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ivory meal is an all - natural fertilizer and a valuable tool that every gardener should keep in their potting shed . It ’s an splendid source of calcium and phosphorus and can provide these essential nutrients to your plants without burning their origin as harsher chemical fertilizers might . But , like any other plant food , there are some disadvantages of pearl repast that you should be mindful of before using it to eat the flora in your garden .
use pearl meal to grease that are already rich in calcium and atomic number 15 can blockade root word growth . ivory repast can modify the pH of the grease , and is n’t absorbable when the pH is above 7 . Additionally , bone meal can be harmful when inhaled , and it is not a vegan or vegetarian - friendly fertilizer .
What is bone meal?
A byproduct of the heart and soul manufacture , bone meal is typically made from boeuf bones . The bones are steamed to sterilize them , then run aground into a all right powder . The powder is then sell loose or in a pelleted form , for well-heeled fertilization .
pearl meal is bioavailable , mean it ’s highly absorbable for your industrial plant . It ’s easy for them to use . So if your plant are present signs of calcium insufficiency with curling leave and brown and yellow spot , off-white meal can serve build up their horizontal surface of this worthful mineral .
os meal is also an fantabulous source of phosphoric . If your plants are rise crimson stems with dark gray , green , or even blue foliage — especially if those leaves are dry and stiff — these are all signs that they ’re humbled on phosphoric . off-white meal is a fantastic all - natural way to combat these symptoms and get your plants healthy again .
7 Disadvantages of bone meal
Bone repast is free of any harsh chemical , which create it an likeable option for backyard gardeners who like to keep thing as organic as possible . But as great as it is , there are some disadvantages of os repast . So , what are these drawback , and how can they touch on your plant ? Let ’s take a look at the 7 major disadvantages of using off-white meal as a fertilizer .
Bone meal can be harmful when inhaled
Bone meal is secure to do by . You wo n’t overtake mad cow disease from it . However , because it ’s such a fine debris , it gets stirred up easy . You have to be deliberate when put on it because it can irritate your lungs if inhaled . While you should always wear down goggles , a mask , and glove when apply fertilizers , this is especially true for ivory repast .
to boot , because bone meal is made from animal bones , it ’s not exactly vegetarian - friendly . So if you ’re attached to living a vegan life-style , this is n’t the ripe fertilizer for you .
Bone meal is ineffective in alkaline soils
territory that have a pH of 7 or higher are alkaline , and alkaline soils bind Ca and P , rendering them unusable . append osseous tissue repast to these grease has no welfare , as it ’s almost impossible for the plants to take in any of the food .
In club to successfully apply bone repast as a fertilizer in alkaline soils , the pH must first be lowered . Only after making the soil more acidic with sulfur , peat moss , or cottonseed repast , will your plants be able to benefit from the bone meal . This add an extra step , which means more labor and higher costs . Ultimately , if the soil in your garden has a high pH scale , using bone repast as a fertilizer would be a waste of meter and money .
Bone meal can raise your soil’s pH over time
When used in acid ground , the food in bone meal are released quickly and readily to help support your plants in a twinkling . But if you use bone meal to fecundate your plants annually , beware . Bone repast can raise the pH of your filth over time , exchange its properties and making it more alkaline .
Bone repast ’s pH - altering core wo n’t hap overnight . So if you ’re actively trying to raise your garden ground ’s pH , you ’re good off using oyster shell lime or plain old baking pop . These amendments work quickly to make your soil more alkaline .
Bone meal can attract animal pests to your garden
When you apply pearl meal as a fertilizer for the plants in your garden , you execute the risk of inviting all sort of fauna in . Domestic cats and dogs like to chew on bone , and if they smack bone repast , they may flock to your vegetable plot of land . But other carnivorous creature may be inclined to check things out , too . Bobcats , coyote , and squirrels can make pain in the neck of themselves , dig up your crops just to get a taste of the pearl meal .
Now , off-white repast can be an in force way of life to keep rabbits off of your veg maculation . roue repast , too , as rabbit are prey animals and will point clear of any area where they recall predators have been lurking .
But some other animal that we traditionally think of as herbivore can be attract to bone meal . For representative , deer have been know to wear away on boneswhen their diets are deficient in atomic number 20 and other mineral . So keep bone meal out of your garden if you want to keep these pesky critters at bay ( homemade Dawn dish soap deer repellentcan facilitate keep deer out of your garden , too ! ) .
Bone meal that is sold as plant fertilizer is not pet safe
While bone repast plant fertilizers can test to be extremely palatable to cats and dogs , they are not dependable for pet to consume . Even though bone meal is an all - raw fertilizer , most commercially available os meals have been designed with flora in mind . They may check gamey level of N than are safe for pets to take .
you’re able to purchase food - grade bone repast , which exploit just as well for plants and is safe for animal to down . However , food - grad bone meal is much more expensive than plant - grade . So much so that , unless you ’re only going to bung a couple of potted plants , it ’s not even deserving conceive .
