|
| I planted 3 Homestead Verbena on a slope in my yard. This morning I see that 2 look like they have been dug up by something. Have had alot of rain so it is possible the run off somehow dug them up but since the soil was not "washed out" below the plants I think it was an animal. I planted them with bone meal in the hole - would this have attracted animals to dig up the new plants? I know my dog (not the guilty party!) is always interested in the bag of bone meal when I am planting! |
Follow-Up Postings:
|
- Posted by ken_adrian z5 (My Page) on Fri, Jun 14, 13 at 9:18
| its literally ground up bleached bones.. if i am not mistaken.. so why not attract wildlife ... a better question is.. why do you feel you need such at planting ... is your soil so barren that plants will die w/o such .... step on soapbox... 99% of soils have everything a plant needs.. and its all marketing hype.. that you need to throw things in the planting hole ... pshaw on that.. unless a soil test indicate something is lacking in your soil.. and if there is.. then amending the planting hole.. isnt really going to solve any long term issues... please... they are plants.. not children.. they do NOT need to be fed ... step off soapbox ... good luck ken ps: i used to throw alfalfa around the garden... as it is green manure.. and has some beneficial ingredients... and then someone pointed out that that is what they use to feed their rabbit ... the light went on.. and i quit attracting rabbits to my garden.. go figure.. live and learn ... |
|
| Ken, you are hilarious! While I appreciate your advice a great deal it always makes me feel a bit stupid. One thing I am learning about gardening is that there are so many opinions on how to do everything that no matter what advice you follow there will be other advice that will contradict what you did! And yes, the soil in this area is pretty crappy. I am actually experimenting to see if these will thrive or if I just need to mulch the area and give it up! |
|
| Hi Gig, yes I think the bone meal can attract animals. They smell the bones and think there is something to eat down there. I don't use fish fertilizer outside in the gardens for that reason, tried it a couple times and some critter would come dig up around the plants. I mostly topdress the gardens with compost as fertilizer, but in some cases I'll add an organic fertilizer such as "Bulbs Alive" when I plant bulbs (I swear it makes the Hyacinths bloom a little better), or sprinkle diluted seaweed solution to seedlings or transplants to give them and the soil micro-organisms a little boost. From what I understand, bone meal is a very slow acting fertilizer because it takes years for it to break down, and it probably won't do much for your plants anyway. |
|
| It has been my experience that bone meal attracts animals (in my case it was racoons) YMMV. |
|
| Also keep in mind freshly planted anything is a magnet for squirrels. They automatically are drawn to any freshly dug holes whether it be a bunch of seedlings or larger perennials. I've been dealing with this problem for years and the only solution is to put chicken wire around a plant until it is somewhat established or sprinkle blood meal around any newly planted perennial or annual. After a few days of being in the ground, the danger of digging diminishes. Kevin |
|
| I use bone meal with bulbs, but have never had issues with animals digging them up. |
|
- Posted by echinaceamaniac 7 (My Page) on Fri, Jun 14, 13 at 18:38
| I use bone meal all the time. To help prevent animals digging it I always mix it thoroughly in soil before adding it to the hole. I also add composted cow manure to dilute the smell. Water it in really good and stick a few clay pots around what you planted so the animals can't dig. After a few days the animals aren't interested, and I remove the pots. Bone meal is excellent for blooming plants. Some might not like it, but I can see the results! |
Please Note: Only registered members are able to post messages to this forum. If you are a member, please log in. If you aren't yet a member, join now!
Return to the Perennials Forum
Information about Posting
- You must be logged in to post a message. Once you are logged in, a posting window will appear at the bottom of the messages. If you are not a member, please register for an account.
- Please review our Rules of Play before posting.
- Posting is a two-step process. Once you have composed your message, you will be taken to the preview page. You will then have a chance to review your post, make changes and upload photos.
- After posting your message, you may need to refresh the forum page in order to see it.
- Before posting copyrighted material, please read about Copyright and Fair Use.
- We have a strict no-advertising policy!
- If you would like to practice posting or uploading photos, please visit our Test forum.
- If you need assistance, please Contact Us and we will be happy to help.
Learn more about in-text links on this page here
