Using Bone Meal with Bulbs?

[sorcerormickey]

Hi Everyone!

I was just wondering how to use Bone Meal when planting spring bulbs. I have seen it mentioned on this and other gardening boards, but no specifics. Just what exactly does it do for your bulbs and how much do I use? I have hundreds of bulbs to plant this fall, and would like to get them off on a great start. Thanks bunches!

 

[amid chaos]

It acts as fertilizer for the bulbs. dig your hole and add some bonemeal...a heavy sprinkling will do. The work the bonemeal into the soil, no need to bury it it, just scratch it in...put the bulbs in and bury.

good luck, i love bulbs.

 

[Tulirose]

I thought I read somewhere recently that bone meal encourages the squirrels to come and dig up what we just buried. Did anyone else hear of any thing like that?

 

[Snowwark]

Tulirose, I've heard that. In fact, it's somewhat confusing. Some places you read that it repels them, others that it attracts them.....so which one is it??

We've put down chicken wire over the areas planted with bulbs and covered it lightly with soil and compost, that seems to keep all the critters away!

 

[Mamu]

Bone meal is wonderful in the gardens It's one of the best organic fertilizers, but it does attract critters. Especially skunks. If you use it when planting bulbs, you can be sure the bulds will be dug-up by critters.

I apply it 1 month before I add my plants, make sure it's worked into the soil and watered well. After a month if there is no digging in the area, I'll plant my bulbs.

I also use a lot of this in my vegetable garden, using the same procedure.

 

[amid chaos]

GREAT idea mamu!

 

[sorcerormickey]

Thanks for the info guys! I will have to try it this year!

 

[Tulirose]

Mamu is so smart. She's the BEST!

 

[bananiem]

I've used bone meal as a fertilizer under bulbs and it works great. We don't have any squirrels though. I think if it's under ground that far you'll be OK.
I have used blood meal to keep little critters away though. Perhaps the confusion is in which type of "meal"?

 

[Snowwark]

Welcome bananiem!

The whole blood/bone meal thing is somewhat confusing, at least to me!

Blood meal is often used to repel critters, but there is a lot of, use this don't use that, info out there. I think I might skip using fertilizer for my bulbs this year, and see what happens. Especially after reading the following;

"Q. Is it true that bone meal is the best bulb food?

A. Once upon at time, bone meal was considered an excellent bulb fertilizer, but times have changed! Most bone meal today has been so thoroughly processed that much of the essential nutrients have been literally boiled out. Spring flowering bulbs actually need no fertilizer for their first season of blooming. A healthy Dutch bulb will already contain all the food it needs to support one season of spectacular growth. Bulbs that will be left in the ground to naturalize will benefit from well rotted cow manure or special bulb fertilizer when the shoots first appear in spring and again the following fall. One other note about bone meal. Dogs and other critters can sniff it out and be tempted to dig!" - bulb.com

You're very lucky that you don't have any squirrels around bananiem!

We'd love to hear about your garden, I hope you'll come back and visit us!


Kim