be growing our own, eventually, once I learn how as well as other types for natural mulch and even making our own bread flour!. meanwhile the neighbor doesn't mind letting his little patch of land going unkempt for some natural local hay which the rabbits seem to dearly love. Local ecology forbids Timothy Hay growth and it's WAY expensive so....

Thanks!

@jonfrum

I think you're spot on with that. I don't know why I hadn't even considered mostly utilizing it in one of the numerous compost piles I have... probably because I've only over-wintered the rabbits. Now that spring is here ... I'm looking to change the routine of things. It really just takes time, doesn't it?

I'll use the spent hay on the floor of the hutch (outside the cages) as mulch. There's plenty there and it's not so "poopy". As for the bunny poop-ridden spent hay, I'll designate it slowly and carefully in areas other than compost. After all, only well rotted manure should be placed directly in the garden. That which is on there was done so over the winter. I should probably stop adding now and just utilize the heated compost method from here on out. I'll start planting things right away - especially quick-growing radishes - to monitor plant uptake or inhibitions as much as possible.

Boy! I'm SO excited that spring is right around the corner. I love having these rabbits in a city area to help compost safely and cleanly. Soon I won't have any outside materials coming into my organic garden and that's just wonderful in my book! At least the Alfalfa is less likely to have pesticides as other forms of hay, but I'll be glad to be rid it of that much, too.

Thank you all so very much!

If you have dandelions growing wild you can also pick the leaves and flowers (or dig up the entire plant) for bunny feed. The darker the green leaves the more nutritious the feed.

I know these little goobers love mustard greens but I hadn't thought of growing kale for them!

Bunnies really play a huge role in my little ecology. It's just darned sad about the cages. I put metal trays on the bottom of their cages so they don't walk on that wire, but it takes cleaning every single day.

Real quick lest we go off topic, rabbit suppliers have resting pads that your rabbits can rest on, off of the wire. Can't imagine cleaning trays every day. I do put shredded newspaper or coffee grounds in the tray to absorb the urine and then scoop it 2 or3times per week. Works good, makes great compost. Ken