Description

Lucerne (Medicago sativa), also known as alfalfa, is a perennial flowering plant in the legume family Fabaceae and is native to warmer temperate climates.

Lucerne is typically cultivated as a forage crop used for grazing, hay, silage, as a green manure and is best used as a garden bed mulch.

This specific type of Lucerne, Aurora, was bred in order to incorporate resistance to the spotted alfalfa aphid, the blue-green aphid, phytophthora root rot and Colletotrichum crown rot.

 

Benefits

Good Source of Minerals

Lucerne is a great addition to your garden because of its high nitrogen content. In addition, it contains:

• phosphorus
• potassium
• calcium
• sulphur
• magnesium
• boron
• iron
• zinc

Good Drought Tolerance

• Lucerne has a taproot which is beneficial because the plant is able to extract more available water from the soil than many other grass species.
• It has higher herbage nitrogen content than most other grass and clover pastures, thus it has higher water use efficiency.
• In addition, when harvested and used as a mulch, Lucerne’s sponge-like ability to absorb and retain moisture helps plants that are grown in soil to be more resistant during periods of drought.

Builds Organic Matter

• When used as a mulch, Lucerne assists soil by building up organic matter and providing nutrients to plant roots.
• It has a high nitrogen content, which aids other organic material in the decomposition process.
• Organic matter is helpful and important as it helps in preventing compaction, it helps to retain soil moisture, improves soil structure and prevents erosion.

Extracts as Opposed to Leeching Nitrogen

• Lucerne aids in extraction rather than leeching of nitrogen in soil. This means it is able to clean up nitrogen contaminated sites.
• It does so because of its taproot that is able to reach soil depths far beyond other species of pasture plants root systems.
• This is beneficial in areas that receive high applications of nitrogen or in areas near waterways where leeching is a potential issue

Feeds Micro-Organisms

• Lucerne is loved by the microorganisms in your soil because it contains proteins, amino acids fibre and sugars in its stalk. These are all the things that they need to thrive.
• Lucerne hay has an almost perfect balance of carbon to nitrogen (24:1)
• When added to your compost pile, Lucerne hay acts as a stimulator by decomposing rapidly and creating heat, which helps in the decomposition process. At the end, your compost will have higher nutrient content when Lucerne hay is used.
• Higher nutrient levels in your compost and soul results in more nutrient-dense produce in your garden.

Lucerne is a Dynamic Accumulator

• The roots of the Lucerne plant are able to reach 2,5m into the subsoil and are able to uptake valuable and hard to reach nutrients to the surface of the soil, where it is stored in the leaves of the plant.
• Because of this, Lucerne is also a great plant to use as a Green Manure by adding nutrients back into soil that is no longer thriving.
• Lucerne is particularly helpful at bringing iron to the surface of your soil, a micro-nutrient that is needed for chlorophyll synthesis.
• Using cut Lucerne as a mulch in your garden or adding it to your compost adds these nutrients to the upper layers of your soil, allowing other plants to benefit from using them.

Great Cover Crop

• Garden beds can become vulnerable to the harsh elements during winter. In order to prevent this, your beds should be mulched or a cover crop should be planted.
• Lucerne is a great cover crop as it retains moisture and heat, as well as provides the soil with nutrients.
• Cover crops are usually planted in autumn and dug into the soil or cut to soil level to use as a mulch during spring, to improve it.

 

How To Use

• Season: Spring or Autumn
• Germinate 7-14 days
• Depth: 1 - 2cm. Ensure seeds make good contact with soil.
• Spacing: 8 - 12cm apart
• Harvest: 60 – 70 days
• Height: 1m
• Flowering Season: Summer
• Exposure: Full Sun

Ideal Growing Environment:

• Lucerne requires a soil pH of 5.5 or higher – Dolomite Lime can be added to increase soil alkalinity, if required.
• Soil should be moderately to well-drained.
• Once established, lucerne can tolerate periods of dry weather.

How to make your own lucerne mulch

• The ideal time to cut Lucerne is when 5-10% of the plants are flowering.
• Cut the lucerne plants and lay them out to dry in the sun on a mat or tarp for a few days.
• The harvested lucerne should lose at least at least 30-40% of its initial moisture before use.
• Apply mulch to top layer of soil 1-3cm thick.
• Gently mix into the first 1-3cm of soil.
• Mulch can be applied throughout the year, however it is recommended in spring and summer due to its high, slow-release nitrogen content.
• We recommend you significantly cut down/completely stop using lucerne mulch in flower to discourage excessive nitrogen levels in your soil.

Tip: Apply lucerne mulch immediately after a rain. The mulch will trap the moisture and keep it in the soil for much longer.

How to use lucerne as a green manure:

• To use this plant as a green manure, the entire plant should be worked into the garden beds at least a few weeks, or preferably a whole season before seeds are planted to ensure the soil is amended and restored.

Method:

• Once half the bed of alfalfa has bloomed and before they start to produce seeds, cut the plants to about 5cm tall.
• Mix the cut plants and stalks back into the surface of the soil until they reach around 25cm below the surface.
• Allow the plants to decompose.