Gardening can save you money, or cost you money–it just depends on how much time you have to spend on extra tasks that make gardening cheaper. These days, it’s important to learn how to use up what we have and save our pennies. One way to do that is to use the bones you would usually throw away to make your own homemade fertilizer.
I love the idea of using what I already have to make homemade fertilizers for my plants. I don’t always have the time to do it, but it just makes so much sense to try to use things up before they go into the trash or compost pile.
Welcome to the World of Homemade Fertilizer!
According to Iowa State University, plants need 17 of different nutrients to grow properly and produce fruit. The three that plants need most frequently are nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus.
In the past I’ve saved my banana peels for a potassium fertilizer, saved eggshells for a calcium additive, and while castings aren’t exactly kitchen scraps, we do like to make worm tea for boosting nitrogen. Bone meal is an excellent source of phosphorus.
Why do plants need phosphorus?
Phosphorus is a vital nutrient for all plants. It helps your plants harness the sun’s energy and convert it, so it can grow well and produce fruit.
If a plant doesn’t have enough phosphorus, it becomes spindly and weak. The stems will be thin and short, and the leaves will turn a dark purplish-green. The plant will not be able to produce seeds or fruit well.
How to Make Homemade Bone Meal Fertilizer
- Wash all of your bones, removing all skin and other meat debris.
- Bake your bones on a cookie sheet in a 300 degree oven for 3 hours to kill any bacteria or disease that might affect the growth of your plants.
- Grind your dried bones to a powder.
- Measure out a half-cup of powder, and add to a sauce pan.
- Add 1 quart of water and 1/2 cup baking soda. Mix well.
- While stirring, bring the liquid to a boil.
- Remove from heat, and allow to cool completely.
- Pour your homemade fertilizer around your phosphorus loving plants!
Directions for Using This Homemade Fertilizer
Plants don’t need as much phosphorus in the beginning of their lives as they do in its production months. At that time, you can start with watering your plants with bone meal fertilizer once per month. You can gauge whether your plant needs more or less by the color of the leaves. Purplish-green leaves mean your plant needs more phosphorus; yellow leaves may mean they need less.
My chicken bones go into making chicken broth. I am wondering if the mush of bones left by the time I’ve used them for broth have any nutrient value left to them to be used for bone meal fertilizer?
Hey Carla,
That’s a great question. I would assume they wouldn’t be completely depleted. They may just not be as potent, so you’d have to play with the amount you use on your plants to see how it works. If it were me (and I don’t have a firm answer to your question), I would go with double the amount, then see if the issue is corrected. If not, add more. If so, add less next time until I hit on what works.
How do you get EVERY bit of meat off of the bones without cooking it off…which I would guess defeats the purpose: to have something left of the bone marrow to add phosphorus
ALSO, WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF THE BAKING SODA?
Kristi, I love your lessons. I wish I could apply all of them. I am old and have mobility problems, thus need aids. I do a little bit of growing inside. I had a pomegranate tree that I am caring with the help of your lovely staff that guided me. I do want this tree to do well. The seed was from the one I lost with the freeze we had here in Feb. That tree was there when I bought the house 50 years ago. Thank you for your unconditional caring for all of us. mitlan
Hi Mitlan! Thank you for your kind words. I’m grateful for readers like yourself that allow me into their lives! Thank you for being here, and good luck with your pomegranate tree!
Kristi, thank you for sharing. How do you grind your bones into a powder? I appreciate all that you share. I really enjoy your you tube videos! Bobbie
Hi Bobbie! I use a bullet blender for small amounts, and my Ninja blender for larger amounts!
How do you grind the bones?
I have the left over bones once the dogs have cleaned att the meat on them. Can I use them and how. Can I just dig them into my plants soil
Does it matter what kind of bones? Ham, Chicken, Beef, or Fish?