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Liquefying Dry Bone Meal? 6/5 Update
- Thread starter Roguejim
- Start date
digest it in acid!
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thats how they were proposing to do radioneuclide testing on ro cartriges for radium abatement...
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thats how they were proposing to do radioneuclide testing on ro cartriges for radium abatement...
ÂRoguejim said:
I remember reading an article a while back that said a percentage of bone meal is immediately available.
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One thing I did when I used it was to spread it earlier than everything else, well before plant out. Give it time to break down. Blood meal got spread a week or two before plant out but the bone meal was a month or two before.
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If you acidify it then to seems me you deprive the fungi the chance to do it and trade with the plants. Either way if your soil is below pH 7 the finer particles are acidified pretty quickly anyway...hence, a percentage of it is immediately available.
I put the question to the Oregon State University Extension Service. Struck out. I'll post the reply anyway. There has to be someone who could give a definitive answer, no?
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Here's the response to your question:
After checking several scientific sources, I can find no information on liquefying bone meal. And nothing that tells me what the effects on plants would be or what ratio you should use. Many gardeners use powdered bone meal when planting individual plants such as tomatoes, peppers and eggplants. Since bone meal liquefies when mixed in water, my assumption would be to put the bone meal in the bottom of the planting hole, add whatever other amendments you want to use, then cover with a thin layer of soil. Plant your plant, backfill, then water well. The bone meal should liquefy and be available to the roots when they start reaching out. OSU puts out a publication about fertilizing, when and how much at this link http://extension.oregonstate.edu/lane/sites/default/files/documents/ec1503_0.pdf:
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Here's the response to your question:
After checking several scientific sources, I can find no information on liquefying bone meal. And nothing that tells me what the effects on plants would be or what ratio you should use. Many gardeners use powdered bone meal when planting individual plants such as tomatoes, peppers and eggplants. Since bone meal liquefies when mixed in water, my assumption would be to put the bone meal in the bottom of the planting hole, add whatever other amendments you want to use, then cover with a thin layer of soil. Plant your plant, backfill, then water well. The bone meal should liquefy and be available to the roots when they start reaching out. OSU puts out a publication about fertilizing, when and how much at this link http://extension.oregonstate.edu/lane/sites/default/files/documents/ec1503_0.pdf:
calcium nitrate yo.
The point of it not being so available is that's usually better. That gives plants a continuous dose over time as it breaks down without your having to keep adding more, without it washing away from excess watering/rain, and with much less chance of an overdose.
Have your soil ready before transplant, it's cheaper as well as less laborious than watering in special liquid fertilizers later.
Have your soil ready before transplant, it's cheaper as well as less laborious than watering in special liquid fertilizers later.
Final email from OSU Extension.
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Here's the response to your question:
This non-scientific source offers some advice on how to liquefy bone meal. Go to the end of the article: http://homeguides.sfgate.com/make-liquid-bone-meal-fertilizer-40172.html It does not offer advice on what concentration to use. I see that liquid bone meal is offered for sale by commercial sources to be used as a foliar spray.
The University of Minnesota extension explains about a phosphorus fertilizer:
"Should I Use Liquid or Dry? The utilization of P by plants is not affected by the liquid or dry property of the fertilizer. Plant nutrient use in both liquid and dry fertilizers is affected by such factors as method of application, crop and root growth characteristics, soil test levels, and climatic conditions. The amount of water in a fluid fertilizer is insignificant compared to the water already present in the soils. Therefore, P in liquid P sources is not more available than P in dry materials — even in a dry year."
I wish I could be more definite in my answer, but I have to rely on scientific evidence rather than commercial sources, and I am not finding anything that suggests liquid bone meal is more effective than dry.
-Sharon, Master Gardener
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Here's the response to your question:
This non-scientific source offers some advice on how to liquefy bone meal. Go to the end of the article: http://homeguides.sfgate.com/make-liquid-bone-meal-fertilizer-40172.html It does not offer advice on what concentration to use. I see that liquid bone meal is offered for sale by commercial sources to be used as a foliar spray.
The University of Minnesota extension explains about a phosphorus fertilizer:
"Should I Use Liquid or Dry? The utilization of P by plants is not affected by the liquid or dry property of the fertilizer. Plant nutrient use in both liquid and dry fertilizers is affected by such factors as method of application, crop and root growth characteristics, soil test levels, and climatic conditions. The amount of water in a fluid fertilizer is insignificant compared to the water already present in the soils. Therefore, P in liquid P sources is not more available than P in dry materials — even in a dry year."
I wish I could be more definite in my answer, but I have to rely on scientific evidence rather than commercial sources, and I am not finding anything that suggests liquid bone meal is more effective than dry.
-Sharon, Master Gardener
Yes it's ground finer, smaller particles break down faster into soluble salts, though whether that is necessary or even an overdose depends on how much you applied and soil pH.
Generally speaking the dry/coarser is cheaper to use and you just use more of it for the same nutrient maintenance at that level for longer since it does break down slower.
If you break it down with acid before application you'd want a complete reaction to the point where the resulting pH is close to neutral so no pH effect on soil fungus or bacteria, but then you'd have swings between too much at time of application and too little right before the next application unless you're a maniac about it and mix a tiny bit into the water on a regular basis, which is a lot of work compared to just using dry as directed once and being done.
Generally speaking the dry/coarser is cheaper to use and you just use more of it for the same nutrient maintenance at that level for longer since it does break down slower.
If you break it down with acid before application you'd want a complete reaction to the point where the resulting pH is close to neutral so no pH effect on soil fungus or bacteria, but then you'd have swings between too much at time of application and too little right before the next application unless you're a maniac about it and mix a tiny bit into the water on a regular basis, which is a lot of work compared to just using dry as directed once and being done.