Alfalfa fermentation?

Kenster420

Well-Known Member
So I've been researching how i can make my own pgr with alfalfa meal. Im interested in getting the tricantonol benefits out of it. So at first i just topped dress in beginning of flower. I didn't in mid flower due to "bro science" also did alfalfa and kelp tea around week 3 or so. But i read on multiple blogs and articles that fermentation is the best method to extract the tricantonol out of alfalfa. So i ordered lactic acid, already had molasses, alfalfa meal, and filtered water. First batch i only did 3 days out of fear of anaerobic environment. Stirring every 12 hrs or so. I believe I'm supposed to go a week. But I'm experimenting with a clone i have. They both are getting the same soil, 1 gal pots, same top dress, teas and feedings. But alfalfa ferment in 1 and kelp and molasses in the other. I know it's not the most scientific but I'll see if my efforts of making this fermentation is worth it. I do regret feeding my whole grow the alfalfa ferment incase the anaerobic ferment does harm. But i can atleast see the difference with the 2 extract clones. So far my plants seem to be thriving well. Does anyone have experience with making alfalfa ferment or knows if alfalfa tea is enough to get tricantonol. I really don't want to buy a tricantonol bud booster. Have even considered ordering straight tricantonol and using the specific thing that makes it bio available to the plants. Then you dilute it to your own liquid fertilizer. Any recommendations on tricantonol or products that aren't ridiculously expensive? Or if it's even worth it in your experience? Price isn't really a factor, I'm just trying to figure out what's worth it or not in this saturated fertilizer market. I've bought a lot of products unfortunately. Synthetic and organic. But I've settled on organic for the near future and trying to push boundaries. Would love to do a 100 gal bed but love to do perpetual grows. Sorry for the long rant but I'm just obsessed with this plant now and all the ways to grow it. 20221005_165322.jpg
 
Triacontanol is the shiiiiit :D
Rumors says, its main ingredient of canna boost :)
Im used tria in powder few times and made foliar spray from it.
Its definitely worth of using it.
Also got alfala weed - thinking of making an aerated compost tea with it.
Let us informed :)
 

youraveragehorticulturist

Well-Known Member
Check this video out. Alfalfa + Humic Acid + Enzymes, soaked in water 24-48 hours, to make the good stuff available to the plants.

1 pound of alfalfa meal per gallon of water! I've made alfalfa tea in the past, but not with that much, usually just like 1/4 or 1/2 cup for a 5 gallon bucket. Have I been missing out this whole time?

 

Kenster420

Well-Known Member
Check this video out. Alfalfa + Humic Acid + Enzymes, soaked in water 24-48 hours, to make the good stuff available to the plants.

1 pound of alfalfa meal per gallon of water! I've made alfalfa tea in the past, but not with that much, usually just like 1/4 or 1/2 cup for a 5 gallon bucket. Have I been missing out this whole time?

This recipe was another one i was stumbled on while researching. I have recharge and enzymes. I may give this a try eventually too. The one i decided to do was part of a university research. But they did larger volumes and let it sit in the sun for a week or 2. There really isn't much scientific data out there. The only thing scientific is straight tricantonol powder and 1ml of something i forget. Thanks for sharing again
 

Kenster420

Well-Known Member
Yeah, I’ve recently been looking into seed sprout teas for various growth hormones, different seeds and grains for different hormones, triacontanol from alfalfa, cytokinins from corn, etc. Exciting (and cheap) stuff.
This is interesting, I've settled on kelp extract, insect frass (black soldier fly larvae) and a alfalfa/kelp meal dry amendment to make tea, ferment, or top dress. I'm going to look in to corn.
 

youraveragehorticulturist

Well-Known Member
I've been using Frass also. Frass Tea, once a week. Last grow it knocked out some thrips and helped keep things green until harvest, so I'll keep it up.

