How Long to Steep Alfalfa Tea for Optimal Benefits?

December 11, 2025 •

4 min read

According to ancient Arabian lore, alfalfa was called 'al-fal-fala,' meaning 'father of all foods,' a testament to its nutrient-rich profile. This high nutritional content makes alfalfa a potent ingredient, whether brewed for a mild, earthy herbal tea or steeped for a powerful liquid fertilizer for your garden.

Quick Summary

This guide details the precise steeping times for alfalfa tea, differentiating between methods for human consumption and for use as a garden fertilizer. It covers techniques for both short and long infusions to ensure you extract the maximum benefits, from flavor to key nutrients, for your specific needs.

Key Points

Drinking Tea Steep Time: For herbal alfalfa tea for human consumption, steep dried leaves in hot water for 5-10 minutes to avoid bitterness and achieve a mild, earthy flavor.
Garden Tea Steep Time: For a plant fertilizer, steep alfalfa meal or pellets in water for 24-48 hours, or longer, to create a potent, nutrient-dense solution.
Fermentation and Nutrients: A longer fermentation process for garden tea breaks down the alfalfa, releasing a higher concentration of nutrients and triacontanol, a natural plant growth hormone.
Aerate for Freshness: Aerating garden alfalfa tea with a bubbler can prevent it from fermenting anaerobically and developing an unpleasant odor.
Flavor Customization: Alfalfa tea for drinking can be customized by adjusting steeping time or adding other herbs, like mint or chamomile, to balance its mild flavor.
Post-Steeping Use: After making garden tea, the spent alfalfa meal can be repurposed as compost or a mulch.
Caution with Health: Consult a healthcare provider before consuming alfalfa tea, particularly if you have autoimmune or hormone-related conditions.

Alfalfa, scientifically known as Medicago sativa, is a versatile legume treasured for centuries. Its rich profile of vitamins, minerals, and growth hormones makes it a popular ingredient for both personal wellness and horticultural applications. However, achieving the desired results largely depends on one crucial factor: the steeping time. The duration varies dramatically based on your intended purpose—a quick, pleasant brew for drinking versus a long, potent fermentation for your plants.

The Short Steep: Alfalfa Tea for Drinking

For those preparing alfalfa tea for human consumption, the goal is to extract the beneficial nutrients and a mild, pleasant flavor without over-steeping, which can lead to bitterness. The typical steeping time for a beverage is significantly shorter than for a garden application.

Brewing Instructions for Herbal Tea

Gather ingredients: Use 1-2 teaspoons of dried alfalfa leaves per 8-ounce cup of water.
Boil water: Heat fresh, filtered water to just below boiling, around 205°F (96°C).
Steep: Pour the hot water over the alfalfa leaves. Cover the cup while steeping to trap the beneficial steam and oils.
Recommended time: Allow to steep for 5 to 10 minutes. A shorter steep yields a milder flavor, while a longer one creates a more robust tea.
Strain and serve: Strain out the leaves and enjoy. Add honey, lemon, or other herbs like mint or chamomile for enhanced flavor.

Flavor Profile and Customization

Alfalfa tea has a subtle, earthy flavor that can be easily customized. The flavor develops over the steeping period. If you are new to alfalfa tea, start with a shorter steep and gradually increase the time to find your preferred strength. Combining it with other herbs is a great way to introduce variety and balance the taste profile.

The Long Steep: Alfalfa Tea for Gardening

When making alfalfa tea for plants, you are creating a potent, nutrient-dense fertilizer. This process involves a much longer steeping or fermentation period to break down the alfalfa meal or pellets and release a concentrated solution of nutrients and growth hormones.

Fermenting Instructions for Plant Fertilizer

Gather materials: You'll need a large, lidded container (like a 5-gallon bucket or garbage can), alfalfa meal or pellets, and a porous bag (optional).
Ratio: Use approximately 1 cup of alfalfa meal or pellets for every 5 gallons of water. Some gardeners use a higher ratio for a stronger brew.
Combine: Add the alfalfa meal to the water. For easier straining later, place the meal in a large cheesecloth or mesh bag to create a giant tea bag.
Steep time: Steep the mixture for 24 to 48 hours. Some gardeners may extend this to 4 to 5 days, or even a few weeks for a highly fermented tea. Stir the mixture occasionally to aid the infusion.
Aerate (Optional): Aerated teas, made with a water pump or bubbler, can prevent the brew from becoming anaerobic and smelly.
Strain and use: Strain the tea and apply it as a soil drench or foliar spray. The spent alfalfa meal can be added to your compost pile.

Nutrient Extraction and Triacontanol

Unlike the quick, gentle extraction for a beverage, the long fermentation process for garden tea is designed to maximize nutrient release. Alfalfa contains triacontanol, a natural growth stimulant that promotes stronger roots and overall plant vigor. The longer soak helps ensure this hormone, along with other key nutrients like nitrogen, calcium, and magnesium, are readily available to your plants.

Comparison: Alfalfa Tea for Drinking vs. Gardening


Feature	Herbal Tea (For Drinking)	Garden Tea (For Plants)
Steeping Time	5-10 minutes	24-48 hours (or longer)
Purpose	Wellness, flavor extraction	Fertilizer, nutrient release, growth stimulant
Ingredients	Dried alfalfa leaves	Alfalfa meal or pellets
Temperature	Hot (just below boiling)	Ambient (room temperature or warmer)
Process	Quick infusion, gentle	Long fermentation, decomposition
Dilution	Often enjoyed pure	May be diluted further for sensitive plants
End Product	Flavorful, golden liquid	Potent, pungent, nutrient-rich solution

Conclusion

Understanding the correct steeping time is critical to successfully utilizing alfalfa tea, whether for a soothing herbal beverage or a powerful organic fertilizer. For a gentle, drinkable tea, a quick 5 to 10-minute steep is sufficient. In contrast, preparing a garden-boosting solution requires a much longer fermentation period of at least 24 to 48 hours to fully release its potent nutrients and growth hormones. By following these tailored guidelines, you can harness the full potential of alfalfa for both personal health and a thriving garden. For more detailed insights into alfalfa's benefits for your garden, consider exploring resources from reputable organizations like the American Rose Society.

Note: When consuming alfalfa tea, it's always wise to consult a healthcare provider, especially if pregnant, breastfeeding, or on medication, due to its potential interaction with certain health conditions or medications.

Frequently Asked Questions

The main difference is the steeping duration and purpose. For drinking, the tea is steeped for 5-10 minutes to extract flavor and nutrients. For gardening, it's fermented for 24-48 hours or more to create a nutrient-rich fertilizer for plants.

While the source is the same plant, it's best to use dried, food-grade alfalfa leaves for human consumption and dedicated alfalfa meal or pellets, which are formulated for gardening, for plant fertilizer.

Over-steeping alfalfa tea can cause it to become bitter and less palatable. The ideal time is between 5 and 10 minutes for a balanced flavor.

A pungent smell in garden tea is normal, especially with a longer, anaerobic fermentation process. It simply means the beneficial breakdown of materials is occurring. Aerating the tea can help minimize the odor.

The need for dilution depends on the tea's concentration. For a mild recipe (e.g., 1 cup per 5 gallons), it's often used as is, but for stronger brews or sensitive plants, further dilution is recommended.

No, you should never consume the fermented alfalfa tea intended for gardening. The long fermentation process and potential additives create a concoction suitable only for plant nourishment, not human consumption.

Yes, alfalfa pellets can be used in place of meal. They work similarly but may take slightly longer to break down fully during the steeping process.