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alfalfa meal substitutes...?
- Thread starter De La Luz
- Start date
Johnny Rotten
Member
Why no alfalfa meal? It's the easiest thing to find.
EatMoGrass
Member
Lately I have been using a little flaxseed meal along with alfalfa. I believe the npk is similer at about 5-1-1.
EatMoGrass
A couple of the local organic farm stores sell a mix which is 50% alfalfa meal 50% flaxseed meal (aka linseed meal) for about $15.00 for 50 lbs.
Nice product - organic, non-GMO, etc. for cheap money. This mix is based, in part, on Steve Solomon's T.O.F. mix (Total Organic Fertilizer) which is everywhere on the web. Good starting point, IMHO
HTH
CC
Last edited:
One thing to consider/ponder perhaps is that alfalfa meal is the only one of the so-called 'seed meals' which is not a by-product.
Canola (rape seed) meal, soybean meal, flax seef meal (aka linseed meal), neem tree seed meal, et al. are the meal/cake remaining after the oil has been pressed out. Alfala meal is not a 'seed meal' in that the material used has nothing to do with alfalfa seeds as they're too highly prized for other applications in the food industry.
So I guess the question that I might offer is this - does the fact that alfalfa meal is intact with all of it's 'goodness' vs. the cake/meal residue from other seeds used as soil amendments mean that alfalfa meal is a better choice?
I'll leave that to the scientists on this board but I think it's a question worthy of entertaining when choosing a soil amendment.
Or maybe not.
CC
Canola (rape seed) meal, soybean meal, flax seef meal (aka linseed meal), neem tree seed meal, et al. are the meal/cake remaining after the oil has been pressed out. Alfala meal is not a 'seed meal' in that the material used has nothing to do with alfalfa seeds as they're too highly prized for other applications in the food industry.
So I guess the question that I might offer is this - does the fact that alfalfa meal is intact with all of it's 'goodness' vs. the cake/meal residue from other seeds used as soil amendments mean that alfalfa meal is a better choice?
I'll leave that to the scientists on this board but I think it's a question worthy of entertaining when choosing a soil amendment.
Or maybe not.
CC
I put a little alfalfa in every re-amend of my recycled soil. I use it in teas as well....For the little amount I do use,I sure go through quite a bit over a few cycles.
It is possible to burn with alfalfa,but common sense and following the damned directions will keep the majority of alfalfa users out of trouble.
It is possible to burn with alfalfa,but common sense and following the damned directions will keep the majority of alfalfa users out of trouble.
FWIW, cotton is one the crops with the most pesticide usage. I try to stay away from cotteenseed meal or burr if it's not certified organic or if I am not promised there was no pesticides used...I'm not saying cottonseed meal is a bad choice even if it was sprayed with pesticides, it's just not a 1st choice for me.
I am saying it's a bad choice. Most cotton is genetically modified to survive higher amounts of pesticides! Using CottonSeed Meal that isn't Organic is a no no if you want your grow to be... well... ya know... Organic.
I like alfalfa meal for a few reasons as an N and K source:
1. NPK profile: ~2-3 N, 0.5-1 P, 1-2 K. It is a source of calcium too.
2. level of proteins, sugars, amino acids and vitamins.
3. contains triacontanol, a PGR (Plant Growth Regulator) that increases rate of photosynthesis, growth and yield. (I use extracted triacontanol as foliar spray at 25 ppm).
4. positive effect upon many fungi.
refs.
"MOFGA FACT SHEET #11: Natural Sources of Plant Nutrients"
by Eric Sideman, PhD
http://www.mofga.org/Portals/2/Reports/MOFGA FS 11 Sources of Plant Nutrients.pdf
"Organic Methods of Supplying Nitrogen to Plants based on Soil Testing"
New Mexico State U., Grant County Extension Service
http://grantextension.nmsu.edu/docu...upplying-nitrogen-to-plants-based-on-soil.pdf
"Bioavailability of calcium in sun-cured alfalfa meal and effect of dietary calcium concentration on bone and plasma characteristics during two phases of gestation in gilts"
Walker GL, Danielson DM, Peo ER Jr, Mumm RF
J Anim Sci. 1993 Jan;71(1):124-31.
http://jas.fass.org/cgi/reprint/71/1/124.pdf
1. NPK profile: ~2-3 N, 0.5-1 P, 1-2 K. It is a source of calcium too.
2. level of proteins, sugars, amino acids and vitamins.
