Hey pepe are you still growing lucerne for mulch? I just googled growing it for mulch in backyards and up came a post from you to me on the old forum in 2006. You replied “i’m trying to grow it on an acre paddock. the first attempt was eaten by mite and killed by the drought. still its such a valuable crop i’ll try again. it provides the best mulch and probably the best composting material as well. you can irrigate to get a dense crop or plant it so each plant is a metre from the next in unirrigated dryland lucerne crops”. Have you tried it again?

We finally got around to sowing lucerne in one of the beds, rather than the paddock, but it was only a so-so germination and became taken over weeds before we could oversow it. MrS very patiently weeded the bed last week and here are a couple of photos.

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I’d be interested to know if you or anyone else thinks it’s worth perservering with this lot or should I dig it in and start again? Can it be harvested for mulch at this stage?

My dad grew it in a 4 foot by 12 foot bed, for years…we just kept cutting it and feeding it to the ponies/cows/chooks…

PM reckons they have roots from hell but I think if you keep it trimmed it will reward you for ‘ears and ‘ears…

Dinetta said:

My dad grew it in a 4 foot by 12 foot bed, for years…we just kept cutting it and feeding it to the ponies/cows/chooks…

PM reckons they have roots from hell but I think if you keep it trimmed it will reward you for ‘ears and ‘ears…

the roots go down an extraordinarily long way. this means it is there to stay unless you poison it. it also means that it can access nutrients that other plants can’t which is why it makes good fodder and mulch.

bluegreen said:

Dinetta said:

My dad grew it in a 4 foot by 12 foot bed, for years…we just kept cutting it and feeding it to the ponies/cows/chooks…

PM reckons they have roots from hell but I think if you keep it trimmed it will reward you for ‘ears and ‘ears…

the roots go down an extraordinarily long way. this means it is there to stay unless you poison it. it also means that it can access nutrients that other plants can’t which is why it makes good fodder and mulch.

It’s a great soil improver in that it fixes nitrogen in the soil…I think Dad’s lucerne died naturally from thirst…

I can’t recall, but I think I may have been talking about Tree Lucerne…

pain master said:

I can’t recall, but I think I may have been talking about Tree Lucerne…

Nope, the paddock, hay-making lucerne…

bluegreen said:

Dinetta said:

My dad grew it in a 4 foot by 12 foot bed, for years…we just kept cutting it and feeding it to the ponies/cows/chooks…

PM reckons they have roots from hell but I think if you keep it trimmed it will reward you for ‘ears and ‘ears…

the roots go down an extraordinarily long way. this means it is there to stay unless you poison it. it also means that it can access nutrients that other plants can’t which is why it makes good fodder and mulch.

I thought it would be ok. I’ll just oversow it next spring then. Do you think I should wait till next year to cut some of it or do you think it would cope if we gave it a light haircut now?

Dinetta said:

bluegreen said:

Dinetta said:

My dad grew it in a 4 foot by 12 foot bed, for years…we just kept cutting it and feeding it to the ponies/cows/chooks…

PM reckons they have roots from hell but I think if you keep it trimmed it will reward you for ‘ears and ‘ears…

the roots go down an extraordinarily long way. this means it is there to stay unless you poison it. it also means that it can access nutrients that other plants can’t which is why it makes good fodder and mulch.

It’s a great soil improver in that it fixes nitrogen in the soil…I think Dad’s lucerne died naturally from thirst…

Yes I realise that it is a good legume, known as a medic. Just not sure how well it goes in the average backyard garden

bluegreen said:

Dinetta said:

My dad grew it in a 4 foot by 12 foot bed, for years…we just kept cutting it and feeding it to the ponies/cows/chooks…

PM reckons they have roots from hell but I think if you keep it trimmed it will reward you for ‘ears and ‘ears…

the roots go down an extraordinarily long way. this means it is there to stay unless you poison it. it also means that it can access nutrients that other plants can’t which is why it makes good fodder and mulch.

Generally speaking it isn’t really there forever, in every part of Australia. There are some downsides to lucerne which we have been trying to breed out. It is drought intolerant and gets root rot. It’s biggest weakness is.. cut it back often enough as in by grazing or mowing and it will weaken and die.

Medicago sativa. May cause bloat in stock, has been implicated as a cause of trefoil dermatitis and in photosensitization in cattle and horses. Taints the meat of sheep, also taints milk from cows. Associated with hay fever and asthma in humans. Has also been associated with pulmonary disease and urine discolouration in cattle. However with good grazing management, is one of our most important pasture crops.

The seed makes excellent sprouts for salads

The compost it makes is nutritious in the garden

The hay makes excellent mulch.

But hey, many other plants have similar usefulness. You don’t have to have lucerne hay if you can’t get it. You’ll need a paddock and a tractor to get enough to supply your needs if you have a garden bigger than a single planter box.

That was 5 years ago (about) when the local farmer planted a mixture of snail clover and lucerne on my paddock. Three of the intervening years have been drought years.

So far the snail clover has proved to be better than the lucerne at surviving this soil and this climate. So i’m spreading the clover and not replanting lucerne. I have found that the native panic grass has moved in to bully the soursob. i have also found that barley is terrific here – mite resistant and a useful mulch.

Your lucerne looks OK. i would/will persist with small patches like you. More than likely i will plant winter peas too and encourage the diversity of grasses that are now slowly replacing the soursob.
The mites are being quelled by natural predators at present but lucerne would still be very prone to mite attack.

pepe said:

That was 5 years ago (about) when the local farmer planted a mixture of snail clover and lucerne on my paddock. Three of the intervening years have been drought years.

