Lucerne Seed for Sale – Winter Active (Sequel Variety) 300,000 seeds per kg
QLD NSW VIC SA NT ONLY
Medicago sativa
JOB DESCRIPTION Biological Barrier + Cut as Green Pick for Poultry + Mulch Maker + Use as a Suppressor of Other Groundcover + Builds Organic Soil Matter + Earthworm Food + Insect Habitat + Bee Fodder
TASK AT HAND Configure lucerne as single and double hedges as biological barriers. Use lucerne as a smother crop to make clean seed beds. Develop permanent sections of lucerne to form a complete garden eco-system. Rotate permanent rows of lucerne every 1-3 years with a switch to vegetable crops.
OBSERVATION Single plants can outcompete other surrounding plants. Lucerne is known to have a tap root to 5 metres plus. As shallow rooted groundcovers dry off, lucerne continues to thrive from deep sub-soil moisture reserves. <> This aggressive attribute may be worked as an advantage or it may be an extreme disadvantage. <> Established plants should be cut periodically to maintain vigour & (conserve moisture)
PLANTING 50 or less/or more seeds per linear metre in rows from 200 mm apart. Thin plants out if needed to 10/20 per linear metre. Broadcast and cover into scuffled beds at rate of 100 grams (or less) per 10 square metres – only lightly cover seed – say 20 mm soil – water well to strike.
SPECIAL FEATURES Long Lived up to 5 Years – Established Plants Die Off and Regrow on Good Rain – Loves Frost at all Life Stages (in our climate zone) Easy to Control or Eliminate in Gardens – Soft Stalks for Easy Cutting.
DRYLAND POTENTIAL of LUCERNE Individual plants have persisted in black soil dryland paddocks at “Janahn Forest” Jimbour 600 mm rainfall for multiple years. Many local farmers avoid lucerne because it is capable of drying paddocks out too much. All local commercial lucerne farmers use irrigation to grow crops of lucerne for baling.
MATURITY: Plants will set seed within 6 months, and then live for 3-4 years, benefiting from occasional cutting to extend vigour.
SUITABLE SOIL TYPE: Nourished gardens. In field situations known to grow in heavy clays and soft loams.
PLANTING METHODS: Fine tilled bed with seed lightly covered. Water well to strike. Broadcast into standing grass during winter and wait for good rain.
SEED KIT OPTIONS – Single Seed Containers for Sale on this Page Below or Go To: Ground Worker Seed Kits
Pack n Post Rates: All seed is a Flat Rate of $12 max for 1 contaner or 100 containers
PHOTO 1: Mature Lucerne Patch in Flower.
PHOTO 1a: Broadcast Lucerne was planted into scuffled topsoil about 6 weeks ago – starting to work as a smother crop. Date of Photo: May ’21
PHOTO 2: Same Lucerne from 1a on same day – furrows were cut with a mattock to thin Lucerne – overplanted planted with Barley into fresh furrows – raked and watered. Date of Photo May ‘ 21
PHOTO 3: Row 1 has mounds of pulled grass covered with cowhide. Cow hides are slow-release fertilisers that may be moved about. The Hide Mounds will be planted with Watermelon/Cucumber in Spring. BLUE DASH LINES are future double row hedges of lucerne – so now we work the rows with lucerne hedges managed as a biological barrier. Date of Photo: Late April ’21
PHOTO 3: Double Blue Dash is planned double row of lucerne – now part established. With a mattock – all vegetation can be periodically rolled inwards – leaving hedge of lucerne intack. Date of Photo: May ’21