Growing Alfalfa

Whether you love to binge on alfalfa sprout salad or cannot kick-start your day without yummy alfalfa breakfast wraps, this write up on how to grow alfalfa should leave you with a garden full of yummy yields to gorge on, whenever, wherever. However, before you sign up for the deal and get on with your spade and garden rake, know that this leguminous forage plant is extremely high on fiber and is unfit for human consumption and is best suited for your horses and cattle. All said and done, alfalfa sprouts, which is the young shoots of alfalfa flowering plant, is high on health, taste and nutrition and can be tossed in salads, rolled into wraps or squeezed into sandwiches for a healthy bite. What’s more, alfalfa grows almost anywhere and can be planted at any time of the year, regardless of the climate and temperature, making this nutritious plant easily accessible to us. This green plant is an outstanding source of saponins and is believed to be an excellent laxative, diuretic, digestive and a great health tonic. If you wish to grow alfalfa in your backyard or kitchen garden, then surfing through this following write up should leave you with enough cues on how to grow your alfalfa yield and eat it too.

How To Grow Alfalfa

Alfalfa, with all its nutriments and health perks, is possibly one of the healthiest and non-fussiest plants to grow in your kitchen garden. To plant this leguminous plant, you will need to get hold of some pure and organic alfalfa seeds first. Alfalfa seeds are easily available in farm or feed supply stores. However, make sure that the seeds you buy are pure and not mixed with other forms of silage.
Select a slightly sloped scrap of land to grow your alfalfa, as this plant won’t hold up well in a place that has standing water. An average alfalfa plant is usually 2 to 3 feet in height. So make sure that you choose your patch of vegetable garden for sowing your alfalfa accordingly.
Make sure that your land is well drained. Seeding alfalfa on old alfalfa stands is a complete no-no, as it might lead to establishment problems, resulting from insect and disease build up on the older plants.
Till your patch of land before sowing the seeds to do away with weeds and any kind of rubble present in the soil. Since alfalfa takes root rapidly, you won’t have to put the seeds into the ground. Just spread out an even layer of seeds over the ground and top it with a light layer of soil or peat moss.
You will need around 1/4 lb of seeds for a 5 by 5 foot patch of land. Scatter the seeds evenly on the ground. It would make sense to plant some extra seeds to protect your yield from being mowed down by poor weather and soil conditions. Your sprouts should be sticking up from the soil in about 7 to 10 days. If your plant shrubs up beyond measure, you can trim your alfalfa plant when it reaches 6 to 12 inches.
It’s best to seed your alfalfa in the months of April and August and then harvest your yield after 70 days. Ensure you maintain an organic pest control as alfalfa is susceptible to weevils. If you seed your alfalfa during spring, then you may be able to make two to three harvests in a year, depending on the length of the growing season.

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