Bone, fish, blood meal as a fertilizer: how to use for tomatoes, potatoes, indoor plants, reviews

What is bone meal and how is it produced?

On sale you can choose the desired packaging.
For different manufacturers, packaging volume ranges from five to fifty liters. Today you can find a huge variety of fertilizers of chemical origin on sale. Perhaps the wide range and advertising influenced the fact that the previously known and effective bone meal was forgotten. Recently the situation has changed. Manufacturers have returned to processing available raw materials, from which high-quality organic fertilizer is obtained. The name speaks for itself; the powder is ground from the bones of farm animals and commercial fish. Essentially, from waste from the meat and fisheries industries. Due to the availability of raw materials, production costs are inexpensive, which explains its affordable price on sale and makes it popular among amateur gardeners. On sale you can find packaging suitable in volume for small areas and large-scale plantings.

Bone meal is produced in many countries of the world, for example in Japan; fertilizer obtained from fish bones is perhaps the most common fertilizer.

Domestic enterprises produce several types of this product:

• Regular mechanically ground bone meal contains 15% phosphorus;
• Steamed, heat-treated, includes – 25% phosphorus;
• Fat-free, has the highest concentration - 35%.

Obviously, it is more profitable to purchase a concentrated variety of fertilizer, since it is consumed much less than steamed and regular fertilizer.

Bone meal, which is made from fish raw materials, in addition to phosphorus contains a large amount of calcium and iron, which is especially valuable for some garden crops, for example, nightshades - potatoes, tomatoes, eggplants. Also, fish fertilizer contains 2.5 times more nitrogen than fertilizer obtained from the horns and hooves of cattle. Unlike bone meal, fish fertilizer is used several times a season for the growth of stems and leaves.

Types of bone powder

Depending on the raw materials used, there are different types of flour: bone, blood, fish, shell and horn-hoof. Each option has its own method of application and the result of its impact on the culture. Unlike fish or meat and bone meal, horn chips are suitable for annual plant feeding. The types of fertilizer complement each other perfectly.

Types of organic fertilizer differ in formulation and amount of minerals, as can be seen from the table:

Chemical composition of fertilizer. The role of nutrients in plant development

Bone meal contains many useful substances, which, in turn, include most of D.I. Mendeleev’s table.

Among them it is important to highlight:

The percentage of phosphorus in bone meal is the highest, therefore the product is classified as a phosphate fertilizer (find out → types of phosphate fertilizers).

Phosphorus is the main part of DNA, the genetic memory of plants.

The contribution of the element to plant life is invaluable; phosphorus is

• The basis of DNA (Deoxyribonucleic acid), with the help of which accumulation and transmission occurs in the nuclei of cells. This guarantees the preservation of morphological and biological characteristics from generation to generation.
• Only in its presence does photosynthesis occur - the formation of chlorophyll, a specific green pigment . Under the influence of sunlight, complex organic compounds ATP (adenosine triphosphoric acid) are formed. It, in turn, controls respiratory and metabolic processes in plant tissues.

What else does phosphorus affect in bone meal (click to expand)

• Takes an important part in the growth of young roots and strengthening of the adult root system in perennial crops.
• Regulates the process of laying flower buds.
• Affects the brightness of the color of decorative flowers.
• In its presence, glucose, sucrose, starch are formed, that is, those substances that are responsible for the size and taste of the fruit.
• It is part of phytin, the largest amount of which is found in seeds and affects their germination.

In other words, without phosphorus most vital processes are impossible. That is why, the lack of an element negatively affects all, without exception, plant organs, both above-ground and underground. The deficiency can be easily replenished with the help of bone meal, which is rich not only in phosphorus, but also in other useful compounds.

Pros and cons of fertilizer

The chemical composition of the fertilizer makes it very useful and causes wide distribution. Due to the high concentration of phosphorus, the presence of potassium, calcium, and nitrogen, bone meal stimulates the development of the root system and increases resistance to various diseases.

