Alfalfa flour is made from the alfalfa plant.
Most gardens and lawns need fertilizer treatments to receive the proper nutrients and thrive. Some use compost or various artificial fertilizers to provide the nitrogen-based phosphorus-potassium (NPK) combination well known to green thumbs. Others prefer odorless organic alternatives like alfalfa meal, which is pressed into pellets that provide plants with proper nutrition.
Alfalfa flour is made from the alfalfa plant, a member of the Fabaceae pea family called Medicago sativa, which originated in the Middle East and now grows throughout much of the world. Primarily used for grazing cattle, alfalfa is also a common component of hay, along with clover and Bermuda grass. In addition to these uses, this substance is manufactured in granule size for use as an organic fertilizer.
After or during the cultivation of an orchard or crop field, farmers mix alfalfa meal into their soil to revitalize its potential. Since growth can remove dirt from carbohydrates, proteins, and vital minerals, alfalfa meal will replace levels of folic acid, niacin, thamin, riboflavin, and vitamin A, as well as the necessary combinations of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. A typical combination of the last three elements is three parts: one part and two parts, respectively; however, some farmers and gardeners will change this combination to suit the specific plants they are growing. In the United States, many farmers and gardeners seek advice from an agricultural extension connected to the universities in their state.
The amount of alfalfa meal that should be added to the soil also depends on several factors. The amount of time the soil has been used for cultivation is an important consideration. Another is whether the climate is arid or fertile. However, in general, about 0.5 cups (about 113 g) of alfalfa meal should be used for each plant. For an entire garden or field, up to 5 pounds (about 2.4 kg) of alfalfa meal can be used per 100 square feet (about 9.3 square meters).
Alfalfa fertilization isn’t the only plant-based way to replenish soil for successful gardening or a thick, green lawn. Composting is another popular method of adding a wide variety of recycled materials. The food is also made from soybeans, cottonseed, corn gluten, and even algae. Some specialty fertilizers combine several of these ingredients into a nutrient-dense mix. Still others prefer a combination of plant and animal fertilizers, along with various mineral-based substances such as Epsom salt, gypsum, phosphate, and limestone to achieve the greatest possible nutritional base at an affordable cost.