Alfalfa Tea is used religiously at LemonTree Farm. It’s the only fertilizer I apply to my garden after I initially plant with Bio-Tone Starter in the spring. Each plant gets a dose of Alfalfa Tea once every other month, starting in April. I formulated this mixture myself, but I was inspired by a couple of prominent gardeners I follow online. Paul Zimmerman introduced me to Sea Magic. I learned about using alfalfa as a soil conditioner from Kristie Albrecht. Here I share how I mix the tea and the ingredients I use.
Ingredients/Materials List:
- Sea Magic 1 oz packet
- Standlee Organic Alfalfa Pellets (I buy mine at Tractor Supply)
- Water
- Gallon jug
- 5 gallon bucket
- Measuring cup
Directions
- Add the 1 oz packet of Sea Magic to 1 gallon of water to make Sea Magic concentrate. Note: you can also use Sea Magic alone by adding 1/2 cup of concentrate to 2 gallons of water.
- Mix 1 ¼ cup of liquid Sea Magic concentrate and 1 cup alfalfa pellets per 5 gallons of water.
- Let the tea sun brew for 3-4 days. Stir daily. Otherwise, the alfalfa pellets break apart and form a crusted layer over the top.
- Apply the mixture to your plants. I use ½-¾ gallon for each rose, tomato and perennial. Dahlias get 2-3 cups per plant.
- Pro tip: you’ll find an undissolved layer of alfalfa in your mixing container after you’ve dipped out the liquid. I pour this out in an unused area of my garden and save it. Then, the following spring, I work it into the soil when I till.
Your plants will love it!
How often do you apply it?
I have a friend that recommends putting a handful of Alfalfa pellets in your Dahlia tuber planting hole. Would it be too much to do both this and the tea?
What does this provide for your garden
What does this do for your roses
It’s a fast acting organic fertilizer that feeds the plants and micro organisms in the soil. It’s the only fertilizer I use for my whole garden.