Alfalfa Meal

In Arabic, 'alfalfa' means 'father of all foods'. It is a member of the legume family and is a great addition to most soils as it has a complex range of nutrients and mineral content that benefit any plant or soil. When used as a top dressing, its protein and starch content, along with the varied amino acids it contains provide a nutrient surge that most plants love. This same protein and carbon content are great additions to any composting effort. Alfalfa also acts as a great plant growth regulator due to the tricontanol, a fatty acid growth stimulant that it contains. Alfalfa is also a producer of tricontanol, which when sprayed on your plants during their growth cycles, will increase enzymatic, plant immunity and hormone activity. This auxin increases plant growth, flower development, crop height, while extending root growth and mass. Kelp/alfalfa tea is a classic feed for your plants made of two special dynamic accumulators. Both kelp and alfalfa store nutrients that they pull out of their environment in their leaves and plant structure. The array of micro nutrients that kelp pulls out of the ocean is indeed substantial, and alfalfa is impressive in its own right. Alfalfa though also has the added benefit of a growth hormone called tricontanol, which is an auxin, or proven growth stimulant for plants. Combined into a tea and soaked or bubbled, these two create a powerhouse of plant nutrition. Simply take 1/2 cup of alfalfa and a 1/4 cup of kelp, and soak this or bubble it in 5 gallons of water for 48 hours. If you soak, then make sure you stir the tea a few times a day. On established plants, you can apply this directly as a drench. On newly emerged plants, use at 1/2 the strength. The benefits to the plants are many, and your soil microbes will love you!