Bone meal can hinder root development
If you ’ve used off-white repast in the yesteryear with heavy winner , but now , it seems like your flora are n’t react to it at all , it ’s potential that you ’ve over - utilize it . Using pearl repast to a fault , or applying it to alkaline soils , can obstruct your garden ’s performance .
Bone meal releases phosphoric for 4 month after it ’s applied . While phosphoric is necessary for flora health , high concentrations of this mineral can sternly trammel root development . Too much phosphorous can make it difficult for plant to immerse nitrogen , leading to symptom of nitrogen deficiency , include pallid leafy vegetable , yellowing grownup leaves as well as insufficient foliage product .
Bone meal can pollute groundwater
Another downside to extravagant phosphorous is that itcan pollute groundwater . Lakes , pond , river , and streams feel the punch when the surround soil levels are plenteous in phosphorous . As the soil erodes from wind and rain , the phosphoric attain its way into these waterway , where it lead to eutrophication — a burst in phytoplankton productivity that leads to a surge in algae increase .
While algae can benefit the environment byproducing huge quantity of oxygen , it can also contaminate the water provision for stock , wildlife , and humans . This is one of the major disadvantages of using bone meal as a natural fertilizer for your garden . And while a few applications of os meal are n’t potential to do much damage , using this substance repeatedly over time can have a damaging effect on your local ecosystem .
Which fertilizers should you use instead of bone meal?
If you ’ve make up one’s mind that os repast is n’t the right fertiliser for your garden , you may be inquire what you could apply to amend the stain . Here are a few cracking alternative to pearl meal that will give your plants everything they require to stay hefty .
Sea minerals
If you have nutrient - poor soil and you desire to make certain your plants are bring forth the minerals they need to prosper , use sea minerals . Another natural fertiliser , sea mineral contain all 90 naturally - occur mineral to support plant development . These mineral help in enzymatic role to support the various aspects of industrial plant health , including photosynthesis and resistant function .
Coffee grounds
If your dirt is nitrogen deficient , osseous tissue meal will do very small to doctor it . While it does hold some nitrogen , it ’s not enough to help . deep brown ground , on the other hired hand , can be saved and brewed into a tea to use to water your plant . Coffee tea is an fantabulous root of nitrogen , perfect for plants with lusterless foliation that need a firm perk - me - up . burnt umber dry land are especially pop forfeeding roses , so conceive using them as a fertilizer for your blossom instead of ivory meal .
Manure
Cheap and easy to descend by ( especially if you raise livestock),manureworks well as an all - purpose fertilizer for lawn and gardens . Manure is rich in phosphorous , potassium , and nitrogen . While you should be heedful to keep manure aside from groundwater , it can safely be used in raised bed . Always utilise aged manure as unused manure contains high-pitched nitrogen grade that can kill plants .
Eggshells
Like bone meal , eggshell are a neat rootage of phosphorous and calcium , but they ’re also vegetarian - friendly . Simply wash , dry , and freeze your eggshell until you have about a quart - sized Ziploc bag full of them . Then , pulverize them in a java grinder or liquidiser to plow them into a okay powder to sprinkle around your plants . And because eggshells are n’t as tasty as bones , you may expect fewer four - legged visitors to your garden .
Soybean meal
Soybean meal is an ideal plant food for vegan gardeners . This plant - base plant food provide your garden with a firm supply of N and phosphoric as the soy themselves degrade over time . alas , soybean meal can curb the germination of small cum , like lettuce , turnips , and collard leafy vegetable . So forefend using this all - raw fertilizer when sowing newfangled crops in your garden .
Check out our preferred soybean meal plant food !
Compost
Most soils benefit from compost . With a 1:1 ratio of brown matter ( include cardboard , composition , and eggshell cartons ) and unripened matter ( including fresh lawn trimmings , fruit peels , and overripe vegetable ) , compost take all of the vitamins and minerals that your plant need to thrive . you could get down your own compost cumulus today — and if you have a small backyard , you could still aid your plants bycomposting in a 5 - congius bucket . Compost give way down slow , yield your plants a gradual release of nutrients to keep them grow well for month .
Is bone meal a good fertilizer?
Like everything else , there ’s a clip and a place for bone meal . If you have Ca and phosphorous deficient territory , if your soil has a humble pH scale , and if you ’re okay with using animal ware , bone meal could be the arrant fertilizer for your want . But if your soils are alkaline and nutrient - rich , and if you just would n’t feel right about using animal mathematical product in your garden , there ’s an all - natural relief out there that will work much well for you .
Overall , ivory meal is a great thing to have on hired hand . But have your territory test regularly so you understand its physical composition . This will allow you to opt the best fertilizers possible time of year after season .
