WATCH THIS BEFORE USING ALFALFA FERTILIZER Pellets
HTML-код
- Опубликовано: 23 ноя 2024
- WATCH THIS BEFORE USING ALFALFA Pellet for FERTILIZER
/ iamorganicgardening
/ iamorganicgardening
/ markorganic
Subscribe to My CHANNEL : / iamnjorganic
Mycorrhizal list : www.rootnatural...
@THERUSTEDGARDEN
![[#2024MAMA] G-DRAGON - 무제(Untitled, 2014)+POWER+HOME SWEET HOME+뱅뱅뱅+FANTASTIC BABY | Mnet 241123 방송](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Ox29z5Nf1Uk/mqdefault.jpg)
Fascinating and exciting to see nature in action. I am a seventy six year old who has gardened much of my life and what I am learning about the soil structure is amazing and helps me see how our world being able to heal if we understand that nature knows what its doing if we only open our eyes and give it the care it needs. Thank you for this article
This is the first useful alfalfa video I've watched. Thank you for answering the questions of how and why.
THANK YOU so very Much. Here to share and Help the best way I can.
After watching this video it reminded me of my grandparents who homesteaded our ranch years ago and used to have this huge Haywagon pulled by draft horses. My father continued after they passed with the alfalfa growing and rotational resting of the land, then planting crops and we always had an abundance of whatever crop my father planted cotton, corn, etc. But it was a rotational thing which was the best for the land.
Any cover crop that is left or used that have a living root in the ground for as long as possible help build and grow soil.
I love stories about Old farms and homesteading and how these people actually lived and made a living. I admire them very much and thank you for that little tiny part of the story that you gave!
My Grandpa called it "The Old Way". Crop rotation, Alfalfa/Sweet Clover seeded with oats, cattle grazing first year, hay crop second year, feed the soil third year, (thick canopy and ground moisture decomposes weed seeds and green manure to fertilize), wheat, corn, oats, rye. Every other year, leave straw for the Soil.
My oldest brother has straight cropped for 18 years since Dad passed away.
Hard pan, alkali patches, wind and water erosion, heavy use of chemicals,,, Dead Dirt.
Now I teach my Daughters how to be a good steward of the soil, on my 3 acres, veggietable, fruit, grass clippings and sweet clover for mulch. Wood chips, horse manure, clover for compost/mulch.
I was waiting for you to express a preference between the pellets and the meal!
There is a lot of heat produced in the pelleting process, so they are near sterile. I know this because you can essentially hydrate alfalfa and wood pellets to innoculate with oyster mushrooms, with very little issue of not being sterile if you innoculate enough
I was told by the manager of Alfalfa Supply Inc. that during the pelleting process they heat the pellets up to 400 degrees. Also most alfalfa pellets and alfalfa cubes are grown from Roundup ready alfalfa. Roundup is not only a herbicide it is also registered as a bactericide.
@@RWM1955Funny that because glyphosate works on an enzyme in plants, which I don't believe has anything to do with bacteria.
@@bitTorrenter regardless of how it kill a plant it has also has registered an anti bacterial status.
Microscopy video worth a thousand words. Wonderful.
I've been watching you for years. Enjoy your videos. I love it when you pull out the microscope and dig up plants to show us what is going on. I always learn something new. Have a great year gardening.
Awesome! Thank you! And a Very Happy Gardening New Year to you also. Enjoy.
This is really interesting and unlike any other video I found explaining the benefit of alfalfa. Thanks!! - Rick
Hello Rick. THANK YOU so very kindly. Always here to share and have Fun gardening.
This was so informative! Now I have a visual of these organisms in relation to fertilizing. Thank you!
Much of the nutritional value of alfalfa is dependent on when it is harvested. Harvest at 1/4 bloom gets the most TDN or total digestible nutrient for livestock and fertilizer as well. Also involved are the age of the field and the type of soil. When alfalfa was first being pelletized I was heavily involved in the industry and the TDN was constantly checked. Not so much these days I understand. As a fertilizer, the type of soil and its biology makes a huge difference. I will still use pellets because they are much easier to apply and control.
Yes this was excellent to know, I've got alfalfa meal because I'm making my own soil to plant in grow bags. I bought alfalfa meal , my own worm castings plus azomite, chicken compost , blood meal, bone meal , micorriza fungi, and a few other things to make my soil as healthy as possible so my food is more nutritious for my family🤗💐😊,, thanks
Always here to help and share. Happy Gardening
How did your soil turn out? Can you provide what and how much you used? I have some grow bags in addition to my raised beds and want to use grow bags more. Thanks!
