Tell me about bone and blood meal

Silky T

Well-Known Member
I'm getting really confused. On one of my first trips to the garden center, I bought some bone and blood meals because I had read something on a recent post, but couldn't remember what it was. Now I can't find it. I haven't used it yet because there are so many do's and don'ts. Can anyone help?
 

dannyboy602

Well-Known Member
Its a N fix for ur plants. Its really, really strong and needs to be used with caution. I don't use it anymore bc it caused too many claw issues.
 

Silky T

Well-Known Member
Its a N fix for ur plants. Its really, really strong and needs to be used with caution. I don't use it anymore bc it caused too many claw issues.
I love your avatar, I'm a cat person. I have, like 6 inside and 20+ outside (they just come for meals then go back to wherever they came from).

About the bone and blood. Yep, not using it either, unless I see the results of someone using it verses not using it when it comes to "fixing a plant". Thanks!
 

qwizoking

Well-Known Member
Its a hard topic. Ill tell you part of some mixes ive used and why..it all really depends on growing style and strains, what you already have.. I mainly grow landrace sativas that can be mag and mo hungry sensitive to n and i push my plants very hard.
No nute company makes the exact mix you need, adding each component individually is easiest once you get the feel for growing and the plants response..

Well first it smells glorious. I like to smell my dirt. Yea im serious

But also blood and bone meal is filled with micro goodies. theres n and calcium, phosphorus iron etc the components of blood and bone obviously, but dont forget all the hormones auxins aminos and proteins, things coming from animals hard to find elsewhere. Nute ratios do effect burn qualities and higher pk ratios are good for terpene and bud production, calcium gives a whiter flakey ash and slows burn, p expands when hot giving a more efficient burn, chlorinated and ammonical nutes dont like to burn very good as does alot of sulphur but that goes too much into it.
If i only used 1 nute through the grow and added to my soil it would be bone meal. Green sand or epson would be close second.

I always reuse my soil and the root ball from the last crop is always left, the root hairs are really wonderful and fantastic for your rhizosphere secreting all kinds of yummies up to 2 years(so they say, I feel more like 6months to a year) they also loosen it up a bit like super coir. I add everything from the previous harvest to keep the soil texture how I like, organic matter is important with the predominantly "soiless" mix i start with. I add the stems and all fan leaves from harvest.. I like to add a little bone meal, it raises the ph slightly and gives a bit of calcium. I have pretty clean tap water.. I also add black ash(biochar) not fully burnt from my ashtray as well..I like to feed every watering, low ratios to keep everything easy and low maintenance, most everything automated. and allowed to with the higher ph or buffering capacity.. together this increases water/nute retention while being very airy with great drainage.
I like a bit of molasses 1/4tsp or less
The molasses is great chelating metals that might not be absorbed to easily in my alkaline soil and is also filled with goodies

Im not one to focus on organic or chem, i typically grow with a combination. As it really means nothing
 
Last edited:

Silky T

Well-Known Member
Its a hard topic. Ill tell you part of some mixes ive used and why..it all really depends on growing style and strains, what you already have.. I mainly grow landrace sativas that can be mag and mo hungry sensitive to n and i push my plants very hard.
No nute company makes the exact mix you need, adding each component individually is easiest once you get the feel for growing and the plants response..

Well first it smells glorious. I like to smell my dirt. Yea im serious

But also blood and bone meal is filled with micro goodies. theres n and calcium, phosphorus iron etc the components of blood and bone obviously, but dont forget all the hormones auxins aminos and proteins, things coming from animals hard to find elsewhere. Nute ratios do effect burn qualities and higher pk ratios are good for terpene and bud production, calcium gives a whiter flakey ash and slows burn, p expands when hot giving a more efficient burn, chlorinated and ammonical nutes dont like to burn very good as does alot of sulphur but that goes too much into it.
If i only used 1 nute through the grow and added to my soil it would be bone meal. Green sand or epson would be close second.

