Bone meal powder is a organic fertilizer derived from the bones of animals such as cows, although other animals slaughtered can also be used to prepare the fertilizer.
It is a steamed meal in powder form because the animal bones are ground.
For many centuries, it has been used by farmers as a nutritional plant supplements. Even today, using it as plant fertilizer is widespread.
Also, the meal has been used to feed animals as an additive to their feeds. However, it is questioned by people who are concerned about food safety as it can post threats such as spongiform diseases like the bovine spongiform encephalitis.
As a organic fertilizer, bone meal for plants is slow in its release, particularly the phosphorous, which is abundant in the meal.
Its NPK ratio is normally 4-12-0, but there are also steamed bone meals with 1-13-0 ratio. The phosphorous is an important nutrient in plants especially the flowering plants such as Roses, Bulbs, Tulips, Hyacinths and Daffodils because it makes the blooms plentiful and large.
Besides the phosphorous, the bone meal is also a rich source of calcium.
Calcium plays an important role in root development of plants, its growing points or areas of quick dividing cells like the tips of stems branches. A plant deficient of calcium has bulbous, thick and short rootsBecause the pace of releasing the nutrients is rather slow, bone meal powder makes an excellent natural time-release fertilizer classically employed to prepare the soil for planting.
Generally, gardeners rake the bone meal fertilizer into the soil, or layered into a hole previously prepared for transplanting.
For growing bulbs, the bone meal fertilizer is used to provide nutrients essential in healthy growth.
There are conventional and organic bone meal powder available in the markets today. The organic bones come from slaughterhouses which handle only organic meat.
There are also manufacturers of such meals that include additional vitamins and minerals to augment its quality.
The additional vitamins and minerals are usually indicated on the label so gardeners would know which product to choose for their respective needs.
Bone meals vary in texture. Some are coarse, while others are fine. Bones that are finely ground are quick in breaking down and releasing the nutrients.
Bones that are coarsely ground are slow in its release because it is also slow in breaking down.
Gardeners can also prepare their own bone meal and customize the texture to meet their requirements. It is done by crushing and cracking bones, and scattering them onto the garden.
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