Hope your soil was a success. Please let us know. Happy gardening 😊
What an outstanding production! Mark has us all in geek/nerd mode!
THANK YOU for you kind words and proud of it.
Fantastic & thorough video. As always, your content & delivery are great! I love your videos! I'll switch from pellets to alfalfa meal. Greetings from Virginia Beach, VA.
Thank you so very much, Enjoy.
Great information! Knowing why this works is so interesting! Thank you! I have incorporated pellets into my gardening this year. Now I am really excited to see what happens. I even featured using pellets on one of my gardening videos but I had no idea why! I will definitely share your info in my playlists!
Great video! Gave a thumbs up. Fascinating how it all works. My take away is that the meal was faster acting and more beneficial than the pellets on a per ounce basis. I would have enjoy getting your thoughts on the benefits of each on a per dollar basis as well. However the variables of intended use and brand variations would make this very difficult
Thanks for sharing!
THANKS! I'm trying to get educated prior to beginning to organically garden. I found this video content interesting and informative.
Glad it was helpful! If any question just ask away here to help and share.
Thank you so much for this, I’ve been looking for natural ways to “grow” healthy soil. Just added alfalfa pellets and wasn’t sure how it works but this was very enlightening. I am also going to try and compost in place a bit to feed all these micro organisms. I added to rabbits for fertilizer as well. Our soil is very heavy clay here in San Diego and has taken years to get it somewhat useable. But we’re getting there. Thank you for the lesson, I’ll be subscribing.
The key to grow soil is a balance of food for both bacteria and fungi ( 1: 1 ratio ) plus moisture all the time and a living plant root also all the time. THANK YOU
You sound like a student of Dr Ingham.. I finished the foundation course this year. Good on ya!
Nice to hear you took the course. I have not, but email her to answer some question to keep me on track. She is the best.
Overpriced in my opinion but I took it too when I was green and excited. Lol
@@e.wicksholisticgardens9851 Yeah, I got in on the "discount" but still think it's steep. Did some quick calculations on how many students at even the "discounted" price. That's some tax bill due.
Great video great break down , i just bought the alfalfa pellets over the meal as i got twice as much weight for the same price were i was shopping.
That is awesome! THANK YOU for the great news.
Fascinating, I love the science that goes with the fertilizer to explain the difference and show how it all works together. Thanks for sharing.
So nice of you to say. THANK YOU, have a great weekend
Recently, I threw down a bag of alfalfa pellets (horse feed) on 2K sqft of garden as a supplement to the Espoma organic blend I typically use. One of the problems I see with garden products is people using too much expecting a miracle in a bag. I learned a long time ago some products have benefit while other nutrients may needed such as adding biomas (crop residues, manures, etc.) to build nitrogen. I prefer ocean products such as fish & kelp to boost the micronutrients and amino acids in soil biology. I'm not a scientist but have had great results in many different garden plots thriving with life.
@@YAYA-bv7po Thanks for the tip on 30 days, I threw it down in the fall to allow plenty of time to get absorbed by the soil biology through several processes to become available to plants. I use stuff like Espoma as a similar ingredient and have success.
@@heavymechanic2 I gave up on Espoma years ago as I perceive their quality has diminished. Switched to the line of fertilizers from Microlife out of Texas. Absolutely love their quality. Have to buy on Amazon and it’s a bit more pricey than Espoma but I love the results. Just wanted to add my 2cents. Since I’ve switched to them I use nothing else. Great company
@@bluejay3945 I use a lot of fish fertilizer with kelp, and started going with humic, it all works together to improve the soil.
Great stuff! Thank you!
One question: what’s the shelf life of all this fertilizers that come in a bag? I recently purchased a lot of bat guano, seabird guano, kelp meal, alfalfa meal, blood meal, etc etc...
Another question good sir: I always add diatomaceous earth to my super soil mix because it retains 20 times more water than regular soil and it’s rich in silica and trace minerals. The question is: are diatoms detrimental to bacteria?
Diatom shells shouldn't have any affect on bacteria. They are much larger than bacteria and probably provide a decent substrate. And the pesticide affect is only for dry DE; its main action is adsorption of lipids from the cuticles of invertebrate animals.
