Does it make any difference?  Yup, it can make a BIG difference in the growth, flowering and fruiting of your plants.  Want proof?  Here it is.

Val Thies, our annual department supervisor ran after me last Tuesday morning and said, "You have got to see this!"

She showed me one tomato that we planted in a gallon pot and fertilized with Espoma Tomato-tone (tomato on the right in the photo).  Next, she showed me one that we didn't fertilize (the one on the left). 

Wow! You can see what a difference feeding your plants can make.   The one we fertilized was bigger, stronger and greener; a really healthy plant.  The unfertilized, pretty wimpy. 

The same went for the peppers we planted in gallon pots.  We incorporated Alfalfa's Secret into the potting mix.  You will have to stop in to see how big, healthy and full of peppers these plants are.

Feeding your plants can make all the difference in how happy and healthy your veggies, flowers, perennials, trees and shrubs can be.  Not sure how and what to feed the plants you have?  We can help.   Stop in, email or call us to get great gardening advice from our extremely knowledgeable staff.

psst...our veggies are all 50% off.  If you need some replacements for your garden or still want to grow a garden we have great deals on great plants. 

This stuff is my secret to gardening.   I love to use it in my flower & vegetable containers and in my new raised veggie garden as a soil additive and a top dressing. 

So, what the heck is it, anyway?  It's like it says on the label...it is alfalfa, 100% - nothing else added. 

Why Use it?  Alfalfa's Secret builds fertility in your soil.  In layman's terms, it is a balanced diet of vitamins, minerals, sugars and micronutrients that are extremely beneficial to plant growth.  It is naturally packed with nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, sulfur, magnesium, boron, iron, zinc to name a few.   (Sounds like a one-a -day vitamin commercial for your plants, doesn't it?)  All of this natural goodness is slowly released into the soil throughout the season.   

It is all natural.  Safe for kids, pets and gardeners! 

It's easy to use.  A 1.5 cu. ft bag covers about 20 sq. ft.  Inside is just alfalfa.  I mix it into my potting and garden soils before I plant.  When I am done planting - I top dress with about an inch of Alfalfa's Secret over everything.  When I water (or it rains) the nutrients leech out of the top-dress and help fertilize the plants.  It even helps to deter weed growth! 

Whether you use it as a top-dress or a soil additive, it also helps retain moisture in your soil.  You water less!  (I love that part, because I hate all the watering i have to do during the hot July & August days.)

For all you veggie gardeners, use it as a top-dress to prevent soil diseases splashing up onto the leaves of your plants!  I highly recommended it around your tomatoes.  It basically eliminates your need for fungicides! 

Where can you get it?  Why, at Otten Bros., of course.  It is produced in Cokato, MN, on a 5th generation farm, just 45 minutes west of Long Lake.   You can't get anything more natural or locally made than Alfalfa's Secret!  I love it and I know you will too!

It is a great time to apply it to your gardens.  BONUS - if you look farther down the newsletter you will see a coupon for $1.00 off every bag you buy now through July 31, 2011.