I always reuse my soil and the root ball from the last crop is always left, the root hairs are really wonderful and fantastic for your rhizosphere secreting all kinds of yummies up to 2 years(so they say, I feel more like 6months to a year) they also loosen it up a bit like super coir. I add everything from the previous harvest to keep the soil texture how I like, organic matter is important with the predominantly "soiless" mix i start with. I add the stems and all fan leaves from harvest.. I like to add a little bone meal, it raises the ph slightly and gives a bit of calcium. I have pretty clean tap water.. I also add black ash(biochar) not fully burnt from my ashtray as well..I like to feed every watering, low ratios to keep everything easy and low maintenance, most everything automated. and allowed to with the higher ph or buffering capacity.. together this increases water/nute retention while being very airy with great drainage.
I like a bit of molasses 1/4tsp or less
The molasses is great chelating metals that might not be absorbed to easily in my alkaline soil and is also filled with goodies

Im not one to focus on organic or chem, i typically grow with a combination. As it really means nothing
You actually use ashes from your ash tray? I don't quite understand what you mean by "I also add black ash(biochar) not fully burnt from my ashtray as well" what is biochar and what do you mean by "not fully burnt""? How much bone meal per cup of soil? My directions say to use 2.5 cups of bone meal per 25 feet of space. That's hard to figure when making a mix in cups for a small indoor grow.
 

dannyboy602

Well-Known Member
Cigarette ashes contain heavy metals and most of the additives used during manufacture...not a good idea.
 

qwizoking

Well-Known Member
I listed the soil amendment biochar
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biochar
So you would better understand the purpose.
As you smoke your herb your left with black carbon, especially if in an anaerobic environment. If you keep your lighter to the bowl the carbon burns away and your left with white ash..which is actually quite literally the nutrients left over that dont burn. If you get into organics it leads to sustainable agriculture..
(I dont smoke cigs)
But phenols present in ash and trichomes will remain present in the soil for a few years. This biochar is a great source of carbon (c/n ratios eventually become more important)

The ash..really its not ash..but yea, is a great amendment especially soil tilth and moisture holding qualities, but is filled with potash and calmag and does raise ph. The soil holds more water, nutes and microbes. Like the roots and bone meal there are hormones present that effect the plant.
 

Silky T

Well-Known Member
I listed the soil amendment biochar
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biochar
So you would better understand the purpose.
As you smoke your herb your left with black carbon, especially if in an anaerobic environment. If you keep your lighter to the bowl the carbon burns away and your left with white ash..which is actually quite literally the nutrients left over that dont burn. If you get into organics it leads to sustainable agriculture..
(I dont smoke cigs)
But phenols present in ash and trichomes will remain present in the soil for a few years. This biochar is a great source of carbon (c/n ratios eventually become more important)

The ash..really its not ash..but yea, is a great amendment especially soil tilth and moisture holding qualities, but is filled with potash and calmag and does raise ph. The soil holds more water, nutes and microbes. Like the roots and bone meal there are hormones present that effect the plant.
This is waaay over my head. I've never grown indoors before and since the soil is black here in my neck of the woods and my back yard looked like the Amazon if not kept at bay, I simply planted my seedlings in the ground on April Fool's day, talked to them for four months while watering with the water hose and adding a little MG here and there and by October 31, when I whack them (usually 2) down, they're good to go and nice weed. I usually get a half pound per plant. Outside is so much more simple. But I lost the house in December when CL husband had stroke in November. I'm at mom's now and having to grow in my bedroom under stealth conditions. It's definitely keeping my mind off my troubles but it's giving me a whole other set of stressers. I love it tho.
 

qwizoking

Well-Known Member
Alright cool. I have a better idea where your at.
Yea i grew for many years on my ranch in west tx. Had about 1000 acres burn down, fairly common. But i would grow sativas in that soil start to finish without watering or adding nutes. Its great outdoors. Well it has its good points. That ash though increased nute retention and water holding properties being fairly porous. anyway...
I moved indoors a couple years back and quickly exploded.
I took some of my posts back from 2013 when i was doing more mg...