I wouldn't use it to be honest. There may be beneficial insects and the DE might well have an effect if they come in contact with it. It can be used to kill bed bugs, carpet moth larvae etc, but I wouldn't use it in the garden. That's just me though.
In review of your comments I see a lot of folks doing that fermentation thing via JADAM theory. I just don’t get it as my understanding is aeration is the key.
I would love to see you do as thorough of an evaluation of the JADAM theory as you did here. I think a month of folks would benefit from it. Thank you for this awesome content
I agree with you that aeration ( aerobic ) is key. I will be doing aerobic compost tea video soon. Thanks for asking.
Loved the video. Minor edit: the time for bacteria to reproduce is 20minutes, not 20 seconds. It’s still tremendously fast.
I'm Buying a microscope, so cool. The way you can test what's really in your product is amazing.
Awesome, thank you!
Great Minds think alike, This morning I made a slurry of Alfalfa cubes to put into my compost to be used in about a month or so. Thanks for showing the "Little Guys" I'm growing.
Very cool! THANKS for sharing.
Amazing video. Love the way you explain the biology on how nature organic works. More videos plz. Thank you,
Thank you! Will do!
Never knew what using alfafa products on a garden invovled. Loved the slide presentation
Great. Thanks.
This was so fascinating! Thank you for this demo. I guess the take away is the pellets serve as more of a slow release fertilizer than the meal starting with less bacteria. I’ve just ordered pellets because it was so cost effective. I’m determined to improve my soil and boost veggie and flower production for my personal use. 🌱🌱🌱🌱😃
The meal is the better product( more bacteria )plus we know the NPK value in it. . As the pellets we do not know the NPK in it . Plus it is grown for the protein value only for a food source. Less bacteria, etc. Thanks for asking
@@iamorganicgardening lll
Loved it! Thank you, so much! I just found your channel for the first time, and this reminded me of 7th Grade Biology... which I loved.
I'm planning to use Alfalfa pellets and pine straw, along with worm castings & hopefully a few logs, to fill up the bottom of my 30inch raised bed, Hugelkulture style.
This really helped me to see that I don't need to amend that layer with azo/rhizo, or mycos, like I was planning. I will be mixing both of those into the top layer of soil, and allowing it to simmer for 6wks, before planting in the Spring, so that should be plenty. I've never gardened in raised bed before, so this will be sort of an experiment.
I'm so excited because I haven't been able to garden for the past 4yrs, and I've really missed it. Your science class, has sparked much enthusiasm, as I look forward to this year's adventures.
You've earned a new Sub!
THANK YOU, Glad you found it. Thanks again for the sub. They keep to healthy soil is keeping a living root all the time year round. I will be doing a video later for a container or raised bed in early spring. Plant when you can outside a crop of spinach to start that living root process. Takes about 30 days depending on weather.
@@iamorganicgardening Thank you for the suggestion. I'll do that.
Looking forward to your video on raised beds. Love your approach.
I really like it when you use the microscope for us. Very interesting material. Well done Mark.
Always my pleasure to do that. It is a blast for me also. THANK YOU.
I really love this kind of stuff. Thank you, Mark, for taking the time to do this.
My pleasure to share with you.. THANKS
Alfalfa is a great amendment! Biological Nitrogen Fixation uses N2 nitrogen gas from the atmosphere not from the soil. That’s why it’s such an important process it takes completely unusable N and mineralizes it. It then enters the soil N pool when the plant decomposes. Hope this helps!
I agree. THANK YOU.
There’s a good chance that alfalfa has mold spores on it so if you’re gonna use it, lay it down either a couple weeks before you plant, top dress it, or make a tea with a mycorrhizae inoculant before you feed it to your plants
YES, please make the teat aerated . THANK YOU.
I am in zone 6b as well it used to be zone 6 but they changed it around 2012. I am glad to finally find a channel at least close to my time line on things. Great video I subbed and will be looking forward to seeing what comes out as spring and summer comes on.
Welcome and Hello 6b gardener. First to to plant outside is our sugar snap peas in march .. Hopefully.
Thanks you for another great video! I always learn something.
My pleasure to always share. THANK YOU.
Where we live, alfalfa meal is just alfalfa pellets that have been ground down. Thats what the chunks are in the meal. The analysis is what’s important. I’ve seen people using timothy alfalfa pellets thinking it’s pure alfalfa.
Thanks for your video.
Interesting! THANK YOU for sharing this.
This was a very interesting video! I appreciate you sharing with us. Bacteria and fungus are nearly indestructible!