So far the snail clover has proved to be better than the lucerne at surviving this soil and this climate. So i’m spreading the clover and not replanting lucerne. I have found that the native panic grass has moved in to bully the soursob. i have also found that barley is terrific here – mite resistant and a useful mulch.

Your lucerne looks OK. i would/will persist with small patches like you. More than likely i will plant winter peas too and encourage the diversity of grasses that are now slowly replacing the soursob.
The mites are being quelled by natural predators at present but lucerne would still be very prone to mite attack.

Our plan is to ultimately have 6 of beds sown to grains…ie oats, sorghum, wheat etc to supplement the chooks diet and the lucerne for mulch. The challenge for the lucerne will be our acidic soil. Thank heavens for dolomite

AnneS said:

pepe said:

That was 5 years ago (about) when the local farmer planted a mixture of snail clover and lucerne on my paddock. Three of the intervening years have been drought years.

So far the snail clover has proved to be better than the lucerne at surviving this soil and this climate. So i’m spreading the clover and not replanting lucerne. I have found that the native panic grass has moved in to bully the soursob. i have also found that barley is terrific here – mite resistant and a useful mulch.

Your lucerne looks OK. i would/will persist with small patches like you. More than likely i will plant winter peas too and encourage the diversity of grasses that are now slowly replacing the soursob.
The mites are being quelled by natural predators at present but lucerne would still be very prone to mite attack.

Our plan is to ultimately have 6 of beds sown to grains…ie oats, sorghum, wheat etc to supplement the chooks diet and the lucerne for mulch. The challenge for the lucerne will be our acidic soil. Thank heavens for dolomite

how about something other the sorghum, To be its just a filler feed thats why the big feed companies use it to bulk out feed and to make it cheap.

Veg gardener said:

AnneS said:

pepe said:

That was 5 years ago (about) when the local farmer planted a mixture of snail clover and lucerne on my paddock. Three of the intervening years have been drought years.

So far the snail clover has proved to be better than the lucerne at surviving this soil and this climate. So i’m spreading the clover and not replanting lucerne. I have found that the native panic grass has moved in to bully the soursob. i have also found that barley is terrific here – mite resistant and a useful mulch.

Your lucerne looks OK. i would/will persist with small patches like you. More than likely i will plant winter peas too and encourage the diversity of grasses that are now slowly replacing the soursob.
The mites are being quelled by natural predators at present but lucerne would still be very prone to mite attack.

Our plan is to ultimately have 6 of beds sown to grains…ie oats, sorghum, wheat etc to supplement the chooks diet and the lucerne for mulch. The challenge for the lucerne will be our acidic soil. Thank heavens for dolomite

how about something other the sorghum, To be its just a filler feed thats why the big feed companies use it to bulk out feed and to make it cheap.

Yes that is true veg. I remember that from when we used to sell stock feed. We used to make our own chook grain mix and it had sorghum in it. We don’t give our chooks mash. We give them pellets and a grain mix similar to the one we used to sell. It has sunflower, corn, oats, sorghum, wheat, barley

AnneS said:

Veg gardener said:

AnneS said:

Our plan is to ultimately have 6 of beds sown to grains…ie oats, sorghum, wheat etc to supplement the chooks diet and the lucerne for mulch. The challenge for the lucerne will be our acidic soil. Thank heavens for dolomite

how about something other the sorghum, To be its just a filler feed thats why the big feed companies use it to bulk out feed and to make it cheap.

Yes that is true veg. I remember that from when we used to sell stock feed. We used to make our own chook grain mix and it had sorghum in it. We don’t give our chooks mash. We give them pellets and a grain mix similar to the one we used to sell. It has sunflower, corn, oats, sorghum, wheat, barley

might be able to help with with a good Protein mix some where close to 17%. Mine are getting layer and breeder pellets, some wheat and cracked corn. Mine don’t get mash they just waste to much dry mash feed but do get a wet mash every now and then.

Veg gardener said:

AnneS said:

Veg gardener said:

how about something other the sorghum, To be its just a filler feed thats why the big feed companies use it to bulk out feed and to make it cheap.

Yes that is true veg. I remember that from when we used to sell stock feed. We used to make our own chook grain mix and it had sorghum in it. We don’t give our chooks mash. We give them pellets and a grain mix similar to the one we used to sell. It has sunflower, corn, oats, sorghum, wheat, barley

might be able to help with with a good Protein mix some where close to 17%. Mine are getting layer and breeder pellets, some wheat and cracked corn. Mine don’t get mash they just waste to much dry mash feed but do get a wet mash every now and then.

Must admit I am too lazy to muck around with mash. They seem healthy enough

AnneS said:

Veg gardener said:

AnneS said:

Yes that is true veg. I remember that from when we used to sell stock feed. We used to make our own chook grain mix and it had sorghum in it. We don’t give our chooks mash. We give them pellets and a grain mix similar to the one we used to sell. It has sunflower, corn, oats, sorghum, wheat, barley

might be able to help with with a good Protein mix some where close to 17%. Mine are getting layer and breeder pellets, some wheat and cracked corn. Mine don’t get mash they just waste to much dry mash feed but do get a wet mash every now and then.

Must admit I am too lazy to muck around with mash. They seem healthy enough

easy way to worm 50+ chooks.

AnneS said:

Must admit I am too lazy to muck around with mash. They seem healthy enough

ditto

Veg gardener said:

Must admit I am too lazy to muck around with mash. They seem healthy enough

easy way to worm 50+ chooks.

good tip!