When you are growing plants in your garden then it doesn’t mean that the soil of your garden contains every nutrient your plants need. You have to amend the soil to make it more rich and perfect for your plants.
Some people use chemical fertilizers to amend the soil of their gardens. Most gardeners prefer using organic fertilizers such as fish emulsion, compost, bone meal, blood meal, seaweed, green sand, rock phosphate, worm casting, and well-aged manure.
In this article, we are going to discuss with you how a bone meal can help to fill the nutritional gaps in the soil
What Is Bone Meal?
A bone meal is a fine powder that is made from animal bones. This powder is rich in nutrients that make your soil more fertile for your plants. Take the bones of the dead animals and clean all the fat they have.
After that, steam them and ground them. When you are doing this process all the magnesium and zinc from the bones are removed. Now these bones have large amounts of phosphorus and calcium with some nitrogen.
Organic fertilizers release nutrients in the soil slowly. This steady delivery of nutrients helps encourage the growth of the healthier plant. It will help to bloom flowers, vegetables, and fruits.
After application of bone meal in the soil of your garden you will get a higher yield of your edible plants. But make sure that your plants are getting proper light and water then they will show successful progress.
Keep Reading
- 15 Simple And Inexpensive Homemade Fertilizers
- 10 Magical And Organic Fertilizers For Your Vegetable Garden
- Cheap And Organic Fertilizers For Your Houseplants
Reasons To Use Bone Meal In The Garden
Different organic fertilizers are available for improving the fertility level of the soil.
Your choice depends on the needs of the plant. First, you should perform a soil test so you come to know what are the deficiencies of the soil and you have to work on it. Amend the soil according to the needs of plants.
If they need more amount of phosphorus and calcium for their growth and the soil has less amount of these nutrients then you must add bone meal to the soil. Following are the reasons why you should add bone meat to your garden.
1- GREAT SOURCE OF PHOSPHORUS
When you apply bone meal to your garden it will help to promote a strong root system of plants. This organic fertilizer is also good for flowering plants such as roses.
If you see the following symptoms such as dropping off leaves without turning yellow, leaves turning dull grey-green, the edges of the older leaves not turning into makeup, or buds slowly developing in your plants then it clearly shows that your soil is facing the deficiency of phosphorus.
Bone meal contains 15% of phosphorus that can easily be incorporated into the soil.
2- CONSIST OF CALCIUM
You know that your bones need calcium. If you want to become healthy and strong then you must use calcium in your food. In the same way, plants need calcium, and bone meal powder is made from the bones of animals which means that they contain calcium.
For the higher yield of tomatoes, zucchini, and pepper you must add bone meal to the soil. These edible plants will produce more for you when they get calcium in their feed. This mineral helps to encourage the root and stem growth of your plants.
3- MAY CONTAIN NITROGEN
Nitrogen is very important for the growth of your plants but you can’t use bone meal for a rich source of nitrogen Bone meal contains very little amount of nitrogen.
The bone meal that you buy from the market may contain additive nitrogen to make it a perfect fertilizer for your garden. Your plants will get a nutritional boost when they get nitrogen.
4- BALANCE OUT OTHER AMENDMENTS
If you use other organic amendments such as compost or aged manure for maintaining the fertility level of the soil, they contain high amounts of nitrogen but the other nutrients are present in less amount.
To fulfill the requirement of other nutrients we need to add bone meal to the soil. After adding this magical organic fertilizer it will balance the other nutrients of the soil.
A soil test will tell you which nutrients are not present in the soil. In case, if the result of the test shows that the soil is facing a deficiency of phosphorus and calcium then you must use a bone meal.
5- SUITABLE FOR ORGANIC GARDENING
Organic gardeners prefer bone meal. They use this fertilizer to make the soil richer. Chemical fertilizers that are available in the market are not good for edible plants.
If you like organic gardening then you should also use bone meal. After the addition of this organic fertilizer the structure of the soil improves and beneficial microbes create a healthy environment for plants.
Microbes make it possible that the roots of the plant easily absorb nutrients and produce a strong root system.
6- A SLOW RELEASE FERTILIZER
When you apply chemical fertilizer to your plant you will see a fast growth in them. But in the case of bone meal, you will not see such results because it is a slow-release organic fertilizer; its results can be seen with time.