I like the organic and the african violet...50:50 dirt to perlite works great, But the ph is a bit high with the water I use, which is just over 7...i use their bloom booster in veg and flower. It has a good ratio of nutes throughout the stages of maturity...and all (16)the micro nutes etc expensive brands have etc...except magnesium..but my sativas are sensitive and hungry for certain things in different ratios than indica..

Well the av has a lot of n so I like to start with that and then add the bloom booster as it fades.. the AV can burn though so I started using the organic at the same ratio..the organic lacks the lime and I don't have to lower the ph as well.. I try out a lot of things.. I still use the av and I use the organic..I haven't decided which to drop :/ im somewhat indecisive.....in any case I do the 50:50 ratio....i did use this outdoors as well, I'm a pretty new indoor grower... but I hate the seed starting mix with a passion...throwing that out there..

Right now I'm running organic mg with perlite and I add some bone meal and mag, i also mix in the rootball of last crop...acts like coco......
I didn't want to give a premature answer... I have determined that the seed starter mix I have purchased ( being partial to mg i wasnt sure if it was a bad batch) is pure silt. Blow in the bag and you got a smoke bomb. This has been my experience.. it seems to cause watering issues clumping creating dry spots and impermeable poop.. my troubles haven't been so much nute related as just the quality of the soil

I find this contrast between the "woody" African violet soil and the silty seed starter to be the issue
Peace


I really like miracle grow bloom booster with the addition of Epson salt for more mag and sulphur on my hungry sativas. I like a little bit of molasses to supply the possibly unavailable iron or other metals also, the metals especially insoluble in an alkaline soil as described..proper organic grows have more in them, now you see c/n ratios, amount of organic matter and humus. Plus composting and making nutes useable. Composting sucks n while its working. Must cure first..providing fuel for bacteria and crap. And you will begin to dive into sustainable gardening, preventing soil compaction and reusing your soil..... i end up running a sort of organic hydro...

I used this for ever. Super cheap. Works great.
Per gallon of water feeding every watering....just under half tsp miracle grow bloom booster, pinch or 1/8tsp or just under Epson salt and a bit of molasses 1/4tsp (every other watering)
The molasses is great helping metals that might not be absorbed to easily in my alkaline soil become soluble
It also gives me some extra potassium, some of my plants are k hungry and I mainly give them the molasses every water(drop the Epson on those, extra molasses takes care of it)
I have a myriad of grows going on all different mixes and mediums .. I use that fertilizer mix for all but the true organic..


The soil is just as important as nutes
I get great results using mg African violet soil mixed equal parts with mg perlite but some extra organic matter will do wonders. When pushing your plants youll like the extra moisture and less fluctuations. great as a base and what i ended up keeping ..the organic miracle grow does not have time released nute balls if that's a concern for you and is a nice substitute.....

I hope i didnt complicate the mix and recipe too much. its easy
 

ÉsÇ420PoT™

Well-Known Member
Bro... My soil in my area is so much damn clay it's growth is super slow.. I tried a seedling once just to see, and in 1 month it looked like 2 weeks... If it's your first time, get premixed soil, or, soiless mix and water with nutrients via watering. Mixing your own soil takes years of learning and experience. I would really recommend buying some fox farm ocean forest, or fox farm happy frog from amazon... You can get more than enough for an indoor grow for like 30 -60 bucks
 

Silky T

Well-Known Member
Alright cool. I have a better idea where your at.
Yea i grew for many years on my ranch in west tx. Had about 1000 acres burn down, fairly common. But i would grow sativas in that soil start to finish without watering or adding nutes. Its great outdoors. Well it has its good points. That ash though increased nute retention and water holding properties being fairly porous. anyway...
I moved indoors a couple years back and quickly exploded.
I took some of my posts back from 2013 when i was doing more mg...

I like the organic and the african violet...50:50 dirt to perlite works great, But the ph is a bit high with the water I use, which is just over 7...i use their bloom booster in veg and flower. It has a good ratio of nutes throughout the stages of maturity...and all (16)the micro nutes etc expensive brands have etc...except magnesium..but my sativas are sensitive and hungry for certain things in different ratios than indica..

