Gerry I have 2 questions for you:

How large are the cubes (1 cc?)?

Where are you buying them? Is it from a local feed store or a chain retailer?

James,

The cubes are about 3"x2"x1" of very compressed alfalfa, and they expend to three times their volume in three cups of water.

I buy at Rural King and I believe that Tractor Supply has it also.

Gerry

Gerry, I have an abundance of critters at my house too, but my daylilies are in the veggie garden with a very tall fence that the deer can't get into. The hosta are around the house, and so far, no deer have jumped our new fence, but we can see where they have tried. I'm sure they'll make it eventually. So, maybe pellets wouldn't be good on the hostas. I'll give the cubes in water a try. Thanks for mentioning that!

JWWC said:I use them as well. I've noticed a much better response when transplanting if I add alfalfa to the mix. I pick mine up from Tractor Supply. I think they run $10-12 for a 40 or 50 lb bag. If memory serves there is something specific they add to the soil. A fatty acid the plants want/need or something. I don't have time to go digging or I would try to point you in that direction. If you search the forum I am certain there are other threads on the topic.

And yes, make sure they are horse pellets. The rabbit ones have a load of salts and minerals added to them which can wreak havoc on your soil.

We have two indoor bunnies and I used their alfalfa pellets in the holes of 9 daylilies I planted in Oct. I didn't know that I shouldn't use their pellets and to get the horse pellets. We have a tractor supply close to us and I'll get a bag next year to use.

gardenglory said:Keep in mind that rats also love alfalfa pellets. Dont leave them in the garage.

That's where I was going to put the bag next year. Where should I put it? Can I put it in a plastic trash can that has a locking lid?

Marilyn, I've always kept mine in the original bag, which I set inside a plastic trash can with a locking lid. I've never had any problems with them going bad or getting mold on them, and no critters can get in that way.

Not sure if the rabbit pellets will do any damage or not. Hopefully not! Maybe someone else can help with that, since I've only used the horse pellets. Maybe some extra water would help? I don't think that all pellets are created equally for rabbits, so check to see if the ones you have are loaded with salt. Maybe they aren't. Since I don't think rabbits use a salt lick (mine never did), that is probably why salt is added to theirs. Horses like salt licks, and don't need the extra salt added to the pellets.

Ispahan said:

Unless I am digging a new bed, I just top dress with alfalfa and then water it in well. I don't have any problems with critters eating it or being attracted by it (knock on wood). Aside from its nutritional content, I find one of the main benefits is that it attracts and encourages earthworms. Even if spread over compacted soil, there will soon be enough earthworms to loosen it nicely and they will leave castings to help the plants thrive.

How much is used to top dress? Are you throwing it around in beds or strategically placing around plants?

Here's a link to Tractor Supply for Alfalfa. Which do I want to buy?

http://www.tractorsupply.com/w...

Thanks Natalie!

Marilyn said:Here's a link to Tractor Supply for Alfalfa. Which do I want to buy?

This is the one I buy
http://www.tractorsupply.com/e...

I just went yesterday afternoon and picked up 20 bags

Great thread. Alfalfa pellets or meal are considered both an organic fertilizer and a soil amendment. Obviously this has been noticed by the folks posting above. Here's the analysis given by Colorado State University Extension Service.

"Alfalfa Meal or Pellets
Alfalfa meal or pellets are often used as animal feed. Primarily they are used to increase organic matter in the soil but do offer nutrients and a high availability of trace minerals. They contain trianconatol, a natural fatty-acid growth stimulant.
Alfalfa Meal or Pellets
Typical NPK analysis: 2-1-2
Release time: 1-4 months
Pros: Available at feed stores
Cons: May contain seeds
Application: Till in 2-5 pounds per 100 square feet"

Where I live I would not leave pellets on the ground as a top dressing, especially around tender young plants. Remember this is bunny food. I would also not fertilize my Hosta or Daylilies in the fall, because I don't want to stimulate any new top growth if we get a warm spell. Also in 4 months the fertilizer effects of the application will be gone. Early Spring seems like a great time to use them.

Steve,

I agree with you on the timing of fertilizing. I do all hosta fertilizing in June, and when I plant them.

