Bone meal is sometimes recommended for tomatoes and other vegetable plants as an organic source of nutrients, especially phosphorus. Tomato plants thrive when grown in nutrient-rich, organic soils and need adequate phosphorus to produce quality fruit. When used properly, bone meal can help support vigorous tomato plants. But using bone meal may present some level of risk, especially if you use too much or if you use it when the soil doesn't need it.
Bone meal is derived primarily from byproducts of the livestock and poultry we eat. Bones are usually steamed then ground into a powder or a granular product for garden use. Bone meal has a small amount of nitrogen, moderate calcium and moderate to high amounts of phosphorus when used as an organic fertilizer. These are generally released into the soil more slowly than many synthetic fertilizers. One application per season is often enough.
Before planting tomatoes or adding bone meal to your soil, conduct a thorough soil test using a kit from a garden center or soil testing service in your area. Tomatoes prefer slightly acidic soil with a pH of 6.0 to 6.8 that is rich in organic matter and well-draining. Adjust soils that are too acidic with lime and those that are alkaline with sulfur products, according to test report recommendations. If your soil is sandy or clay-dense, incorporate organic matter, like finished compost, before planting tomatoes to balance drainage concerns and add supplemental nutrition.
If your soil test report reveals a phosphorus or calcium deficiency, you can add bone meal to your tomato planting area. The "P" component you might see on a bone meal fertilizer label is phosphorus. The value can range from 10 to 13 percent or more. Tomatoes need calcium to produce healthy fruit, especially to resist the common disorder, blossom-end rot. Along with the pH adjustments and organic amendments you have incorporated, judicious bone meal supplements will support healthy, productive tomatoes.
Although bone meal is an organic fertilizer, using it is not risk-free. Phosphorus can accumulate in your soil with successive or large applications of bone meal. High levels can skew the balance of beneficial soil microbes, potentially harming tomatoes more than helping them. Additionally, excess phosphorus can leach into water tables and sensitive stream and river ecosystems, presenting significant health risks to aquatic life. Use bone meal with caution and only when you're sure the soil needs it.
Bone Meal Products
Bone meal is derived primarily from byproducts of the livestock and poultry we eat. Bones are usually steamed then ground into a powder or a granular product for garden use. Bone meal has a small amount of nitrogen, moderate calcium and moderate to high amounts of phosphorus when used as an organic fertilizer. These are generally released into the soil more slowly than many synthetic fertilizers. One application per season is often enough.
Soil
Before planting tomatoes or adding bone meal to your soil, conduct a thorough soil test using a kit from a garden center or soil testing service in your area. Tomatoes prefer slightly acidic soil with a pH of 6.0 to 6.8 that is rich in organic matter and well-draining. Adjust soils that are too acidic with lime and those that are alkaline with sulfur products, according to test report recommendations. If your soil is sandy or clay-dense, incorporate organic matter, like finished compost, before planting tomatoes to balance drainage concerns and add supplemental nutrition.
Phosphorus
If your soil test report reveals a phosphorus or calcium deficiency, you can add bone meal to your tomato planting area. The "P" component you might see on a bone meal fertilizer label is phosphorus. The value can range from 10 to 13 percent or more. Tomatoes need calcium to produce healthy fruit, especially to resist the common disorder, blossom-end rot. Along with the pH adjustments and organic amendments you have incorporated, judicious bone meal supplements will support healthy, productive tomatoes.
Risks
Although bone meal is an organic fertilizer, using it is not risk-free. Phosphorus can accumulate in your soil with successive or large applications of bone meal. High levels can skew the balance of beneficial soil microbes, potentially harming tomatoes more than helping them. Additionally, excess phosphorus can leach into water tables and sensitive stream and river ecosystems, presenting significant health risks to aquatic life. Use bone meal with caution and only when you're sure the soil needs it.
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