HOW TO CULTIVATE ALFALFA IN OUR GARDEN

manuelruiz21 (52)in #farms • 5 years ago

Hello friends from the farms today I'm going to talk about how to grow alfalfa at home she is a legume originally from Persia. For hundreds of years, alfalfa has been used to feed animals. Currently it is also used as a cover crop and for human consumption in the form of juices, water or sprouts. Alfalfa has several vitamins and minerals, including vitamin A, B, C, E and K and minerals such as calcium, potassium, phosphorus, zinc and iron.

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CHARACTERISTICS
Alfalfa is an herbaceous plant of the legume family. This is a perennial plant that lives between five and ten years. It can reach up to 60cm in height. The stems are thin that grow from the base or the first centimeters of the plant. Each plant generates a large number of stems. The leaves of the alfalfa are oval and small and are in groups. The flowers are small purple or violet, sprouting at the end of the stem. The fruit or pod is very small, the seeds are very small oval and light brown. Its roots have the ability to penetrate the ground to almost five meters. For this reason and its own characteristics, it is resistant to droughts.

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CULTURE
Alfalfa is a crop that can be planted all year round, although it is recommended to sow it between October and February. That way there will not be so many weeds. It is important to get organic alfalfa seed. Alfalfa needs space to grow well, since it is a crop that will be for several years and its roots are deep, it is best to plant it in beds and can be in full sun. If this is not possible, we can use a plastic or wooden box with a minimum depth of 40cm that has good drainage. The type of soil does not matter much, just consider that the water does not stagnate.
Use a pitchfork to loosen the soil and add a layer of compost. The sowing of alfalfa is direct and can be done "broadcast" or in furrows. The bole seed method consists of spreading the seeds uniformly across the surface without being so specific using furrows. After sowing, cover with a little soil or compost to cover the seeds and prevent the birds from eating them. For planting in rows, leave a space of 12cm between lines and about 8-12cm between seeds and cover them, at a depth of 0.5cm. Water carefully after sowing, you can cover with newspaper to keep moisture and prevent animals from eating them. Then you can remove the excess seedlings. The seedlings will begin to germinate after 5 or 7 days after sowing.
After the alfalfa is established, the crop is very resistant and does not need much care. The main factors for its growth are water and sun, it is relatively tolerant to drought. Remove weeds that can grow. If you notice that a crust forms on the ground, use a cultivator to break it and take care not to hurt the roots.

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PLAGUES AND DISEASES
THE CATERPILLAR.
Youth phase of insects that perform metamorphosis. During this stage, its anatomy and physiology is different from that of the adult. The larvae eat the leaves and stems of our plants, if the plague grows, we can lose all our plants. These are found under the leaves and on the stems. The fastest and most efficient way to control them is to remove them by hand.
PULGON
They feed on the sap of the plant and can cause diseases. If this problem is not controlled, we can lose our plants. For its control, it sprays water and biodegradable soap (eliminates the excess of the leaves since it can affect them) or also some solution that contains neem extract. It is important to consider the natural predators of aphids such as ladybugs that are attracted by flowers and are housed in some plants in our garden.
GORGOJO OR PICUDO,
It is a very small insect that feeds on the seeds of many plants. Its color can be black, brown or grayish. The easiest way to eliminate it is to store our seeds in a glass jar, making sure they do not have the insect. If not, we can store the seeds in the freezer for several days to eliminate them. Seeds, whether for consumption or sowing, will not be affected by the freezer's low temperatures.
BUG OF THE ALFALFA
It is a green insect that feeds on growth points, causes the fall of flowers and reduces seed production.

FLY OF THE ALFALFA,
The larva of this fly feeds on flowers and dries them.
Freckle of alfalfa, this disease is very common in the rainy season. We can identify it with small light brown spots on the leaves of the base of the plant. If the problem is severe, the leaves of the plant may fall.
Rotting this disease is caused by excess water and poor drainage. We can avoid it by watering our plants less or improving drainage.

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HARVEST
The harvest of the alfalfa can be done approximately 3 months after sowing. It is important to know that the harvest can be staggered, so we can cut it little by little. To cut it we can use scissors or a knife, we take a bunch with our hands and cut the stems leaving the first 5cm of the plant so that it can grow again. Just cut what you need so you can have fresh alfalfa all year. If you have left some stems of alfalfa you can place them in a glass with fresh water to last several days.

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BENEFITS
Alfalfa is an important source of phytoestrogens and phytochemicals for our body. It has many vitamins such as A, B, C, D, E, F and K, its properties have better benefits when they are prepared as germinated. On the other hand, there is a lot of possibilities to make sprouts at home. Sprouts are a superfood that we can all consume, we can multiply the nutritional value up to 30 times if we consume certain vegetables in their germination phase.

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HOW TO GET ALFALFA GEMINATES:
MATERIALS AND INGREDIENTS:
Glass jar
Organic alfalfa seeds
Water
League
Gauze or grid
PREPARATION:
Soak 1 - 1 ½ teaspoons of alfalfa in warm water for 1 hour in the jar.
Drain the water and cover the seeds with fresh water. Place the gauze or grid and tie it with the garter.
Turn the bottle over, so that it is face down and with a certain inclination. This will drain the water but the seeds will remain moist. Leave the seeds in a warm place.
Wash the seeds twice a day to keep the moisture. Add fresh water to the bottle, stirring slightly so that they are uniformly moistened and then turning the bottle to the same position.

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The alfalfa sprouts will be ready in about a week. Start eating them when the root is 2-3mm. When the seeds begin to form the leaves, their flavor and properties will change. You can prepare a jar every week to always have fresh sprouts ready to accompany many dishes. For example, tuna or salmon salad, noodle soup, pasta, garnish for meat, chicken or fish. Try it, it's delicious!