They are what keeps the world alive. THANK YOU
I wanted to buy the pellets but to have it delivered, it went from $12.99 to $35 for delivery. So, I decided to buy the Alfalfa Meal instead. So, thanks. I won't feel bad with my choice.
It is a great choice.. Well Done. THANK YOU
That was a very interesting I would like to see it again in like 12 hour increments then with aded sugars and castings I think I need a microscope
That would be cool!
Great video with easy to understand analysis. I use alfalfa hay for mulch around our fruit trees and vegetable garden and alfalfa meal to fertilize our roses. Thank you for sharing.
Great tip! THANK YOU for sharing.
I’ll have to add to my vegetable garden this spring
Meal is the better one.. More nitrogen .THANKS.
Hey Mark, I was moving my tomato starts this morning and thought of this video. I don't have a heat mat under my trays, and the lights are in my garage and not that warm (its CA, so not too cold at night). A thought popped into my head - "I bet the heat mat effect has nothing to do with warming the roots, and everything with raising the temp for the microbes and fungus to get active." I recall a slide (probably Gabe Brown or Ray Archuleta video?) where someone had 2 trays of seedlings that were identical in every way but 2. One tray has vigorous plants and one not so much. The vigorous tray had mycorrhizal fungi and the other did not. So is the soil heating from a mat is to make the microbes and fungi happy and only secondarily the make the plant starts warm? Do you (or anyone else) have any thoughts or research pointers to share?
To my understanding the microbes love to grow and work around 70 to 80 degrees. With a fair about of moisture and food.
I am certainly no expert, but I would speculate the same thing. Good thought!
Instablaster.
Very good explanation. I think you’re the best.
Appreciate that. It is all due to great viewer's like you. Thank You.
This was the most interesting garden video I’ve ever seen! To actually see the life forms under a microscope is amazing and I can’t thank you enough. What is your background?
Wow, THANK YOU. Both my grandparent's where farmers. Each having over 300 acres. After my wife passed away at 36 years old from a rarer incurable cancer I decide to by a farm. My 2 sons where 6 & 4 at the time. So I had no money and why not farm with nature because I knew it works, it is all around us. I was very lucky to hear and be taught by Dr. Elaine Ingham. Top soil scientist that discover the Soil Food Web. Been doing it now for 20 years working with nature.
If you likke this then you'll love KNF Korean Natural Farming.Take a look at Chris Trumps posts.He shows you a very simple way of harvesting the Microbes/Fungi with boiled rice placed on the soil for a couple of days.After 48hrs its covered with white furry Microbes which you can make IMO Indigenous Micro organisms that can be stored and used to treat the soil.
They don't use water to 'soak' the ground alfalfa to compress it into pellets. They steam it just before it goes into the compressor. The steam (heat) kills most of the bacteria, which is why you don't see them as much in the pellet microscopic slide.
Very good point. THANK YOU.
love to know what kind of microscope you are using! Thanks!
I add a can of cola and a can of regular beer to my compost with the alfalfa pellets to jump start the process.
Rhizobium takes nitrogen from the air and stores it in the rhizobium in the ground to make it available.
The pellets are not soaked according to a guy who worked in a processing plant, but are steamed.
Yes, air in the soil. Please google it. I agree they are steamed. I misspoke. Sorry. Thank You for your input.
Good work… thanks for your service to humanity.
Thank You kindly
Very interesting. I didn't know this stuff. Awesome information 👍☺️
Glad to hear, THANK YOU so very much.
Thank you for sharing this information about Alfalfa pallets. This video was extremely INFORMATIVE 🙏🏼
THANK YOU kindly
I’d imagine putting a few tablespoons of quality compost or homemade bacterial fertilizer in the alfalfa slew would greatly enhance the microbe activity.. would have been neat to see that in the slide..
ding ding ding! we have a winner. this is how i go about it. it is very benificial
Very good video Mark! Love when you pull out the microscope and let us all take a look. There is so much talk about using alfalfa as a fertilizer. Now I see pellets and meal are not the same.
I was always wondering about what happens to microbes when soil is froze 4 feet deep. Thanks again for the lesson!
Glad it was helpful to see the difference. When the soil freezes or even below 60 degrees large amounts of microbes are not at all very active. But that is a good thing for both endo and ecto mycorrhizal fungi living in and on living plants roots as a host. THEY grow great now because nothing is eating them and they can grow and build soil.