Bone meal takes a long time to break down which means your plants will receive consistent access to phosphorus and calcium in the growing season.
You have to apply this organic fertilizer once at the time of planting. This amount is enough for the entire growing season now the soil needs the next dose in the next growing season.
7- BEST FOR THE HEALTH OF FLOWERING PLANTS
The flowering plants need phosphorus to produce more blooms. The bone needed is perfect for ornamental flowering plants that decorate your garden.
When you apply bone meal at the start of the growing season you can see big and plentiful blooms in your garden. Bone meal is also an ideal organic fertilizer for edible flowering plants. Gardeners use this magical fertilizer for setting the fruit.
When And How To Apply Bone Meal Fertilizer?
The ideal time to apply bone meal is before planting your favorite plants. This is a slow-release fertilizer so you can apply it at the start of the growing season.
You will get all the instructions about using the bone meal on the label. Following are the steps for using bone meal for your plants.
- Before using the bone meal you must perform a soil test so you can know what type of nutrients are needed. You can also do the soil test with the help of a soil kit. If the acidity level of the soil is below 7 then you can apply bone meal to the soil to balance the nutrient level.
- Mix a small amount of bone meal fertilizer before planting. You can apply one tablespoon of bone meal to 2 square feet of soil. After applying bone meal to the soil, mix it well.
- After applying the bone meal fertilizer to your garden. The next step is watering the soil. When water is added to the soil it will activate the breaking down process of nutrients present in bone meal fertilizer.
How Does Bone Meal Work In The Garden?
This is a high-quality organic fertilizer that is made from the bones of animals. It contains phosphorus, calcium, and nitrogen so it will help to maintain the fertility of the soil.
This fertilizer works best for plants like fruits and vegetables. The bone meal takes time to start its work so you must show patience. Plants will take time to absorb nutrients from the soil.
There are different ways of adding bone meal to the garden. The simple way is using the bone meal as organic fertilizer to boost up the nutrients that will encourage the new growth and production of blooms in flowering plants.
Bone Meal helps to grow a strong root system. Adding this useful organic fertilizer improves the health of the soil and enhances the yield of edible crops.
Another benefit of bone meal is that it stops the growth of weeds which are unwanted plants. Weeds steal nutrients from the soil and as a result, there is a competition between the plants and the weeds for nutrients. Their presence can affect the growth of the plant.
You can also use bone male as an insecticide as it will reduce the population of insects and pests. Pests can damage your plants and affect the yield of the plant.
Another benefit of bone meal is that it can reduce the stress in the plant because it has anti-inflammatory properties. Bone meal also controls the erosion level of the soil in your garden.
Keep Reading
- 15 Simple And Inexpensive Homemade Fertilizers
- 10 Magical And Organic Fertilizers For Your Vegetable Garden
- Cheap And Organic Fertilizers For Your Houseplants
Bone Meal Is Best For Following Plants
The following are the plants that need phosphorus and calcium for their growth. You must apply bone meal to make them healthy.
TOMATO
The born meal is the best organic fertilizer for tomato plants. As you know tomato plants are hungry for feed. They need high amounts of phosphorus and calcium.
These nutrients are found in bone meals that are ideal for the healthier production of tomatoes. When you apply bone meal to tomato plants it will produce more flowers and as a result, it will turn into a red juicy treat.
If you are growing tomato plants in the ground then you use a tablespoon of bone meal. Mix this organic fertilizer in the soil before planting tomatoes.
If you are growing tomato plants in a pot or container then you need less amount of bone mean. One teaspoon of bone meal is enough for one tomato plant in the container.
Keep in mind that the amount of fertilizer depends upon the size of the plant you are growing. Some tomato plants grow taller and produce more fruit. They need more fertilizer.
PEPPERS
Peppers are heavy feeders and they also need phosphorus for healthier growth. Blossom root rot creates an alarming situation for the development of pepper plants.
To prevent them from this disease they need calcium that they receive from bone meal. If you are growing pepper plants in the raised bed they need 1 tsp of bone meal before planting.
BULBS
Bulbs grow new plants so they need feed for their growth. Bulbs want extra support when they are ready to produce flowers. A teaspoon of bone meal is enough for one bulb.
Make sure when you apply bone meal to the soil mix it well. This amount is enough to encourage the new growth of the roots of young plants.
