Using blood meal for gardens, compost piles
droogie6655321
17 years ago
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droogie6655321
17 years agolast modified: 9 years agoRelated Discussions
can't use blood meal to fertilize peas?
Comments (2)Peas and other legumes are good at making their own nitrogen. Excess N lowers pod/pea production. Technically, it can be used, but unless your soil is extremely deficient in N (or you're planing in a "soiless mix") it's not of much use....See MoreAnts in garden beds/compost piles
Comments (2)Talcum powder, talc, is used because it absorbs moisture quite handily. In the garden or compost pile talc may absorb more moisture then might be good for the bacteria that are at work there. The question you need to have answered is "is wet talc as effective as dry?"...See Moreblood meal
Comments (15)Well heck, if you want just pure nitrogen then sprinkle your household ammonia over your compost....and if you want that to effect breakdown of material, add to the ammonia some coca cola...pure sugar...which entices the bacteria to go to work. Blood meal --as nitrogenous as it is, is not a good addition ot your compost pile---its a big waste of money. The lawn fertilizer---no..its not organic...but then, what is organic about wanting to break down the compost pile faster. There are products on the shelf designed specifically to speed up the breakdown of a compost pile. Such prodcuts have been around for years....and they are not a big seller. Why? Because the compost pile will break down what is added to it in its good time. There is usually no need to try to speed things up. Its a waster of time and energy. Turning it, and dampening it down and giving it material designed to heat the pile up is all that is required....See MoreRed cabbage pH test of blood meal, corn meal, compost, etc.
Comments (30)Sharon: THANK YOU FOR THOSE FANTASTIC PICTURES !! I also did red-cabbage test today Sat. 7/25/20. Distilled water boiled in red cabbage is actually acidic according to on-line info. "Pure distilled water should be neutral with a pH of 7, but because it absorbs carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, it's actually slightly acidic with a pH of 5.8." From your pictures above, the grayish blue solution is alkaline with pH 7.5. My pH 7.7 clay is a bit bluer (tested by Earth Corp. soil testing company). Black, gray, or clear solution is neutral pH .. means it's a fantastic buffer (good for plants). I tested COMPOSTED grass clippings and it's clear water above black solution. Buffer is great to neutralize the acidity of rain. Clay buffers better than sand/loamy soil, but the best buffer is composted organic matter. Coffee is also a buffer (at first pinkish, but after 20 min., it's a clear solution). COMPOSTED plant-matter is very alkaline and neutralizes acidic rain well. COMPOSTED leaves decompose to alkaline pH, when I stuffed a bunch of leaves in LOAMY & fluffy soil .. the next year that got converted into HARD CLAY, very alkaline. Green grass clippings stay fluffy longer (more nitrogen & more acidic). Brown leaves are considered "carbon" in a compost pile, and decompose to alkaline pH & hard like clay. My tap-water in red-cabbage is VERY BLUE, it's at pH 9 as stated on village's website. I also tested baking soda and it's more blue than my tap-water. I tested paver's sand or yellow coarse sand, and it's slightly alkaline. I tested composted manure and it's very alkaline (from the lime added to deodorize and kill weeds in the bag). The pH of composted manure is just as alkaline as my clay at pH 7.7. Your LAST pic. is slightly acidic. Rain-water is even more acidic & reddish purple. Rain water here is pH 4.5. I also tested some drops of vinegar and it's fuchsia red around pH 3. All my rooting-soil for cuttings are black or clear solution at neutral pH (they have lots of yellow sand or vermiculite mixed in). The clay taken from diseased & black spotted roses are slightly acidic, rather than blue like my pH 7.7 clay. I had tested 5 different roses with black spots in the past, and the soil taken from the root level is pinkish in red-cabbage juice. It's either acidic rain can't drain well from that spot, or else there's NOT enough buffer to neutralize the heavy rain going down....See MoreOkiedawn OK Zone 7
17 years agolast modified: 9 years agodroogie6655321
17 years agolast modified: 9 years agoOkiedawn OK Zone 7
17 years agolast modified: 9 years agosteffieok
17 years agolast modified: 9 years agodroogie6655321
17 years agolast modified: 9 years agosusanlynne48
17 years agolast modified: 9 years agoOkiedawn OK Zone 7
17 years agolast modified: 9 years agojannettewilliams
13 years agolast modified: 9 years agolehmanland5_yahoo_com
13 years agolast modified: 9 years ago
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Okiedawn OK Zone 7