I mixed up some Alfalfa + Enzymes + Humic Acid too. I'm excited to see how it works. Adding the humic acid to kelp extract seems really effective. Hopefully it does the same thing for the triacontanol.

If not, I guess the shear amount of alfalfa will be pretty effective. The alfalfa/kelp tea I usually use greens my plants up nicely, and this is like 15 times stronger.
 

Kenster420

Well-Known Member
I've been using Frass also. Frass Tea, once a week. Last grow it knocked out some thrips and helped keep things green until harvest, so I'll keep it up.

I mixed up some Alfalfa + Enzymes + Humic Acid too. I'm excited to see how it works. Adding the humic acid to kelp extract seems really effective. Hopefully it does the same thing for the triacontanol.

If not, I guess the shear amount of alfalfa will be pretty effective. The alfalfa/kelp tea I usually use greens my plants up nicely, and this is like 15 times stronger.
That's awesome, this is my first run with insect frass. Did you make a tea or ferment with the alfalfa combo? Do you grow from seed or clone?
 

Tikbalang

Well-Known Member
I might suggest LABS also if you are not already incorporating. Multiple sources advise alfalfa at half strength for SST.
There is fermented insect frass on the market but Im working on starting my own BSFL bin. This KNF/JADAM stuff seems too good to be true but I’m loving it so far and my toes are barely wet. Aloe and coconut water are on my radar now.
 

youraveragehorticulturist

Well-Known Member
I grow with clones (of clones of clones...), so it's easy to add stuff, round by round, to see if it "works." Compared to neglecting my plants and giving them water only, messing around with Microbes, Frass, Fish Hydrolysate and Silica improves yields by 50%.

Anyway, I haven't done any ferments yet. Getting some EM-1 and messing around with Lacto is like the next thing to try.

I didn't even think about mixing the Alfalfa and the Frass, that seems like a great combo. Perfect NPK and all that good bio-stimulant stuff.

I made tea with the Frass. I brewed up some EWC and Compost, then after 20 hours or so I added 1/2 cup of Frass and let it brew for another 6 or so hours.

Here's a recipe
“Workhorse Tea” Formula (per 5 gallons of full-strength brew):
A) 1 cup Caliuana worm castings
B) 1 cup of wood-chip rich compost (For pure vermi-tea, substitute above with 2 cups of castings only).
C) 1/4 cup Sucanat or molasses or 2 Tbsp Boogie Brix
D) Optional additives: 2 Tbsp Kelp Extract or 1/4 cup kelp meal and 2 Tbsp of any rock dusts (Azonite, Cascade etc).
E) Black Soldier Fly Larvae Frass /Insect Frass: 1 cup Boogie Black (added at hour 18+).

And here's the video where I saw it
 

youraveragehorticulturist

Well-Known Member
I made some of the Alfalfa extract. No fermentation, just alfalfa, some Earth Juice Catalyst for enzymes and fulvic acid. I sprayed some on some vegging plants and 2 days later they pushed out a bunch of pistols or pre-flowers or whatever you call them, while still under veg hours. Weird!

I'm counting this as "proof" that the Alfalfa Tea works to get the triacontanol available. I'm going to spray some plants the week before flip day, then a couple or maybe a few times during the transition before buds show up. Hopefully results are awesome.

I can see why people would want to Ferment this stuff, to preserve it. I just have a couple gallons sitting in a bucket in the garage. Who knows what will be growing in there. It could be cool to ferment and bottle this stuff and not have to go threw the brewing process over and over.

Same thing with the Frass. I think it could be cool to make a concentrated extract, then ferment it to store it. And them add a cup or two to water or nutes without having to brew a stinky batch every time.
 

Fallguy111

Well-Known Member
Alfalfa is very cheap at feed store last time it was ~$7 for #40. I add water to the pellets over night and feed the tea weekly first few weeks of flower, now I'm going to try adding humid acid. The leftover alfalfa solids are incorporated into soil mix and fed to the worms.
 
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