True Alfalfa
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Alfalfa is a nutrient-packed powerhouse that brings numerous benefits to your garden and kitchen. Known for its high protein content, it’s an excellent addition to salads, sandwiches, and smoothies, boosting your meals with essential vitamins and minerals like vitamin K, fiber, calcium, copper, folate and magnesium. Alfalfa grows quickly and easily, making it ideal for both beginner and seasoned gardeners, and its deep roots help improve soil structure and fertility by breaking up compacted soil. This versatile plant thrives in a variety of climates and can be grown year-round in many regions, providing a steady supply of fresh greens for your table. As a legume, alfalfa also enriches the soil with nitrogen, making it an excellent companion plant for other crops. With its mild, nutty flavor and countless culinary uses, alfalfa is not only a great addition to your diet but also a sustainable and beneficial crop for your garden.
Also Known As: Lucerne, Medicago Sativa, Chilean Clover, Lucerna, Green Dragon, Holy Hay, French Grass, Trefoil, Buffalo Grass, King’s Hay, and Milk Vetch.
*Fungicide-treated seeds protect the seedlings from diseases until they are up and growing. Do not eat treated seeds.
**Seeds are freshly packed for the growing season of the year listed. Seeds are still viable beyond pack date. Store in a cool and dry location such as the refrigerator or basement to best preserve germination rates.
Planting Instructions:
Soil Preparation:
Remove weeds, large rocks, and litter from the planting area. Leave small weeds and dead grass, they will enrich the soil when turned under. Spade or till the soil 8-12 inches deep. Loosening the soil will help the plant establish strong roots.
Plants grows best in soil with lots of organic matter. You may optionally add fertilizer or organic material such as compost, leaves, or rotted hay to mix into the soil at this point. For small gardens, scatter 2-3 tablespoons of fertilizer evenly and work into the top 2-3 inches of soil for each hill or 2 foot by 2 foot planting area. For larger gardens, scatter 2-3 pounds of a complete fertilizer for each 100 square feet of planting area. Work fertilizer or organic material into the soil and leave the surface smooth.
Form rows of soil beds 4-6 inches high and at least 12 inches apart. This formation of ridges will help with drainage.
Planting:
To plant alfalfa for sprouts, soak 1-2 tablespoons of alfalfa seeds in water for 8-12 hours, or overnight. Once soaked, drain the seeds thoroughly and place them in a sprouting jar or container with a mesh lid, allowing for proper drainage and airflow. Keep the jar in a warm, dark place, like the kitchen counter, for the first 2-3 days to encourage germination. Rinse and drain the seeds twice a day to maintain moisture and prevent mold. In 5-7 days, the alfalfa sprouts will be ready to harvest, providing you with fresh, nutritious sprouts.
To plant alfalfa in the garden, plant in the spring after all danger of frost has passed and the soil begins to warm (>45F). For fall crops, direct sow seeds or transplant seedlings outdoors 9-12 weeks before the first frost. To plant, make holes 1/4 inch deep and spaced 2 inches apart down the rows of raised beds. Plant 1-3 seeds per hole, planting 2-3 seeds. For small scale planting, alfalfa can be scattered and lightly raked in. Cover seeds thinly with soil and water after planting.
Planting Depth: 1/4 inch
Within-Row Spacing: 2 inches
Between-Row Spacing: 12 - 18 inches
Care During the Season:
Watering: Water the plants deeply, soaking the soil to a depth of 6-8 inches, once a week. If there is no rainfall, water 2-3 times a week. Sandy soils may need to be watered more often than heavy clay soils.
Weeding: Keeping plants weed-free improves production. If plowing or hoeing, do not dig deeper than 1 inch to prevent from cutting the feeder roots.
Fertilizing: You may optionally apply a low-nitrogen fertilizer after cuttings or if the soil is nutrient-poor, without letting the fertilizer touch the plants. Water plants after fertilizing.
Insecticides: Insecticides may be used to protect plants. Bt-based insecticides and sulfur are organic options that can be used for prevention. Sulfur also has fungicidal properties and helps in controlling many diseases. Before using a pesticide, read the label and follow cautions, warnings and directions.
Diseases: If spots or mold appear, treat plants with an approved fungicide. Neem oil, sulfur, and other fungicides may be used. When using fungicides always follow label directions.
Harvesting:
Alfalfa leaves are best harvested when they are in the early bloom stage, just as the flowers begin to open, about 60-70 days after planting. If harvesting for hay or as a forage crop, cut the plants before they fully mature to maintain the best quality. For alfalfa sprouts, harvest 4-6 days after sowing when the sprouts are about 1-2 inches tall.
