How To Add Bone And Blood Meal To Garden

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If you'd like to adjust the nitrogen in your soil without relying on commercial fertilizers, use blood meal. This dried blood powder is a slaughterhouse byproduct that's available to by at garden centers or nurseries. Decide if your plants need a nitrogen boost and then mix the blood meal into the soil or dilute it with water. Apply the blood meal at the start of the growing season so your plants will thrive.

1
Test your soil to see if it needs nitrogen. Buy a simple soil test from your local nursery or garden center and use a sample of soil from your garden or plant container. Follow the test kit instructions to get accurate results. The test will tell you the levels of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium.^[1]
- For example, the test will tell you if there's a surplus of nitrogen, sufficient levels, a deficiency of nitrogen, or if it's completely depleted.
2
See if your vegetable leaves are yellow or wilted. Look at your plant leaves for signs of a nitrogen deficiency. The leaves will look yellow or wilted because they don't have enough nitrogen to make chlorophyll. Plants that use a lot of nitrogen and benefit from blood meal include:^[2]
- Tomatoes
- Peppers
- Radishes
- Onions
- Squash
- Cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, kale, spinach, brussels sprouts)
- Lettuce
- Corn
3
Consider using blood meal as a deterrent for outdoor pests. If rabbits, deer, or small garden pests continue to damage your plants, you can spread a little blood meal directly to the area. Keep in mind that if you sprinkle too much, you'll burn the grass or plants.^[3]
- Blood meal will wash away after a strong rain, so you may need to reapply it occasionally.
- While blood meal may keep plant-eating pests away, it can attract meat-eaters, such as dogs, raccoons, or possums.
4
Buy high-quality blood meal. Purchase USDA approved blood meal from local nurseries, garden centers, or home improvement stores. If you purchase the blood meal online, avoid buying it from countries that have lax laws on meat production because disease can be spread through the blood meal.^[4]
- For example, blood meal can't be imported to the U.S. from Europe because of the threat of Mad Cow disease.
- If you can't find high quality blood meal, consider using alfalfa meal or feather meal instead.

1
Begin applying blood meal in early spring. Leafy vegetables, flowers, and plants can use a lot of nitrogen when they put on most of their growth. To help plants grow, apply the blood meal in spring. Because the plants will use the nitrogen and it will gradually wash away, reapply the blood meal every 2 months during the growing season.^[5]
- Avoid using blood meal year round since overuse can burn the plants or your lawn. Consider switching to a general fertilizer during the rest of the year.
2
Determine how much blood meal you need for your space. Measure the space where you'd like to adjust the soil. Due to blood meal being so concentrated, you'll only need 1 cup for every 20 square feet of soil.^[6]
- For example a small container or window box may only need a few spoonfuls of blood meal while a 100 square feet garden will need 5 cups.
3
Mix the blood meal with soil or water before spreading it. Read the manufacturer's instructions to determine if you need to mix the blood meal into the top few inches of soil. Some instructions may have you dilute the blood meal with water and pour it on the plant or soil.^[7]
- While you can sprinkle a little blood meal on soil to deter animals, always mix or dilute it when adjusting nitrogen levels in your soil.
4
Avoid using blood meal on seedlings or beans and legumes. Although you can apply blood meal to the soil of many plants and vegetables, don't use it on peas, beans, and other legumes. The roots of legumes have bacteria that add nitrogen back into the soil.^[8]
- You should also avoid using blood meal on seedlings.
5
Lower nitrogen in the soil if you've applied too much blood meal. If you accidentally spread too much blood meal, you'll notice that your plants may be growing large leaves, but aren't flowering. To reduce the nitrogen and help the plant recover from nitrogen burn:^[9]
- Remove any dried, discolored leaves from the plant.
- Spread wood mulch around the plant or over the soil.
- Apply bone meal or a phosphorous fertilizer.
- Use water to leach the nitrogen away from the plant or ground.

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Question

How do you use bone meal?

Maggie Moran is a Professional Gardener in Pennsylvania.

Home & Garden Specialist

Expert Answer

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You ideally only want 10 pounds for each 100 square feet of soil. You can add a few tablespoons to the bottom of a dug hole before you plant, which helps jumpstart the nutrients the plant will need.
Question

Which vegetables need bone meal?

Maggie Moran is a Professional Gardener in Pennsylvania.

Home & Garden Specialist

Expert Answer
Question

Is blood meal good for blueberry plants?

Maggie Moran is a Professional Gardener in Pennsylvania.

Home & Garden Specialist

Expert Answer
Question

Is human blood good for plants?

Maggie Moran is a Professional Gardener in Pennsylvania.

Home & Garden Specialist

Expert Answer

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Although the blood of humans does hold some of the most needed nutrients for plants, it may offer too much of them. Not to mention, there are unknown pathogens that can be found in human blood which could lead to issues with the plants.
Question

Should blood meal be watered directly after application?

Yes, you should always water the plants after fertilizing.
Question

What are the application and frequency rates for blood meal?

Assuming you have had your soil tested and your soils pH levels are 6.5 - 7.0 the application rates typically are as follows: If your soil is severely depleted of nitrogen, add blood meal at a rate of 25 lbs per 1,000 sq ft or 1/3 cup per plant. If soil is slightly depleted, add at a rate of 7 lbs per 1,000 sq ft or 1/4 cup per plant. For a normal application add at a rate of 12 lbs per 1,000 sq ft or 1/3 cup per plant. A single application can last up to 6-8 weeks. However, I suggest testing your soil again in about 3 weeks. It is possible that your nitrogen levels are fine but your pH levels may have changed making your soil more acidic.
Question

When is best time for bone meal to be put in the garden?

You should put bone meal in your garden before the flowering stage of your plant, preferably four to 10 centimeters away from the stem.
Question

Would blood meal help if my onion plants are droopy and not growing?

It could, but it sounds like your plants need more sun.
Question

Can blood meal be used for bouganvilla?

Blood and bone meal are great fertilizers for bouganvilla. Just add some kelp powder for potassium.
Question

Would blood meal be good for my blueberry bushes?

Every plant needs nitrogen to grow a strong root system and to bolster its overall health and wellness. With blueberries, you will want the pH level of the soil to be very acidic (in the 4.0-5.0 range). Blueberries thrive in acidic soils. Before making any adjustments to the soil, have it tested. If amendments are needed, make them and retest in two to three weeks, always adjusting the pH first and getting it to the desired level prior to adjusting the soil for nitrogen, phosphorus and sodium.

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Only use blood meal if you can keep it away from your pets. If dogs and cats eat blood meal, they may experience vomiting, diarrhea, and pancreatitis. Contact the vet immediately if you suspect your pet has eaten blood meal.^[10]

Things You'll Need

Soil testing kit
Blood meal
Garden soil

About This Article

Article SummaryX

To use blood meal, start by using a soil testing kit, or checking if your vegetable leaves are yellow or wilted to tell whether your soil needs nitrogen. If you determine that your soil needs nitrogen, buy a high-quality blood meal that's USDA approved. Next, begin applying the blood meal in early spring and reapply every 2 months during the growing season. In order to figure out how much blood meal you'll need, measure the space where you'd like to use it, and use 1 cup of blood meal for every 20 square feet of soil. For more tips from our Horticultural reviewer, including when to avoid using blood meal, keep reading!

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