Mark, Another great video! I wonder if soy meal would be a good soil amendment as well, it's $20 per 50 lb bag, vs. $15 for alfalfa, however, the former has almost 3 times the protein content.
Good question! Sorry, I do not know. Like they way you think. THANK YOU for asking.
Soy meal is a good nitrogen source, they are a good mix with alfalfa.
Wow, I feel so smart after that vivid tutorial! Thank you! I’ve wondered if alfalfa meal or pellets need to be composted before adding to the soil? Wouldn’t adding them directly rob nitrogen?
They are perfect to add in just as is. The have a C:N of about 25:1 which is Ideal.
@@iamorganicgardening I have raised beds and am also zone 6b (CT). Should I add alfalfa now? I was wondering if you could tell if the types of bacteria were the same on both pellets and meal.
I put mine through a rabbit first
Many times they waste food and it goes into the garden no problem
@@wildedibles819 🤣 Cool/ I do compost worms.. 😊
Very interesting!! I enjoyed the science demonstration!
Thank you! Cheers!
Great video Mark!
Love how you and your microscope explain: Fungi eat the bacteria, and the resulting poop =s plant fertilizer. ;-)
Presently fermenting table scraps, using the solids for compost additive, and adding alfalfa pellets to the liquid. (Bokashi tea)
I use the pellets to insure a slower nutrient release in sandy soil.
I also use coffee grounds up-top for extra nitrogen when growing cucumbers.
Question: My daughter is extremely gluten intolerant!
She read that a gardener gave this person with Celiac Disease cucumbers fertilized with coffee grounds.
After consuming she had a bad intestinal allergic reaction due to the gluten in the ground-up coffee beans.
Is this possible? A gluten transfer on a microscopic level?
Here is a How it works in this video link just click on it. : ruclips.net/video/NSkbS1qdeVk/видео.html
I can only add my family's experience. I have a SIL who has celiac disease. She is so reactive to any gluten that she cannot eat commercially prepared ketchup. Wait? There's wheat in ketchup? No, but it is a part of commercially prepared vinegar, which is then used to make ketchup. So I don't think the issue is can gluten transfer from one product to the next. I think the question is how sensitive is the patient in question 🤔
This is CRAZY! I never imagined such a thing! AWESOME!!! Thank- you for showing me a whole new aspect of gardening!!!😊
Any time! Always here to help and share. THANK YOU.
This is a great tutorial. I am into red wigglers and their compost, and recently purchased alfalfa pellets, because I could not find the powdered form. I spread a few handfuls over my garden soil and let the rain and snow break them apart. So glad to learn what’s ‘in’ these pellets. Thank you!
Glad it was helpful! THANK YOU so very much.
Love it! It is all about science. Thanks for the understanding. Nice microscope.
Exactly! THANK YOU.
TSC has fifty lbs. bags of either pellets or cubes of alfalfa for horses or other livestock for 18 to 19 dollars guaranteed analysis. Organic 24 dollars for forty lbs. .
Thank You.
thank you for the scientific approach. Loved your video. Can't wait to see more.
THANK YOU so very much. Working on a new video to upload soon.
Now I understand the science behind plant food. Very interesting to see it in action under a microscope. Thank you for sharing.
THANK YOU so very much.. Here to share.
This really clears up a lot for me..thank you! I was under the impression that most bagged material was “dead”, and would eventually wake up in the garden. But this shows the life is there, and just needs water..and maybe air? Thanks again..
On another subject, I’d love to hear your take on alfalfa being “gmo”, likely sprayed with herbicide, and whether or not that has an effect on garden soil..
So far to my understand their are just 2 types of alfalfa variety's out there. And that alfalfa hay is used for cow bedding only. NOT FEED . And they are mark that way and should be never used in the garden.
@@iamorganicgardening Not true. Alfalfa is used as food for many livestock, cows, horses, goats, sheep, etc. And, now, much of the alfalfa is GMO. I was very disappointed a few years ago to find out my local farmer, whom I've known all of my life, had resorted to using GMO alfalfa. He used the hay for his own cows and sold a lot of it. He had always had the best alfalfa hay around. I hated feeding that to my goats. Remember that GMO's do not have to be labelled. That said, anything certified organic, by definition, cannot be GMO. But, the label has been compromised and you cannot be positive that "organic" products are truly organic. A sad situation.
