Bone meal is an organic fertilizer derived from – you guessed it – bones .

kernel osseous tissue waste from slaughterhouses undergoes a steaming process before being pulverized into granules or powder for usage as a soil amendment .

Rich in phosphorus ( P ) , it also turn back calcium and a vestige of nitrogen .

A human hand casting bone meal onto a garden bed.

Photo by Matt Suwak.

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Should you use it in your garden ? Let ’s find out .

How to Use Bone Meal

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A human hand applying bone meal to garden soil.

Photo by Matt Suwak.

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Vertical image of a green gloved hand and arm clothed in a gray sleeve sprinkling bone meal onto loose brown soil in a garden bed, with a pile of flower bulbs and a soil knife with an orange handle, printed with green and white text.

fertilizer occupy a lot of ledge space in garden centers .

package predict succulent foliage , vivacious flower , and plentiful yield if implement per producer instructions . But what they do n’t always mention is that they may be totally unneeded .

The only sure way of life to know if you should apply osseous tissue repast to your garden is to test a territory sample distribution for nutrient lack . control out our article on the theme , then get hold of your local agricultural extension overhaul for more information .

A row of brown papery flower bulbs is planted in loose soil with a hand in a green flower patterned garden glove planting another at the right side of the frame, with green grass.

Garden dirt that is not wanting in atomic number 15 not only does n’t need it , but may be harmed by its accession .

ground teems with microbesthat body of work in bicycle-built-for-two with nutrients to put up plants with the free energy they need to flourish . Per theColorado State University Extension , the software program of phosphorus to soil that does n’t need it may result in greensickness , a yellowing of leave-taking due to afflicted chlorophyll production .

In addition , it may destroy essential mycorrhizal - forming fungi , and soil ’s ability to take up vital food like atomic number 26 .

A small gray and white dog inspects a bed of loose soil with a sneakered foot to the left and a pile of brown flower bulbs at the bottom of the frame, and an evergreen plant at the right.

The Master Gardener Garden Notes of the Colorado State University Extension on constituent fertilizers nation , “ phosphorus from os repast is only available to plant in soil that have a pH below 7.0 . ” If your grime pH is above 7.0 , or on the alkaline side of neutral , the morning star in this type of constituent fertilizer is unavailable for uptake by plant ascendent .

Before applying this product to your garden , always have the soil tested todetermine food needsand current pH levels .

Over a menses of about four month , soil microbesdigest the constituent plant food , creating food for plant . One app per growing season is all you need .

Vertical image of a dog with his ears back, next to a plastic bag of organic bone meal fertilizer, a pile of flower bulbs, and a garden spade with a green and yellow handle, on a gravel driveway with green lawn, an evergreen tree, and a house in the background.

Fertilizer products vary and may be equate by their N - P - K , or nitrogen - phosphorus - potassium , ratios . Per the above - referenced pros at Colorado State , 3 - 15 - 0 is a typical pattern suitable for boost daystar .

If you think this case of organic plant food is appropriate for your garden , deliberate the following three topics currently swerve on the subject before purchase a ware :

1. Consider Pet and Child Safety

This constituent fertilizer is generally market as safe for mass and pets , but it has a level of potential perniciousness that may make serious gastrointestinal sickness if ingested .

Per the ASPCA , calls about pets eating lawn and garden intersection such as bone repast fertiliser were among the top 10 reasons for calls to animal poisonous substance control in 2017 .

Be sure to blend it well into the grease , and secure idle quantities where they are safe and out of reach .

Closeup image of bone meal fertilizer.

2. Beware of Runoff

Phosphorus - containing fertilizers elevate a red flag because their runoff may cause alga heyday that threaten ecosystems .

This occurs with piss - soluble phosphorus products , and is not probable to happen with powdered or granulated off-white meal , which does not leach and is the least probable culprit in such billet .

If you ’re corrupt the right production , this generally is n’t something that you require to concern about .

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3. Avoid Potential for Contamination

There is some concern that beast byproducts may be pollute with bovine spongiform brain disease , aka BSE , or mad moo-cow disease .

According to a Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy ( BSE ) Questions and Answersdocument render by the FDA , contaminated provender may have been a contributing factor to the outbreak of the disease in Britain in 1993 .

However , theUSDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Servicestates : “ Regulations from the Food and Drug Administration ( FDA ) have disallow the comprehension of mammalian protein in feed for cattle and other ruminants since 1997 and have also prohibited high risk tissue materials in all animal feed since 2009 . ”

A box of Down to Earth Bone Meal on a white, isolated background.

There is no mention of concerns over the consumption of pearl repast fertilizer , however , the purchase of American - made products may be the best choice for both provender and fertilizer , in term of prophylactic .

OMRI ( Organic Materials Review Institute ) listed for organic use , Espoma Organic Bone Meal isavailable via Amazonin 4 lbs bags .

Espoma Organic Bone Meal

A white and pink plastic bag of Burpee bone meal fertilizer, isolated on a white background.

usable from a steel that many gardeners trust , it ’s made with organic element in a 4 - 12 - 0 mix of osseous tissue repast to promote strong root and flowers .

For those with larger gardens , it ’s also uncommitted in 24 lbs bags .

For another constitutional , American - made intersection , try Down to Earth Bone Meal . This product isavailable from Arbico Organicsin 5 - dog pound packages .

Closeup of a gray sweater sleeve and a hand wearing a light green glove with a purple, pink, yellow, and orange flower pattern, pressing a brown flower bulb into light brown earth that has been loosened.

Down to Earth Bone Meal

For excess peace of mind , it is tag “ People & Pet Safe When Used As Directed . ”

Burpee ’s Natural & Organic Bone Meal is another advocate option , OMRI label for constitutive economic consumption , with a 6 - 8 - 0 mix .

An arm wearing a gray sleeve and a hand clothed in a green glove with pink, orange, and purple flowers holds a garden spade with a yellow and green handle and spreads soil over newly planted bulbs, with grass to the left of the frame.

Burpee Natural & Organic Bone Meal

This product isavailable from Burpeein 3 - Egyptian pound bags .

When applying any kind of fertilizer , easing is key . Too much fertilizer can spite plants , and much of the surplusage will be wash away away and become a waste .

Closeup closely cropped shot of a metal and plastic rake working bone meal into loose soil, with grass to the right and an evergreen shrub to the left.

Our author Matt Suwak provide the undermentioned directions :

Step 1 – Dig

First , dig out the orbit where you ’ll be establish your bulbs .

We used a little sprinkling of bone meal at the bottom of the planting area , added a lean aspersion of soil , then plopped the bulbs into office .

Step 2 – Cover

Cover the bulbs with loose land , then apply a light sprinkling of ivory repast to the open .

The software that we were working with recommends 1 tablespoon per satisfying invertebrate foot , or 1 cup per 20 straight feet , and this recommended proportion is comparatively received .

I ’ve never been one for this kind of specificity , so rather I lightly sprinkled the fertilizer on top of the dirt .

A light green plastic bag of MiracleGro organic bone meal to the left of a pile of brown flower bulbs and a garden knife with an orange handle, in loose brown soil, with an evergreen in the background.

Step 3 – Rake

Rake the fertilizer into the dirt to prevent it from being washed away , or gobbled up by critter .

If you’reapplying mulch to the planting field , this is when to do it .

Step 4 – Water

Water in the bone repast . This is an important step , and should not be ignored unless rain is definite in the next 24 hours !

Every two month , apply a lightly sprinkled program to the planting surface area . You do n’t postulate to rake in these additional layers , but watering the fertilizer in is necessary .

Remember , there are a lot of garden products from which to choose . Do n’t be persuade by colorful painting of happy plants when it ’s the soil you necessitate to be think about .

contribute ivory repast where phosphorus is deficient give a jump start toplants like vegetable seedlingsandbulb flowers . It fosters potent cell growing , sturdy root stock , and prolific flowering and fruiting .

Used as indicated by a grime trial , it may be just what your garden needs !

For further reading , refer Gardener ’s Path for clause on :

Photos by Matt Suwak © involve the Experts , LLC . ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.See our TOSfor more particular . in the beginning published January 16th , 2019 . Last updated : May 4th , 2025 . Product exposure via Burpee , Espoma , and Down to Earth . Uncredited photograph via Shutterstock . With additional writing and editing by Matt Suwak and Allison Sidhu .

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