Van Wade of Ohio told me that meal and pellets do not feed as long as cubes because cubes release much slower since it has more mass and it is safe to use in greater quantities. For a medium size plant, I use 3-4 cups of the mixture. This mixture is a green manure and you should treat it as such.

I have checked a test plant one year later, and about 1/3 of the mix was used. One year later, there was stil some. The following year the amount was greatly reduced; however, I did not fertilize again until the fourth year.

I do not know much about how often to use with daylilies; however, I am now set-up to observe for the next three years.

The same amount of the mixture in a potted hosta will harm the plant, and I use only one cup for a gallon pot. I never use the mixture with tissue culture because the roots are too immature. They are babies.

I use the pellets, meal, Milorganite and Epsom Salt mixed together when top dressing or planting a new plant. I sometimes add in the spring (like Fred, I believe suggested) slow release plant food to the mix. I get the pellets and meal from a feed store south of my area approx 15 minutes away. I get the Milorganite from Menards.
Michele, 20 bags would probably last me forever around here.
I take it that you are lifting your plants and redoing the beds as you divide your plants for lining out????

Mike,

I am not familiar with Milorganite. Please tell me about it.

Gerry

profesora said:

I am not familiar with Milorganite. Please tell me about it.

Here is a link to the Milorganite what, why, etc http://milorganite.com/en/Usin...

It's short it is processed sewage sludge. There are other companies that make this as well but I don't know the names, you may can google biosolids for gardens. Some sewage plants in certain areas give it away. We get ours from Lowes; Wal-Mart used to carry it but I haven't been able to find it lately here.

It has iron in it and the daylilies love it. It is also said to keep critters (rabbits, armadillos, etc) away I assume from the smell.
I copied this from their site, notice the mention of daylilies

"Brighten your flower palette with Milorganite, the organic fertilizer that feeds floral gardens for 8-10 weeks. Choose Milorganite for fewer applications and better results.

For advice on applying Milorganite properly for flowers, please see our application rates. And don’t worry if you accidentally spread too much Milorganite. Its goof-proof formula won’t burn your flowers.

Milorganite also has a long tradition with rose and daylily societies around the nation. Their members know that Milorganite is an essential step in growing show-stopping displays of roses and daylilies."


here's another link with roses and daylilies and how much to use http://milorganite.com/Gardeni...


From conversations over the past few years on other boards and I believe here (when on cubits) most people who use it and don't see that it helps is usually using too little; they just kind of scatter it about and on the directions for daylilies it's "Mix one cup of Milorganite into the soil around each mature daylily plant."

I add to hole at planting (probably 1/2 cup) and I top dress with it as well.

Hazelcrestmikeb said:
Michele, 20 bags would probably last me forever around here.
I take it that you are lifting your plants and redoing the beds as you divide your plants for lining out????

Plants get divided every year here and potted up for sale so when the beds are empty I replenish them with all the amendments before replanting the ones I plan to keep and use the following season. It just depends on if I have everything (and the $$$) at the time if it gets put in at this time. Some things may get added in the planting hole and/or top dressing.

Everything I use, in no particular order or when I put down.....I usually have to add pine bark as it breaks down or gets shoveled out with the plants then I add alfalfa pellets, slow release fertilizer (I use the 270-300 day release so I only do this once a year), quick release fertilizer for a quick boost at planting (lawn fertilizer) if we have it on hand, Milorganite, chicken litter (the processed, dried kind), Epsom salt, and I will add lime to the beds if the Ph needs adjusting. I have used rabbit manure but it's hard to come by here and in the beds I used it in there were even MORE worms than my other beds.

Here's a link to an article I did last year http://garden.org/ideas/view/t...


I don't always do things in the same order or at the same time but I generally add the same stuff at some point to the beds and pots.

tink3472 said:
I just went yesterday afternoon and picked up 20 bags

This just gave me a mental image of you driving home in an old VW bug piled with bags of alfalfa like that old Ikea commercial!

Michele, thanks for the update and the link.

JWWC said:

This just gave me a mental image of you driving home in an old VW bug piled with bags of alfalfa like that old Ikea commercial!