Yes, much alfalfa is now GMO. I know. I used to farm and live among all of the farmers here. And yes, herbicides do have an effect on the soil. The most dangerous is glyphosate as it is a mineral chelator and is devastating to the nutrient value of a plant and to humans and animals who consume those plants. Dr Stephanie Seneff has been studying glyphosate for years and has numerous informative videos and articles.
@@iamorganicgardening And, alfalfa hay just for bedding would be expensive and a waste of a normally fairly scare and valuable food source. I've never known of anyone that used alfalfa for bedding. Other hays and straw, or purchased wood shavings or pine bedding are used.
@@desertheavens thanks for the info..it’s definitely been something that has kept me from using the cheap 15lb bags to use as fertilizer. I couldn’t find any of those labeled organic or OMRI. It’s my understanding that the alfalfa has likely been sprayed. I thought about buying the more expensive organic pellets, but have decided to just use the organic material I get free on my property..
Fascinating. Thanks for this! How is the family? It has been a long time since I talked to you.
I just discovered you & subscribed today. Thank you for taking the time to do this video. I was just Fantastic information and I will use Alfalfa meal in the future instead of pellets. Fascinating use of your microscope!
THANK YOU for the subscribing, Glad you like the video .
Awesome, informative video. Thanks for posting!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Mark Ive been using alfalfa pellets for years. Ive always put it in a barrel with water and rice and allowed it to ferment before using on garden. Any thoughts on this?
Hello. Hope all is well. To me ferment is the lack of oxygen. That is something that we do not what. You can add water to it and add a air bubbler to give it air. Just like making compost tea. Thanks
@@iamorganicgardening thanks. This was done mostly to make it less appetizing to those darn voles. Hope you and your family are healthy and happy.😊
Hi. Enjoyed. So is it good to use the pellets or not?
great vid. so it seems the meal is better choice for immediate availability of nutrients for the soil than pellets. However for cost effectiveness for large area gardening and farming the pellets would be better choice but would take longer for those bacterias to reproduce to be a benefit to the soil and plants. When would be the best time to apply the pellets to raised garden beds? I am prepping and more soil to my beds this fall with deep mulch as well. Can i scatter pellets across the whole bed then cover with new soil? The soil i have in there is pretty depleted and i need to fill probably another 6" of soil to the existing soil bed. How much Pellets to use per square foot? Again thank you for the vid and your time. cheers
Save your money and do not use either. If you have fall leaves use them. They will do 3 times better for you. Layer fall leaves with your own native soil ever 2 inch's. Please watch my video on this. Grew 8 tomatoes plants in one raised bed and they plants did fantastic.
The pelletizing of the alfalfa does create some heat, so maybe that is why there is less bacteria and fungi in them. Mixing in some mycellium powder works wonders !
I agree. Thanks.
Absolutely fascinating.
Nerdy factoid: “bacteria” is actually the plural form of bacterium,-bacterium meaning just one. 👍
THANK YOU. 👍
Just found your channel. The video was awesome. I have been using organic fertilizers and wanted to use alfalfa pellets but wasn't sure. What about alfalfa Cubes? Would that do the same?
THANK YOU for the sub. Pellets are 10 times less nitrogen. ( see my new video. ). We will never know what is in the cubes ( early harvest alfalfa or late harvest alfalfa, Big DIFFERENCE )
so interesting thank you
Cute little critters :o) Thanks for showing us ..-
Great way of looking at it. THANK YOU.
Great video! I have a giant bag of alfalfa pellets that is probably 5-6 years old--I just keep forgetting to use it. And of course when I do, the pellets that touch the surface mold. After all this time, will the microbes in the pellets be "expired"? Should I toss it? Or if expired add it anyway so that the pellets can be food for bacteria already in the soil? Now I'm going to go see what other videos you have : ).
Yeah see that's the thing. I don't think the most promoted benefit of alfalfa is the bacteria in it anyway. From what I've seen in other videos it is a nutrition source to feed the biology already present in one's soil. Also alfalfa has a growth hormone naturally present in it. If one really needed to introduce new microbiology into the soil I would think you'd make an aerated tea from fresh worm castings.
So helpful. Thank you for sharing. I look forward to the next video.
That is Very kind of you to say... THANK YOU, always here to help.
