Re: Bonemeal (Was rose fertilizers)
"William A. Grant" wrote:
>
> Fish meal, kelp meal, epsom salts are the ones I have used for years in
> Jan-Feb so they have time to break down before the new growth really beings.
> Rotted barn manure, of course, is fantastic if you can get it. Oh, alfalfa
> meal (not the pellets) with the other items up there. Then for reblooming
> roses, you give them all a shot in early June but not the epsom. Bone meal
> is of no value whatsoever. bill grant, central coast California
Bill
I take it you are just saying bonemeal has no value for roses? It is of
course a slow release source of both phosphate and calcium, but with
virtually no nitrogen and as such was a great favourite at one time with
NZers (even thise which had never heard of organics) for the growing of
all sorts of flowering bulbs. Unfortunately the only factory here
processing the bones closed a few years ago and no move has been made ot
import supplies from Australia, so many people have turmed to ground
phosphate minerals as a substitute. However, in my garden after amy
years of orgaic growing I think the soil now has plenty of reserves of
these minerals and doesn't need special treatment for the bulbs anyhow.
Moira
--
Tony & Moira Ryan <theryans@xtra.co.nz>
Wainuiomata, New Zealand. (on the "Ring of Fire" in the SW Pacific).
Lat. 41:16S Long. 174:58E. Climate: Mediterranean/Temperate
