How to Clean an Alfalfa Plant for a Healthy Harvest

Alfalfa also known as lucerne is a hardy and versatile plant grown for animal feed, sprouts, and as a cover crop. Properly cleaning alfalfa plants is an important step to ensure a healthy harvest. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll walk through when and how to clean your alfalfa for optimal growth.

When to Clean Alfalfa Plants

The ideal time to clean alfalfa plants is just before harvest This helps to remove any dirt, debris, or pests from the plant right before you collect and process it

For alfalfa grown as animal feed or for sprouts, aim to clean the plants 1-2 days before cutting or harvesting. This gives them a little time to dry if you need to wash the plants.

If you’re growing alfalfa as a cover crop to be tilled into the soil, cleaning isn’t as crucial A light cleaning to remove large clumps of dirt can be done 1-2 weeks before tilling the plants under

Thorough cleaning is most important for alfalfa grown for human consumption as sprouts. Any dirt or contaminants left on the plant can end up in the sprouts, making people sick.

How to Clean Alfalfa Plants

Cleaning alfalfa plants is a simple process that involves washing and drying the foliage. Here are the basic steps:

Inspect for Pests

Before washing, inspect plants for signs of pests like aphids, caterpillars, or spider mites. Remove any bugs you see by hand or with a strong stream of water. Catch them on a drop cloth so they don’t fall back into the alfalfa.

Wash with Water

Use a garden hose with a spray nozzle to wash alfalfa plants. Adjust to a moderate pressure stream and systematically spray over the leaves, stems, and blooms. The water pressure will help knock off dirt and debris.

You can also submerge small bunches of alfalfa in a tub of water to loosen dirt. Agitate and rub the stems underwater.

Change Water Frequently

Change the wash water often so you aren’t just moving dirt around from plant to plant. Dumping water over nearby plants or a lawn helps conserve resources.

Allow Plants to Dry

After washing, let plants dry either in a warm sunny spot or by gently patting with cloth towels. You want foliage to be clean but not soaked when harvested or tilled under.

Sanitize Equipment

Finally, sanitize any tubs, drop cloths, or tools used in the washing process. A dilute bleach solution helps kill any plant pathogens or pests that may have rinsed off the alfalfa.

Tips for Effective Alfalfa Cleaning

Follow these tips to get your alfalfa plants as clean as possible without damaging the foliage:

• Wash in the early morning when plants are dry from overnight dew. This prevents mud from forming.

• Gently rub stems between your fingers underwater to help loosen debris. Don’t tear or crush the plants.

• Use a fan or dry indoors if humidity will prevent outdoor drying.

• Wear gloves when handling washed alfalfa to prevent contaminating clean plants.

• Cut plants before shocking roots if you will be washing the whole plant.

• Wash smaller batches of plants to control the process and prevent felted mats of alfalfa.

When Cleaning Isn’t Necessary

For home gardeners growing a small stand of alfalfa as a cover crop, extensive cleaning isn’t needed. Simply uproot and till in the plants. Any dirt will enrich the soil.

Likewise, alfalfa grown as forage for large livestock like horses doesn’t require thorough cleaning. Those animals readily consume dirt and debris along with the foliage.

Cleaning is really only critical for alfalfa sprouts and feed for smaller pets that can’t tolerate contaminants. And of course, always inspect for and remove any visible pests before feeding animals.

Keep Your Alfalfa Clean

Maintaining good sanitation in your alfalfa patch or planter boxes is the first line of defense against pests and plant pathogens. Here are some key tips:

• Remove weeds, dropped leaves, and fallen blooms regularly to eliminate pest habitat.

• Disinfect tools and wash hands between working with different plants.

• Use new potting mix and containers for sprout production.

• Allow 2-3 years between alfalfa plantings in the same area to prevent disease carryover.

• Control rodents and insects that could spread contaminants to plants.

Enjoy Your Bountiful Alfalfa Harvest

Cleaning alfalfa plants before harvest or tilling gives your crop an advantage by removing debris, dirt, and pests. While not essential in every case, washing alfalfa foliage takes little time and effort for a big payoff in plant health. Use these tips to clean your alfalfa perfectly for any intended use.