Pros:

• Thanks to timely fertilizing, you can achieve abundant and long-lasting flowering of garden plants. Various varieties of roses are especially partial to fertilizer;
• tomatoes, onions, garlic, zucchini, sweet peppers, potatoes respond well to feeding with bone meal;
• phosphorus and other chemical elements are contained in the fertilizer in a bioavailable form and are easily absorbed by plants;
• bone meal is quite cheap, which increases its popularity;
• the product is natural, environmentally friendly;
• mixes well with soil, dissolves in water, decomposes for a long time, ensuring the supply of microelements over a long period of time.

Minuses:

• not suitable for slightly alkaline and alkaline soils with a pH above 7, since it “works” only in slightly acidic soils;
• on soils rich in phosphorus, bone meal causes an overdose, which leads to oppression and diseases of the root system, slower growth, yellowing of leaves (but this is more a matter of improper application than a lack of fertilizer);
• the persistent smell attracts animals - dogs, cats, rodents. The former can get poisoned if the fertilizer is not incorporated into the soil; rats and moles can ruin the plantings;
• Blood meal is banned in some countries due to the risk of transmitting mad cow disease.

(+ / -) Advantages and disadvantages

Types of fertilizer differ in color and concentration.
Indicators depend on the raw materials and production features. The greatest advantages of the fertilizer are its organic origin and absolute environmental safety for plants, humans and the environment. By using fertilizer in the right dosage, you don’t have to worry about harmful substances getting into the fruit and causing damage to your health.

Other positive features:

• The powder is virtually odorless. If the aroma is still present, it means that the storage conditions have been violated, most likely it has become saturated with moisture.
• The substance is absolutely harmless, so no personal protective equipment is required when working with it.
• The fertilizer is universal; it is equally suitable for all types of plants - garden crops, fruit and berry gardens, ornamental trees and shrubs.

ALL the benefits of bone/fish/blood meal (click to expand)

• Fertilizer improves seed germination, rooting of cuttings, and plant survival rate during planting.
• Timely application of the substance improves flowering and fruit quality.
• Bone meal does not require prior dissolution in water; it is applied dry to the soil surface after watering and loosened to a shallow depth.
• The concentration of the active substance is such that it is enough to apply the fertilizer once a year, which will provide the plants with the necessary set of elements for the entire growing season.

Disadvantages include excess consumption. An excess of nutrients is no less harmful to plants than their deficiency. That's why it's important to follow the instructions included with each variety of bone meal.

Errors in the use of flour fertilizers

Some gardeners, having heard that fertilizer from the blood of animals helps to increase productivity, feed the soil with flour, not knowing its acidity, and this, instead of benefiting the plants, does harm.

When feeding with blood meal, not everyone follows the dosage, which is also a serious mistake. This organic matter is stored for no more than six months; after this period there is no point in using it as a fertilizer.

Features of application for different types of garden and ornamental crops

The general recommendation is:

• Bone meal is best used on acidic soils. The chemical form of a phosphorus-containing compound can only dissolve in an acidified environment. If the soil pH is 6.5 or higher, that is, the reaction is neutral or alkaline, then the process will not take place, or will proceed slowly and ineffectively. The positive side is that before applying the fertilizer you do not need to neutralize the soil, as when using other fertilizers.

Read more about bone meal for different plants.

Fruit trees and berry bushes

When planting trees and shrubs, bone meal is evenly mixed with fertile soil in the planting hole.
Powder is added to each planting hole, having previously mixed it with soil, which is sprinkled on the roots of the seedlings. For each plant you will need:

• For wood – 200 g;
• For shrubs – 100 g.

This refill will last for 2 – 3 years. Subsequent feeding is carried out taking into account the size and age of the plants. For bushes it is recommended - 80 - 100 g for each, for an adult fruit-bearing tree - 150 - 200 g.

The amount of powder also depends on the mechanical composition of the soil. On sandy loam soils and light loams, less fertilizer is needed. When working on heavy clay soil, it is better to dissolve bone meal in hot water in advance and leave for 7-10 days, stirring daily. The fertilizer will not dissolve during this time, the solid substance sinks to the bottom and must be stirred before use until smooth. The suspension is poured onto pre-watered soil and loosened to a depth of 5–10 cm.