Well the av has a lot of n so I like to start with that and then add the bloom booster as it fades.. the AV can burn though so I started using the organic at the same ratio..the organic lacks the lime and I don't have to lower the ph as well.. I try out a lot of things.. I still use the av and I use the organic..I haven't decided which to drop :/ im somewhat indecisive.....in any case I do the 50:50 ratio....i did use this outdoors as well, I'm a pretty new indoor grower... but I hate the seed starting mix with a passion...throwing that out there..

Right now I'm running organic mg with perlite and I add some bone meal and mag, i also mix in the rootball of last crop...acts like coco......
I didn't want to give a premature answer... I have determined that the seed starter mix I have purchased ( being partial to mg i wasnt sure if it was a bad batch) is pure silt. Blow in the bag and you got a smoke bomb. This has been my experience.. it seems to cause watering issues clumping creating dry spots and impermeable poop.. my troubles haven't been so much nute related as just the quality of the soil

I find this contrast between the "woody" African violet soil and the silty seed starter to be the issue
Peace


I really like miracle grow bloom booster with the addition of Epson salt for more mag and sulphur on my hungry sativas. I like a little bit of molasses to supply the possibly unavailable iron or other metals also, the metals especially insoluble in an alkaline soil as described..proper organic grows have more in them, now you see c/n ratios, amount of organic matter and humus. Plus composting and making nutes useable. Composting sucks n while its working. Must cure first..providing fuel for bacteria and crap. And you will begin to dive into sustainable gardening, preventing soil compaction and reusing your soil..... i end up running a sort of organic hydro...

I used this for ever. Super cheap. Works great.
Per gallon of water feeding every watering....just under half tsp miracle grow bloom booster, pinch or 1/8tsp or just under Epson salt and a bit of molasses 1/4tsp (every other watering)
The molasses is great helping metals that might not be absorbed to easily in my alkaline soil become soluble
It also gives me some extra potassium, some of my plants are k hungry and I mainly give them the molasses every water(drop the Epson on those, extra molasses takes care of it)
I have a myriad of grows going on all different mixes and mediums .. I use that fertilizer mix for all but the true organic..


The soil is just as important as nutes
I get great results using mg African violet soil mixed equal parts with mg perlite but some extra organic matter will do wonders. When pushing your plants youll like the extra moisture and less fluctuations. great as a base and what i ended up keeping ..the organic miracle grow does not have time released nute balls if that's a concern for you and is a nice substitute.....

I hope i didnt complicate the mix and recipe too much. its easy
Alright cool. I have a better idea where your at.
Yea i grew for many years on my ranch in west tx. Had about 1000 acres burn down, fairly common. But i would grow sativas in that soil start to finish without watering or adding nutes. Its great outdoors. Well it has its good points. That ash though increased nute retention and water holding properties being fairly porous. anyway...
I moved indoors a couple years back and quickly exploded.
I took some of my posts back from 2013 when i was doing more mg...

I like the organic and the african violet...50:50 dirt to perlite works great, But the ph is a bit high with the water I use, which is just over 7...i use their bloom booster in veg and flower. It has a good ratio of nutes throughout the stages of maturity...and all (16)the micro nutes etc expensive brands have etc...except magnesium..but my sativas are sensitive and hungry for certain things in different ratios than indica..

Well the av has a lot of n so I like to start with that and then add the bloom booster as it fades.. the AV can burn though so I started using the organic at the same ratio..the organic lacks the lime and I don't have to lower the ph as well.. I try out a lot of things.. I still use the av and I use the organic..I haven't decided which to drop :/ im somewhat indecisive.....in any case I do the 50:50 ratio....i did use this outdoors as well, I'm a pretty new indoor grower... but I hate the seed starting mix with a passion...throwing that out there..