Also Known As: Lucerne, Medicago Sativa, Chilean Clover, Lucerna, Green Dragon, Holy Hay, French Grass, Trefoil, Buffalo Grass, King’s Hay, and Milk Vetch.
| Plant Name: | Alfalfa, True |
| Latin Name: | Medicago sativa |
| Days to Germinate: | 3-5 |
| Days to Harvest: | 6-40 |
| Plant Height: | 1 - 3 Feet |
| Spread: | 18 - 24 Inches |
| Growth Habit: | Upright |
| USDA Zones: | 3-9 |
| Lifespan: | Perennial |
| Brand: | TomorrowSeeds |
| Sunlight: | Full Sun, Partial Shade |
| Pollination: | Heirloom, Open-Pollinated |
| GMO: | No |
| Fungicide-Treated Seeds*: | No |
| Seeds Packed For**: | 2025 |
**Seeds are freshly packed for the growing season of the year listed. Seeds are still viable beyond pack date. Store in a cool and dry location such as the refrigerator or basement to best preserve germination rates.
Planting Instructions:
Soil Preparation:
Remove weeds, large rocks, and litter from the planting area. Leave small weeds and dead grass, they will enrich the soil when turned under. Spade or till the soil 8-12 inches deep. Loosening the soil will help the plant establish strong roots.
Plants grows best in soil with lots of organic matter. You may optionally add fertilizer or organic material such as compost, leaves, or rotted hay to mix into the soil at this point. For small gardens, scatter 2-3 tablespoons of fertilizer evenly and work into the top 2-3 inches of soil for each hill or 2 foot by 2 foot planting area. For larger gardens, scatter 2-3 pounds of a complete fertilizer for each 100 square feet of planting area. Work fertilizer or organic material into the soil and leave the surface smooth.
Form rows of soil beds 4-6 inches high and at least 12 inches apart. This formation of ridges will help with drainage.
Planting:
To plant alfalfa for sprouts, soak 1-2 tablespoons of alfalfa seeds in water for 8-12 hours, or overnight. Once soaked, drain the seeds thoroughly and place them in a sprouting jar or container with a mesh lid, allowing for proper drainage and airflow. Keep the jar in a warm, dark place, like the kitchen counter, for the first 2-3 days to encourage germination. Rinse and drain the seeds twice a day to maintain moisture and prevent mold. In 5-7 days, the alfalfa sprouts will be ready to harvest, providing you with fresh, nutritious sprouts.
To plant alfalfa in the garden, plant in the spring after all danger of frost has passed and the soil begins to warm (>45F). For fall crops, direct sow seeds or transplant seedlings outdoors 9-12 weeks before the first frost. To plant, make holes 1/4 inch deep and spaced 2 inches apart down the rows of raised beds. Plant 1-3 seeds per hole, planting 2-3 seeds. For small scale planting, alfalfa can be scattered and lightly raked in. Cover seeds thinly with soil and water after planting.
Planting Depth: 1/4 inch
Within-Row Spacing: 2 inches
Between-Row Spacing: 12 - 18 inches
Care During the Season:
Watering: Water the plants deeply, soaking the soil to a depth of 6-8 inches, once a week. If there is no rainfall, water 2-3 times a week. Sandy soils may need to be watered more often than heavy clay soils.
Weeding: Keeping plants weed-free improves production. If plowing or hoeing, do not dig deeper than 1 inch to prevent from cutting the feeder roots.
Fertilizing: You may optionally apply a low-nitrogen fertilizer after cuttings or if the soil is nutrient-poor, without letting the fertilizer touch the plants. Water plants after fertilizing.
Insecticides: Insecticides may be used to protect plants. Bt-based insecticides and sulfur are organic options that can be used for prevention. Sulfur also has fungicidal properties and helps in controlling many diseases. Before using a pesticide, read the label and follow cautions, warnings and directions.
Diseases: If spots or mold appear, treat plants with an approved fungicide. Neem oil, sulfur, and other fungicides may be used. When using fungicides always follow label directions.
Harvesting:
Alfalfa leaves are best harvested when they are in the early bloom stage, just as the flowers begin to open, about 60-70 days after planting. If harvesting for hay or as a forage crop, cut the plants before they fully mature to maintain the best quality. For alfalfa sprouts, harvest 4-6 days after sowing when the sprouts are about 1-2 inches tall.