To prepare liquid fertilizer you will need 1 kg of powder and 10 liters of water.

Application rates for shrubs and trees (click to expand)

The same application rates are suitable for ornamental woody plants. The recommended frequency of use is once every 2–3 years.

The benefits of water from defrosted meat

It's all about the composition of the water - after meat, due to the presence of blood in it, it is saturated with iron and magnesium, and iron has a chelated form (a combination of iron ions with amino acids). It is this iron that is best absorbed by plants (and humans too!).

Iron has a direct effect on plant growth and the formation of chlorophyll, a pigment necessary for photosynthesis and giving leaves their green color. Lack of iron leads to fading (whitening) of foliage, development of chlorosis, and slower growth. When there is not enough magnesium, the root system suffers.

For potatoes, tomatoes, eggplant

It is better to use fishmeal; its chemical composition is well suited for nightshades, and for the formation of potato tubers, and ground tomato fruits.

• Before planting potatoes, fertilizer is applied by digging the soil at the rate of 100 g per square meter;

Tip #1. Note! Bone meal can be used in both spring and autumn. Phosphorus salts and calcium compounds dissolve slowly, so fertilizer applied before winter does not lose its qualities due to frost.

• For tomatoes and eggplants, you will need 1 - 2 tablespoons of fertilizer per hole when planting seedlings. Nightshade crops fertilized with fish powder produce a bountiful harvest. The fruits are large, brightly colored and have a wonderful taste.

Deadlines

To avoid losing sleep over feeding, follow these simple instructions : Apply a weak solution of fertilizer (½ or ¼ of what is recommended on the package) during weekly watering. And at least once a month, water the plant with clean water - without any nutrients. This will help wash away any remaining minerals from the pot and substrate.

In winter, when plants are actively growing, stop fertilizing . Your plants do not need additional nutrition during this period.

For rooting seedlings

When planting tomatoes, fertilizer is applied to each hole.
In order for the seeds to germinate and take root, a light peat-sand substrate is needed (find out → how to use peat as a top dressing + reviews). For seedlings, it is important that the soil contains enough phosphorus. It is he who is responsible for the appearance and growth of young roots. When preparing the mixture, high-moor peat is used, its acid-base balance is pH – 3, that is, a strongly acidic reaction. In combination with bone meal, an effective result is achieved, provided the dosage is 1:100. In other words, for 100 parts of substrate, 1 part of flour is needed.

Is meat water good for plants?

Moderator: Floriana

Is meat water good for plants?

Post by Kolasya » January 10, 2012, 10:30 pm

Re: Is meat water good for plants?

Post by Lucin » Jan 10, 2012, 10:39 pm

Re: Is meat water good for plants?

Post by IrinaM » 11 Jan 2012, 02:56

Re: Is meat water good for plants?

Post by Inna S. » Jan 11, 2012, 10:36 am

For indoor plants

The soil for most house flowers is a universal peat-based mixture. It is similar to a plant mixture for seedlings. Therefore, the rate of adding bone meal is the same. For every liter of nutrient soil you will need 1 tablespoon (without a slide) of fertilizer.

Important ! Bone meal should not be used when planting or caring for indoor azaleas. Fertilizing neutralizes the soil reaction, and representatives of the Heather family grow in an acidic environment. For the same reason, this fertilizer is not used when growing the following garden shrubs:

• rhododendrons,
• Erica,
• andromeda,
• blueberries
• heather

Use of blood meal as fertilizer

In addition to helping in the garden, blood meal is also used in animal husbandry

Blood meal is popular among gardeners as a fertilizer not only because of its properties. It has a price lower than other analogues. It is better to feed plants with it in open ground. It is not recommended to use blood meal to feed the soil of indoor plants. This is due to a pronounced unpleasant odor.