Excellent video. Thank you. May I ask a question? I have a Jora (brand name) tumbler composter. It’s well considered in the market. From this tumbler, during rainy periods, there is seepage which I collect in a bucket underneath that is “compost tea”. During rainy season, I get much more than 100 litres. My understanding from this fantastic learning is that the tea saved is anaerobic unless oxygen is added. This year is my first year and I saved my “tea” over the months for use during the summer. Therefore, to make it aerobic, do I have to aerate it at the time of collection, or just before use.? How long is needed for the aeration process for say a 5 gallon bucket of the “tea” with saved rain water from my water butts? This tea is completely free of charge so as you will understand, I want to maximise its benefits and use! Thanks again Paul (from UK)
Great explanation! Thanks so much!
Thank You so much.
My gosh, what a fantastic video. I have started using alfalfa pellets to amend my raised beds and it sure gives me a sense of validation that I am doing the right thing (albeit more slowly than meal!). I learned a lot from this video, thanks Mark! So much fun seeing through the microscope!!
Wonderful! So very glad to hear. THANK YOU kindly.
When you buy rabbit pellets the protein percentage is right on the the bag!
fantastic video. Thanks for sharing
Thank you too
Love it and your right nature is an amazing things we should all learn to appreciate it more cause if we did can you imagine how much better off we and the world would be that's a world I would love to live in.
I fully agree. THANK YOU.
Thanks so much. You have provided a lot of good information.
So nice of you to say. THANK YOU.
Very interesting. You have me hooked.
Awesome! Thank you!
the pellets are like 8x cheaper for 50 pound bags. Pretty crazy. I wish I could test the pellis somehow as im depending on them for potassium
If your are planting in real soil ( sand, silt and clay) you never have to worry about and nutrients lacking. Real soil has them all in a very large amount. You need to grow microbes in soil to feed your garden plants roots. Peat moss is not soil.
Thank you for that interesting and informative video. Organic alfalfa isn't generally available in the feed stores in my area, so I'm guessing that what is sold is GMO. I've used it in beds and not seen detrimental effects, as far as I know. Wouldn't you think that there is enough biology in the ground soil (as opposed to potting soil) to take the place of what is already on organic alfalfa in breaking it down? And I always have weed tea fermenting through the growing season, and I can smell plenty of biology in that - at least during the fermenting process. What if I watered potting soil in a pot with that and/or rehydrated the non-organic alfalfa with that?
That would depend entirely on the biology already in the soil where any specific person lives. If the ground has been constantly tilled and/or synthetically fertilized- it is abused and weak. Perhaps by accident, but not nearly as healthy as compost treated/mulch/cover crop soils. 😊
Gmo alfalfa is not available to the public in meal , pellets form or hay.. In Ground soil there is very little different types of microbes in the real soil. Mostly just high amounts of bacteria. Plants go wrong when their is not a balance of both fungi and bacteria. Plus you need another group to eat them called nematodes and protozoa to final get plant available nutrients. That is why you need living roots in the ground that feed the soil and build it. They make passage ways for all the small and large groups to move amount and hold the soil in place making aggerates . Only nature can do this. Thanks for asking. Fermenting weed tea must please be aerated ( bubbler used ) at all times. If not it grows the wrong bacteria. Which is bad called anaerobic. You need oxygen for the correct aerobic type process THANK YOU for you great question.
@@iamorganicgardening You are misinformed. GMO alfalfa hay absolutely is grown and used and sold as food for livestock. I live right in the midst of it.
Anne Studley
Anne Studley You are correct in that much alfalfa is now GMO and much has been sprayed. I know because I live amongst and buy alfalfa hay from the farmers since I no longer farm. I was shocked when I found my neighbor had sown his fields with GMO alfalfa seeds after I had been buying from him a few years. GMO does not normally have to be labeled. Technically, certified organic products cannot be GMO but there has been so much corruption in the organic certification organizations that it can't be totally trusted.
@@iamorganicgardening Thank you for your answer. How about just letting weeds grow to keep living roots in the ground? The winters here would kill most cover crops. And how about edible root crops, such as parsnip and sunchokes? I have 2 sunchoke beds and usually harvest both in fall, but this year I had enough to last me through the winder in one bed and so left the other for harvest in spring. They're alive down there, but I'll dig 3/4 of the rhizomes out and disrupt everything - there's no avoiding that. What's left will multiply and grow another stand. So is that patch of ground going to be worthless with the annual digging to get the food out? As opposed to carrots, which I have heavily mulched to no avail in the past, parsnips seem to last the winter here, and I can harvest them in spring before they bolt. I will plant something there right afterwards, but again, I have disturbed the soil to get those roots out. So is it pointless in terms of improving soil biology to leave them in the soil through the winter just to have something living in the soil at all times? Regarding the non-aerated tea, I've never had a problem with using it. I even soaked some herb seeds (cilantro, basil, and Mexican marigold) I planted for indoor winter growing in that tea (which no longer stinks) and water them with it, and they're doing great. The cilantro is the most beautiful I've ever grown, in fact (I think that's due to lack of pests to a large extent).