3. contains triacontanol, a PGR (Plant Growth Regulator) that increases rate of photosynthesis, growth and yield. (I use extracted triacontanol as foliar spray at 25 ppm).
4. positive effect upon many fungi.
refs.
"MOFGA FACT SHEET #11: Natural Sources of Plant Nutrients"
by Eric Sideman, PhD
http://www.mofga.org/Portals/2/Reports/MOFGA FS 11 Sources of Plant Nutrients.pdf
"Organic Methods of Supplying Nitrogen to Plants based on Soil Testing"
New Mexico State U., Grant County Extension Service
http://grantextension.nmsu.edu/docu...upplying-nitrogen-to-plants-based-on-soil.pdf
"Bioavailability of calcium in sun-cured alfalfa meal and effect of dietary calcium concentration on bone and plasma characteristics during two phases of gestation in gilts"
Walker GL, Danielson DM, Peo ER Jr, Mumm RF
J Anim Sci. 1993 Jan;71(1):124-31.
http://jas.fass.org/cgi/reprint/71/1/124.pdf
I am saying it's a bad choice. Most cotton is genetically modified to survive higher amounts of pesticides! Using CottonSeed Meal that isn't Organic is a no no if you want your grow to be... well... ya know... Organic.
Hey thanks for the warning on the potential for pesticides in cottonseed meal. I didn't know of the threat; I use Hi-Yield OMRI certified organic cotton seed meal, 1/2 cup per cubic ft mix, 3lbs for about $5
V
vonforne
Hey spurr I found this most effective only with foliar feeding also. I use it once a week in veg and early flowering. Beyond the first week of flowering it does promote stretching......... a lot!
The only substitute for alfalfa would be Kelp........that is just my opinion.
V
redneck shogun
Member
It seems just about every department store brand organic product is made primarily from industrial poultry litter and cotton by products. It is sad how they use the "organic" label to make a buck selling poisons to uninformed consumers.
CC, Canna, Redneck:
Tks again for helping me understand the research that should come before making these decisions (and before posting). I read up quite a bit today on cottonseed meal and can see there are better alternatives that don't come with so much GMO or pesticide risk, even if the label does say organic. I appreciate all the knowledge you share.
coolmoe
Tks again for helping me understand the research that should come before making these decisions (and before posting). I read up quite a bit today on cottonseed meal and can see there are better alternatives that don't come with so much GMO or pesticide risk, even if the label does say organic. I appreciate all the knowledge you share.
coolmoe
Cool Moe
Now that you've looked at the problems associated with using cottonseed meal as an amendment then you might want to consider that this meal is what remains form pressing out the cottonseed oil.
Now start looking at food labels on processed foods and see how many manufacturers use cottonseed oil in their products.
It ain't pretty............
CC
Now that you've looked at the problems associated with using cottonseed meal as an amendment then you might want to consider that this meal is what remains form pressing out the cottonseed oil.
Now start looking at food labels on processed foods and see how many manufacturers use cottonseed oil in their products.
It ain't pretty............
CC
Vincent VanGrow
Member
Actually I've had great success using BOTH Alfalfa and Kelp together. Kelp for the K and the hormones and micros, and Alfalfa for the N, the Tricantonal, and trace elements. Using both has really changed my grow around for the better, in every way. Alfalfa should be in every organic grow, IMHO.
C
c-ray
I've been using chick pea flour lately, along with the alfalfa meal.. costs a bit more but it is locally grown and has a different nutrient profile than the alfalfa.. probably more available due to the fineness.. always see it in the East Indian grocery stores, called Chana flour..
