Use of bone meal in seed starting - a question

17 years ago

According to Bill Nash:

BONE MEAL IS GOING TO BE YOUR GREATEST INVESTMENT EVER and here is why: A Bill Nash special seed-sowing tip, and then some! -- to provide for the best possible germination and growth of newly started seedlings (used with all seeds sown and all growing mediums used anywhere, indoors or outdoors) sprinkle a bit of BONE MEAL powder over top of the seeds, just before covering seeds with growing medium and wetting. Better yet, mix some bone meal in with your growing medium also. Don't forget to do this outside too, if you get into direct outdoor sowing. This information, comes from experimental trials of applying ground-up Bone Meal Powder verses Super Phosphate powder application and verses no seed treatment at all in the sowing of hosta-seeds. These trials were sown in similar fashion, same time, same growing medium (soil-less) and using identical hosta-seed type and identical growing conditions. THIS HAS PROVEN that when simply sprinkling a bit of Bone Meal powder over top of sown seeds, this provides for the best germination results possible and also having the healthiest looking seedlings. The resulting hosta seedling germination quantity was two-fold that of untreated seed. That is to say, seed which had no nutrient fertilizer added to it.

Question: If I'm sterilizing my medium and sterilizing my containers and sterilizing the sterilizer...lol...then does this mean I also need to sterilize the bone meal.....????? I don't want to do everything right and then sprinkle bone meal on top and contaminate everything.

Thanks!!!!

Andrea

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Comments (9)

jspece
17 years ago
I'm doing an experiment to see if bonemeal really does make a difference...2 batches of the same seed - one w/bm, one without. They are just sprouting, so it is too soon to tell.

But, yes, the bm will contaminate your sterile starting mix. I made the mistake of adding bm after sterilizing and grew a nice crop of mold. A fungicide took care of it, but next time I will add the bm to the mix before I bake it. The tray without bm never developed mold.
ademink
Original Author
17 years ago
Thanks for your reply, Josh. I'll add it to my next batch of soil when I sterilize it. I'm using the oven method - in foil turkey pans w/ lids...didn't smell at all (thanks for the tip, ken!!!!).

I bought Promix BX to start them in. Seemed to be the only decent thing in my area and it is nice and fine and fluffy. Funny how you think you are "sterilized" and then realize you're touching the soil w/ your hand after you scratched your nose or something and you can almost see the fungus growing. LOL I figure it is what it is and I'll just have to deal w/ problems if they arise!

I'll tell you what, cleaning the seeds is the worst part of this whole fiasco! There seems to be no easy way. Do you have to get the "wing" part off of the seed or can you plant it w/ it on? Does it matter?
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I've just conducted an experiment. And I soaked just millet. Then after drying somewhat, I added 1 teaspoon of fresh and still dry - Bonemeal to the millet. This was enough to fill 2x180ml jars all way to the lid (no space left for grain movement) I added 15ml water to each jar. Then pasteurised the grain/Bonemeal jars. I inoculated them both with the same regular spore syringe. They have overtaken the jars with just millet. And they have taken over the jars with coffee/gypsum added. So I think Bonemeal can be a viable option for gypsum replacement. And could regard it as a great option if u ask me. I've not had to use any other buffers. Once I thought maybe eggshells could be used instead of oyster shells. Which is also something that works well somewhat, as the shells provide much nutrients. But only tried it to help pH balance the substrate. I researched the effects and benefits of use after I'd just added it. Luckily everything is good on that front. But I'm happy that I've discovered something that has benefited my learning. As most of what I've learned in my newly found mycology hobby, in the last 8months, has just been recipes/ sterilisation/ pasteurisation with some tried&tested substrate Teks. Ive wanted to discover something, and I think I have. I'll have to replicate the experiments a couple more times to verify my findings. But with 2 jars racing past other tried and tested methods. I think it's good feedback... ..... Sorry to arrive to the conversation many years too late. My bus was late, so it made me also 😎🍄❤️💯☯️☮️
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User
17 years ago
I posed this question late last year because it was so hard to take off the wing. Someone said they do not take off the wing (same way seed falls to ground).
ademink
Original Author
17 years ago
Ahh, I love that I spent all of that time in vain. lol however, there were some that had no seeds...only wing...and I would have never been able to tell that if I didn't mess w/ them. I guess it depends on how diligent you are feeling.
ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
17 years ago
teacup strainer .. dry seed ... after removing the pod ... just rub and cruch the wings off in the strainer .... result ...nice shiny black seeds .... you cant crush good seed .. those that do get crushed... werent any good anyway .... ken

just saw the strainer at the hardware store for a buck ...
ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
17 years ago
while bleaching your pots.. bleach your rubber work gloves... and always use your gloves ... peat is acidic.. and it will eventually dry your hands and cause cracking ...

regardless .... sterilizing is to get rid of bugs mostly ... by this point in the process ... your hands aren't going to make that much difference .... just wash them well.. and get to work ...

ken
ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
17 years ago
DOESNT THE PROMIX ALREADY HAVE A FERTILIZER IN IT?

HOW OFTEN DO YOU ... oops .. plan on changing the soil?

why are you making this more complicated than it needs to be ... every step you move away from simplicity .. is a step for you to mess it up ...

IMHO .. unless you do a soil test on the promix.. and find that it is lacking something that the bone meal will fix .. then skip it...

if its too late ... who cares they are hosta... i figure you just wasted some money on bone meal ....

once they are moving to the third/fourth leaf stage ... mix 1/4 teaspoon soluble fert per gal of water.. and use such every time you water .... that will be about all you need ....

ken
greenguy
17 years ago
i used bone meal last year and i liked the results no specific results but i noticed less mold and less flies/gnats while using bone meal

i thought it helped with growth but it is really hard to say.

i do not change the soil often like ken does and all of my soil i dump in the garden when i am done - not that there is ever very much
ademink
Original Author
17 years ago
it's too late for a couple of batches. i don't care any more...LIVE OR DIE, SUCKERS! i imagine i'll change the soil when i transplant them...or if i've been fertilizing, i'll use the same. *shrug* i dunno. as IF i know what i'm doing. LOL

Use of bone meal in seed starting - a question

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jspece

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Use of bone meal in seed starting - a question

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