Alfalfa

[Bambootopia]

Just wondering who uses alfalfa chaff around their plants. Great mulch the breaks down fast and the worm love it.

 

[Seamaiden]

<raises hand> I use it all the time. I get the sweepings for free from my local feed shop. Goes in the soil, on the soil, and in my teas (early in the season). GREAT stuff!

 

[Skunkmasterflex]

<raises hand> I use it all the time. I get the sweepings for free from my local feed shop. Goes in the soil, on the soil, and in my teas (early in the season). GREAT stuff!

Iv heard to much can cause your flowers to lose density and get a little leafy from a few people. Have you found a downside to over use?

 

[Seamaiden]

Using it in soil the way I do, no, I haven't. Using it extensively in teas throughout flowering, absolutely it's a problem, and yes, I have found that it can cause flowers to 'blow out.'

Usually, probably always, I don't find any material that's identifiable as alfalfa by the time flowering is in full swing. I only add it at the beginning of the season and turn it under.

 

[Bambootopia]

To much nitrogen ?

 

[Seamaiden]

I think it's the triacontanol, myself. Otherwise stuff like chicken poop or blood meal ought to cause the same problem, right?

 

[Dunge]

Using it in soil the way I do, no, I haven't. Using it extensively in teas throughout flowering, absolutely it's a problem, and yes, I have found that it can cause flowers to 'blow out.'

Usually, probably always, I don't find any material that's identifiable as alfalfa by the time flowering is in full swing. I only add it at the beginning of the season and turn it under.

Your results may vary.
I brew alfalfa tea constantly, use it every watering in super soil, seedling to harvest.
Nothing blown out in my flowers that I can see.
Perhaps I have selected against alfalfa blowout syndrom.

 

[Seamaiden]

Then there must be something else going on because after that one grow where I ruined EVERYTHING, I haven't used alfalfa teas all the way through flower again and haven't gotten the blow out.

 

[Bambootopia]

I think it's the triacontanol, myself. Otherwise stuff like chicken poop or blood meal ought to cause the same problem, right?

triacontanol? The chicken poop I use is a dry bagged pellet with a 4.3.2 npk , I use it in the ones I have potted .

 

[jlr42024]

it's been a minute since I've read the info on triacantanol but i belive its mechanism is to sense the height of the surrounding vegetation using certain hormones and then to ultimately boost the plant to reach the surrounding canopy. once this is achieved and triacantanol is continued the plant should be more vigorous then those without but the rapid vertical growth will subside as the canopy evens out. continued use especially throughout budding can have a similar effect as excessive nitrogen resulting in delayed ripening, loose buds and loss of genetic expression including taste, appearance and overall quality\effects.
i found huge success using alfalfa meal in all my teas until the 3rd week of flower or basically until vegetative growth stops.

 

[Seamaiden]

I thought that function was auxin. But, it's been a while since I've read the information, too.

triacontanol? The chicken poop I use is a dry bagged pellet with a 4.3.2 npk , I use it in the ones I have potted .

Yes, triacontanol. It's a plant hormone.

https://www.thcfarmer.com/community/threads/triacontanol-what-it-is-where-to-find-it.47363/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triacontanol

http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/17429145.2011.619281#.VMpRlYrd_0o

http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/ejournals/JARS/v36n3/v36n3-hinerman.htm

 

[midwestdensies]

Iv heard to much can cause your flowers to lose density and get a little leafy from a few people. Have you found a downside to over use?

Never have i seen density loss. Id have to change my name. It could be how.little i use it though. Which is around 1 cup-6 cups depending on brew and stage of plant. Usually alfalfa tea is use 2-3 x ever for me

 

[Dunge]

I am in a position to do an experiment on alfalfa.
In the past, I tested my tea by "watering only" one plant, and got much better production out of the "tea only" plant.(20% if I remember correctly)
I have subsequently discovered that individual plants can have a wide variety of production influenced by light competition, garden position, and pruning history.
Once again, the more I learn, the more I doubt what I know.

Presently, for the first time ever, I am running the same suite of plants for a second time.
So if I eliminate alfalfa from my tea for the remainder of this cycle, I will have an apples to apples comparison.

Confounding element: I plant to make a few seeds this round.
I also have two additional plants in the space in a "small air pot" experiment.
So total weight may not be a useful result.

Presently, 150 ml of alfalfa powder is added to a gallon of water and brewed for four days, then diluted into a normal 30 to 40 liter water lot.

I don't know if this is enough alfalfa to provide an active dose of triacantanol, but I have a good record of my last cycle, and by removing alfalfa from the tea I expect to be able to see any change in maturation details in flowers.

The plan:
Presently two weeks into a ten week cycle.
Feed current tea when needed.
Next teas will be brewed without alfalfa.
Worms are not going to like this.

 

[Bambootopia]

Are these outdoor plants?

 

[urbanfog]

always use it for veg, up too flower stage . Creates lots of bushy plants. Just keep the bucket while "steeping" away from your back door/window, my wife and kids call it "poop water" due to the smell. After brewing I dilute 1 cup to a gallon water.

 

[Bambootopia]

I recently it a little bit around top of potted plants as mulch . They are just starting to bud now. Only week 2 since showing signs. Do you think this is ok ?, it is breaking down already , or do you think I should remove it. This is the first time I have done this for pots

 

[Seamaiden]

I think you'll be ok. :)

 

[TortureKill]

I had an issue with A big Alien#4 girl not wanting to finish flowering in a ~30Gal Smarpot. She grew like 14' tall and was late to trigger flower. Wasnt even mid way when the snow began. Reminded me of some kinda haze, def no haze genetics to be found. I credit this to too high Of alfalfa mix, and Chicken manure in soilless mix. TOO MUCH N. So I would go easy is using it as an amendment, and also only thru veg. Stop using a month or so before flowers.

 

[13013]

The few small outdoor grows I've done I used alfalfa hay to cover the soil in and around my smart pots, it really kept the heat down in the root zone during the summer and my logic was that by the time I got into heavy flower there wasn't much left in it to mess with my bloom nutrients.