Serious mistakes gardeners make when using bone meal

1. Apply fertilizers without first testing the soil.

Gardeners often complain that fertilizing is not beneficial. This happens if the powder is used on alkaline or neutral soils. Calcium, which is contained in flour, changes the pH level towards an increase. In such an environment, beneficial substances do not actually dissolve. To be effective, you need a pH value < 6. Acidity can be determined using litmus paper and a special device. And only after that decide whether it is possible to add bone or fish meal.

Compound

The main part of fishmeal (about 65%) is protein.
The amount of fat and ash, depending on the manufacturer, is included in almost identical quantities (12-15% each), some of the polyunsaturated fatty acids are about 8%, the rest is lysine. The product contains many essential amino acids, fatty acids, vitamins, minerals, micro- and macroelements.

Important! When fishmeal is stored for a long time, it accumulates nitrogen and ammonia compounds, which can cause animal poisoning. Lysine, methionine, tryptophan and threonine represent a series of amino acids

Among the vitamin substances, the largest amounts in the composition are vitamin D, vitamin A and B vitamins.

The main minerals that make up a quality fish product are: calcium, phosphorus and iron

Lysine, methionine, tryptophan and threonine represent a number of amino acids. Among the vitamin substances, the largest amounts in the composition are vitamin D, vitamin A and B vitamins.

The main minerals that make up a quality fish product are: calcium, phosphorus and iron.

In addition, it is worth noting that the finished product contains up to 10% moisture and only 2% raw fiber.

Category: Question - answer

Indoor azaleas and garden shrubs from the Heather family grow in acidic soil.
The addition of bone meal leads to neutralization of the soil, which is harmful to the mentioned plants. Question : I use bone meal several times over the summer, but the harvest does not improve. Why?

Answer:

Bone meal dissolves slowly, so it provides nutrition for a long time. For trees and shrubs, food is sufficient for at least two years. The soil in the garden is fed no more than once a year, either in the spring or in the fall after harvesting.

Exceeding the application rate or frequent fertilizing will harm the plants and negatively affect the fruits.

What's the secret

One day I noticed how she was watering the flowers with some kind of cloudy liquid. As it turned out, it was “meat water” - water left over from defrosted meat. The grandmother said that she regularly waters the plants with this water, and it is thanks to this unique fertilizer that such juicy and rich greens are obtained.

Over time, I also began to get interested in indoor plants and, remembering my grandmother’s method of feeding, I decided to try it. After a couple of months of regular watering with “meat water”, my flowers were unrecognizable - they grew very quickly. Interested in this effect, I decided to figure out why water after meat has such a beneficial effect on vegetation.

Overfeeding

In extreme cases, overfeeding the flower leads to the death of the plant. But even if it does not die, overfeeding negatively affects the health of the plant . Orchids stop blooming, produce fragile flower stalks and grow shoots without buds.

If the Orchid is in terrible condition, it is better to throw it away .

The roots of these plants can also burn and dry out. A plant with such non-viable roots cannot absorb water, so they quickly dry out from dehydration. With excessive feeding, the leaves of thin-leaved Orchids, such as Cymbidium and Miltonia, burn at the tips.

Leaves burned with fertilizer. Photo used as illustration. Source: Yandex.Images

To correct this situation, you need to rinse the pots and substrate with plain water. This is done during watering. But in advanced cases it is necessary to replant the flower.

Supplements and vitamins

Adding Epsom salts enhances flowering.
Photo used as illustration. Source: Yandex.Pictures Epsom salt or magnesium sulfate supplies magnesium for your Orchids. And it has a reputation as a “bloom enhancer.” Some people believe that after using this Epsom salt, Orchids bloom in an incredible way. Magnesium is often found in tap water, but the concentration may not be sufficient. Therefore, you can add one tablespoon of epsom salt to 3-4 liters of water and use this solution when watering.

Nettle: 5 ways to use it in the garden

Any person tries to get around the dense thickets of nettles, because its “bites” are very painful, and after them redness and itching remain for a long time. On the other hand, such an “evil” pungency indicates a high content of biologically active substances that can be of great benefit in the garden, in the variety of home menus and in promoting health.