This was very interesting! Are you a soil food web student or consultant? I am an SFW student, FC4, so enjoyed your very relevant post.
No i am not. But great course. Just a farmer. Enjoy and thanks
@@iamorganicgardeningThe microscope work is exactly what I'm studying right now. So great to see the video of the moving critters and not just still shots. Very informative. Thanks again!
Good info this guy going above & beyond thanks👍
Glad to help and share with you and others. THANK YOU kindly.
Learned alot thanks for sharing 👨🌾😁
Very good , informative video . Thanks
So nice of you to say. THANK YOU. Happy Gardening year forward.
I feed the alfalfa pellets to my rabbits and also feed them alfalfa Timothy cubes as a treat. I would imagine after passing through the gut and digestive system the bacteria has multiplied considerably.
Yes, 100%. Rabbit and also worm casing are the best thing to us in the garden. It will never harm your plants when applied fresh. Enjoy.
@@iamorganicgardening I was using red wigglers in my worm bin but that was some years ago. I may need to get back into them again. Have a great day.
doubling in 20 seconds seemed too fast - so I looked it up: Wikipedia:
What is the fastest reproducing bacteria?
For example, Clostridium perfringens, one of the fastest-growing ,
has an optimum generation time of about 10 minutes; Escherichia coli
can double every 20 minutes; and the slow-growing Mycobacterium
tuberculosis has a generation time in the range of 12 to 16 hours.
I made a mistake it should be every 20 minutes. Thanks for your insight.
Cool video, the very fastest bacteria replication is never much less than 10 minutes, also I’m not sure if those are actually bacteria considering their size with respect to the magnification level. They look to me more like eukaryotes of varied size.
Your are correct, I made a mistake. Got the number right but the part. GOOD HEAR. THANK YOU.
Very helpful, thank you!
THANK YOU for watching. Have a great week ahead.
I am concerned about agricultural grade alfalfa though . Is there requirements to tell us what the fillers are ? I do biodynamic gardening and organic . I think the best way is to grow cover crops and till them in .
The two items I used the meal is Certified Organic. No fillers. The other is no filled and non gmo. They do have to tell you what is in the bag. I have a great plan stay will it.
This was fascinating, thank you. I'm using alfalfa meal in my seed and potting mixes. I'm just wondering if this, along with compost, will provide enough nutrition for the duration of the plants life in the pot- for example tomatoes grown in the same pot all season. Or should I add another fertiliser later on? What ratio of alfalfa should be used?
I would add worm casting also. 2 cups per gallon of mix .For any organic fertilizer to work you need soil microbes. It is not how high NPK numbers are, but how many microbes there are and how much they eat and make in to plant available nutrients. Thanks for asking.
@@iamorganicgardening Thank you for your response. I have a wormery actually so I will put the casts in with the mix. I also have green waste compost which I will use.
Oh I've read that worm compost can be too strong for some plants. But I don't understand what is meant by that?
@@stephanietaraderby8376 You can use pure worm casting on all plants in this world and all will be fine. You can never over do it. They are plant available nutrients from nature. Will never harm plants
@@iamorganicgardening Thank you. I never understood why people say that worm compost is too strong. Surely the plant just takes what it needs. Perhaps they are equating it to synthetic fertilisers.
Mark what can you tell us about growing Borage in the garden and also for a cover crop. Thanks Gary
It is a herd. So great to use and help build soil. Thanks
New subscriber ! Super interesting!
I used pellets but I make it into tea and it takes me over a week. I wonder if the pellets will have more actions if it is soak longer ?
Thank You for subbing! Are you using a bubbler? it needs air. For microbes to grow they need air, water, food, and temp around 70 to 80 degrees . Thanks for asking.
@@iamorganicgardening Yes and yes. I am in Orlando, Fl. Perfect heat 🌻🌹🌸🌺
I am so about feeding my soil as everyone knows we have sand here and everything erodes with rain esp very long seasons of hurricanes= tons of rains 😃
@@iamorganicgardening LLP
Wait till summer, 40lbs bag of Cow-Fertilizer at the big box store is under $2.00.
Great advice. Thank You.