To be of maximum benefit the alfalfa needs to decompose. This will happen kind of like a slow release fertilizer if you simply scratch some alfalfa into the dirt. But for more immediate results the tea is much more effective because the decomposition has been sped up. Yes, you can foliar feed with it.

It's not so much a decomposition as a fementation. The alcohol (forget the name) that is produced is what promotes the basal breaks on roses. It's stinky, so put the tub in a corner out of the way and downwind of you. (-: I generally throw in a shovelful of compost to boot. takes about 1-2 weeks depending on the outside temps.

jill

Technically, yes, the alfalfa needs to ferment, converting sugars into the alcohol Triacontanol, a growth hormone. Alfalfa also provides an organic base on which microscopic soil organisms can feed, improving the soil structure. The point was that this same process will also take place if you merely scratch some alfalfa pellets or meal into the soil around the roses, but at a slower rate.