Bone Meal
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IS IT SAFE ? Bone meal has been sterilized for sale to gardeners for as long as I have known. Before the B.S.E. ('mad cow disease') outbreak I understood that sterilizing was to prevent disease such as Anthrax - this can now be treated. With regard to contamination by B.S.E. Kansas State University Horticulture Newsletter Feb 2001 claims that heat and solvent extraction are both needed to destroy B.S.E. Some gardeners have been worried about breathing bone meal dust. Take normal precautions for tackling any dusty job from compost turning to wood shaving - wear a mask - the Royal Horticulture Society makes this recommendation. Course grade bone meal is far less dusty. It doesn't seem possible that a large molecule like a prion protein that causes B.S.E. could be taken in through plant cell walls to infect plants. That's like the moon passing through the eye of a needle. Bans on bone meal are mainly important to its use as animal feed. When agriculture adopts fully organic practises these problems won't occur. On the whole the horticultural community don't seem worried. Bone meal remains a valuable organic resource not only a shrub fertilizer but for root crops, beans etc... as noted here. |
Source - the bones of animals from the slaugherhouse, dried or steamed. Only use bone meal when steamed or sterilized. Sometimes available as course medium and fine grade.
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American gardeners can get Bone Meal here
- Bone Meal (2.5kg) is available in the U.K. on this link
- There are significant price differences all over. U.K. gardeners compare the above price with 25 kg pack price on this link
- Root crops benefit from phophorus which is supplied in abundance by this fertilizer - Apply before growing carrot, scorzonora, and onions etc... and to corms and tubers like dahlia, peony, gladiola.
- Apply to soil before peas, beans, sweet peas and other legumes - phosporus is probably beneficial to the nitrogen fixing Rhizobium bacteria found in the root nodules of legumes.
- Rake into beds a couple of months before sowing or planting.
- Apply at 1 oz per square yard to new soil before transplanting spring sown cabbage to new sites following beans.
- As a shrub fertilizer sprinkle into planting pockets and over the back fill - Apply 2-3 oz per shrub.
- The calcium content is especially beneficial for perennials and as a deciduous shrub fertilizer - Continue to fork in every 2 years.
- Note: bone meal is basic, with an alkaline reaction in the soil - Avoid applying around acid loving plants like ericas, rhodendrons, and azaleas.
- Use on lime loving (calcicoles) clematis, lilac, and hydrangea ...
- Apply to fruit bushes; especially if soils conditions are too acidic.
- Sprinkle fine grade bone meal sparingly on the soil surface of containers and indoor pot plants and water in; or mix in a small amount when making your own compost for indoor plants.
- Note: some dogs may lick and scratch where bone meal is used as top dressing.
- Use on slower growing greenhouse plants.
Application - 3oz per square yard every 1 - 2 years. Incorporate well into soil.
Release Rate - slow, lasts for 1 year and more.
Timing - apply from autumn to spring at the start of growing season and a few weeks before plant requirement. If you want faster response such as in a potting mix use fine grade bone meal. The course grade bone will last longer.
Soil Reaction - basic, take care with lime hating ericas: rhododendrons, azaleas, camelias, heathers and the like.
Action On Plants - phoshates promote root growth so bone meal is good for root crops (e.g. carrots) and root tubers (e.g. dahlia).
The high calcium content make it a good fruit, herbaceous perennial and shrub fertilizer for non-ericacious plants. Calcium cements cell walls together and is lost during leaf fall and die back. Failure of new growing shoots, blossom end rot and weak stems are signs of calcium deficiency common in fruits.
Slow nutrient release keeps time with slower growing plants so reducing nutrient losses and not overfeeding. That's usually a good quality for tree and shrub fertilizer as well as slower growing pot plants.
The low nitrogen content means that bone meal won't convert potential flower shoots into leaves and ruin your flower display or delay fruiting - it's a safe fertilizer.
Phosphates are not very mobile in soil so do incorporate bone meal well into soil. Mix with back fill as shrub fertilizer when planting.
Get shrub fertilizer - Bone Meal - U.K.
Buy 25Kg bags - unit price is cheaper only on this link ...
Get Bone Meal - U.S.A.
BOTTOM OF THE GARDEN - more information, books & links on bone meal & organic fertilizers
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