First, a few words about the plant itself and its basic properties.

Nettle (Urtica) is a genus of annual or perennial herbs, numbering about 40-50 species. On the territory of Russia, perennial stinging nettle (U. dioica) is almost ubiquitous; annual monoecious stinging nettle (U. mens) is somewhat less common. These plants are considered weeds, since they actively grow thanks to creeping rhizomes even in unfavorable conditions (on scree, ruins, forest edges, in ditches, etc.), on almost any type of soil. Nettle belongs to hemicryptophytes (from the Greek hemi - semi- and kryptos - hidden) - a life form of plants in which, during periods unsuitable for vegetation, renewal buds remain at soil level (or slightly above) and are protected by scales, fallen leaves or snow. cover.

Perhaps not many people are familiar with the concept of “hemicryptophytes,” but in practice every summer resident constantly encounters them. In addition to nettles, these are “indestructible” dandelions, creeping tenacious, certain types of buttercups and other herbaceous plants of mid-latitudes.

Nettle thickets are formed in small clumps (“islands”) and can be recognized from afar by the characteristic shape of the leaves (long-pointed with a rounded or heart-shaped base), their large serrated edges and their opposite, that is, opposite each other, arrangement on the stems.

The main natural “weapon” of nettles, which protects the delicate sweetish greenery from animals and insects that would not mind eating it, is the stinging glandular hairs covering the stems and leaves. They contain a caustic liquid (formic acid), which, when it gets into wounds on the skin caused by punctures with the sharp edges of broken hairs, causes a painful burning sensation and sometimes allergic reactions. Formic acid has a pronounced antibacterial effect; in addition, the leaves contain a large amount of useful, biologically active substances. Thanks to these properties, nettle is widely used in amateur gardening and agriculture.

What types of soil is it suitable for?

The use of blood meal on all types of soil is allowed. But it is most suitable for those places where the soil has high acidity levels and a lack of nitrogen. To check the pH of the soil, testing is carried out using test strips or devices.

If there are no such devices, then it is recommended to conduct an external inspection of the plants. With increased acidity, you can observe an increase in:

The more acidic the soil, the greener the weed bushes will be. But the culture will feel bad. Because of this, vegetables and fruit and berry bushes slow down their development and have a limp appearance.

Interesting fact! More accurate results are obtained when conducting a folk test on a handful of land. To do this, it is mixed with chalk and poured into a plastic bottle with water. Instead of a lid, put on a fingertip. Shake and watch for air to appear in the rubber nozzle. The alkaline environment gives a reaction and the fingertip inflates.

How to make your own bone powder

You can easily grind animal bones at home without the use of industrial equipment and without special skills.

Selecting a location

The bones are burned in an open-air area. When burned, raw materials emit an unpleasant odor, so it is not recommended to heat treat them indoors.

How to prepare the bones

Before firing, the bones are cleared of soft tissue. You can scrape them off with a knife or boil the raw material until tender, then the meat and tendons can be easily removed.

After cleaning, make a fire. Firewood from hardwood is used (coniferous is not used, otherwise the finished product acquires a characteristic odor and is impregnated with resin).

Burning

The firewood is placed in a place prepared for the fire and set on fire. They must burn completely because the bones are burned in coals. A layer of bones is laid out on hot coals (large ones are pre-crushed). Cover the top with a layer of wood chips and branches.

After the fire has cooled, the bones are removed. If they crumble easily when pressed, the product is ready. Bone heads are placed in a thin layer in a bag and crushed with a rolling pin.

What bones are suitable for making organic flour?

To prepare phosphorus fertilizer in the form of flour, take the bones of cattle and poultry.

Small and large parts of the skeleton, skull, horns and hooves are suitable for processing. All of them will subsequently be crushed to a fine powder.

From raw bones a powder rich in nitrogen is obtained, and from burnt bones a powder rich in phosphorus is obtained.

In regions close to large bodies of water, fertilizer is prepared from fish skeletons. It is not inferior in quality to cattle bone powder. The technology for preparing fish feed is similar.