RE: "When that section is done each cultivar in the bed gets a handful or two of milorganite and alfalfa pellets spread around it, a few inches outward from the crowns."
Could you explain the milorganite and alfalfa pellets please? Is this something you make or purchase, is it a mixture of the two or two separate items? I would hazard to guess the alfalfa pellets are from the feed store but do you grind them up before you spread them?