Right now I'm running organic mg with perlite and I add some bone meal and mag, i also mix in the rootball of last crop...acts like coco......
I didn't want to give a premature answer... I have determined that the seed starter mix I have purchased ( being partial to mg i wasnt sure if it was a bad batch) is pure silt. Blow in the bag and you got a smoke bomb. This has been my experience.. it seems to cause watering issues clumping creating dry spots and impermeable poop.. my troubles haven't been so much nute related as just the quality of the soil

I find this contrast between the "woody" African violet soil and the silty seed starter to be the issue
Peace


I really like miracle grow bloom booster with the addition of Epson salt for more mag and sulphur on my hungry sativas. I like a little bit of molasses to supply the possibly unavailable iron or other metals also, the metals especially insoluble in an alkaline soil as described..proper organic grows have more in them, now you see c/n ratios, amount of organic matter and humus. Plus composting and making nutes useable. Composting sucks n while its working. Must cure first..providing fuel for bacteria and crap. And you will begin to dive into sustainable gardening, preventing soil compaction and reusing your soil..... i end up running a sort of organic hydro...

I used this for ever. Super cheap. Works great.
Per gallon of water feeding every watering....just under half tsp miracle grow bloom booster, pinch or 1/8tsp or just under Epson salt and a bit of molasses 1/4tsp (every other watering)
The molasses is great helping metals that might not be absorbed to easily in my alkaline soil become soluble
It also gives me some extra potassium, some of my plants are k hungry and I mainly give them the molasses every water(drop the Epson on those, extra molasses takes care of it)
I have a myriad of grows going on all different mixes and mediums .. I use that fertilizer mix for all but the true organic..


The soil is just as important as nutes
I get great results using mg African violet soil mixed equal parts with mg perlite but some extra organic matter will do wonders. When pushing your plants youll like the extra moisture and less fluctuations. great as a base and what i ended up keeping ..the organic miracle grow does not have time released nute balls if that's a concern for you and is a nice substitute.....

I hope i didnt complicate the mix and recipe too much. its easy
Oh, not complicated at all. Yea, right! Thank God I don't have a photographic memory because if I did my mind would fry from conflicts! I would have to partition out my brain by the person's name, then it would work. There are sooooo many different ways to do things! Yikes!

I'm typing my response in Word because I keep deleting what I type. I type like 100 wpm and if I don't watch it, I will hit a combination of keys and delete it every time. This just started happening and it's really PISSSSING ME OFF!
 

growone

Well-Known Member
here's a simple guide
1-2 tablespoons of bone meal per gallon of soil
you probably can go higher, it's a slow release type of nutrient
 

Silky T

Well-Known Member
here's a simple guide
1-2 tablespoons of bone meal per gallon of soil
you probably can go higher, it's a slow release type of nutrient
That's what I needed for my small grow and KISS attitude with the plants. Is it ALWAYS necessary to let the soil "cool off" before I put it in the plant or when transplanting to new pot? If I go less than what you just wrote, can I get away with it? I'm asking because I have 2 plants that need transplanting today. I know it's hard to anwer that question, but I promise I won't blame anyone but myself if I screw this up. Thanks!
 

Silky T

Well-Known Member
Can anyone tell me what Epsom salts is for? I forgot to put that one in when I created this thread. I"m making a soil/compost mixture and would like to know what you use Epsom salts for. I noticed on the bag that it said 3-400 mg of mag. Wow, it's loaded! Thanks.
 
Last edited:

growone

Well-Known Member
That's what I needed for my small grow and KISS attitude with the plants. Is it ALWAYS necessary to let the soil "cool off" before I put it in the plant or when transplanting to new pot? If I go less than what you just wrote, can I get away with it? I'm asking because I have 2 plants that need transplanting today. I know it's hard to anwer that question, but I promise I won't blame anyone but myself if I screw this up. Thanks!
not always needed to let soil "cool', depends on additions
raw manure is hot, other things, add them and the soil must be left to compost for a while
bone meal won't make your soil hot if added in reasonable amounts, like the 1-2 tbsp per gallon
i'm not a fan of epsom salts, though i guess they can be effective
dolomite has magnesium, a kind of garden lime, very safe stuff
 
Top