When to Add Blood Meal to the Garden

Blood meal is best added when a soil test or plant symptoms indicate nitrogen deficiency, such as yellowing older leaves, weak stems, and slow growth. Many growers apply it in early spring to support vegetative growth and again mid-season for heavy feeders if foliage starts to pale, especially in intensively used beds.^[5][2][3]

How to Use Blood Meal as Fertilizer

Blood meal is typically applied as a dry powder and worked into the top few centimeters of soil or used as a side-dress around established plants, then watered in thoroughly. For home gardens, common rates are about 2–3 pounds (roughly 1–1.5 kg) per 100 square feet, or 1–2 teaspoons per planting hole or per plant for side-dressing, always following product-specific instructions to avoid over-application.^[2][3][4]

What Plants Is Blood Meal Good For?

Blood meal is especially beneficial for nitrogen-hungry, leafy and vegetative crops such as brassicas (cabbage, broccoli, kale), corn, squash, onions, and leafy greens like spinach and lettuce. It also supports vigorous foliage on ornamentals and lawns where rapid green-up is desired, provided soil pH and other nutrients are in balance.^[6][3][7][5]

Can You Sprinkle Blood Meal on Top of Soil?

Blood meal can be sprinkled on the soil surface as a top-dress and then lightly scratched in or watered in so it contacts moist soil and begins to break down. Leaving it fully exposed on the surface is less efficient and may attract animals, so a light incorporation into the top 2–5 cm of soil is usually recommended.^[3][2]

Which Plants Don’t Like Blood and Bone?

Plants that prefer low-nutrient or lean, free-draining soils—such as many succulents, cacti, some Mediterranean herbs, and some heathers and lobelias—often do poorly with rich blood-and-bone type fertilizers because excess nitrogen and phosphorus can cause weak, lush growth or root stress. Nitrogen-fixing legumes such as peas and beans also usually do not need blood meal, as additional nitrogen adds little benefit and may even reduce nodulation.^{[8][9][10][3]}

How to Apply Blood Meal to Correct Depleted Nitrogen

To correct clearly depleted nitrogen, start by confirming deficiency with a soil test or consistent symptoms (pale, yellowing older leaves and slow growth across the bed). Then apply blood meal at label rates (commonly 2–3 lbs per 100 sq ft or a light side-dress band around plants), water it in well, and re-check growth over the next 1–3 weeks, avoiding repeated heavy doses that could over-acidify soil or burn roots.^[4][2][3]

Blood Meal Use in the Garden

When to add blood meal to the garden?

Apply blood meal in early spring at planting, and again mid-season if a soil test or clear yellowing of older leaves indicates nitrogen deficiency, especially in heavily cropped beds.^[5][2][3]

How to use blood meal as fertilizer?

Mix the recommended amount into the top few centimeters of soil before planting, or side-dress established plants by sprinkling a narrow band a few centimeters away from stems and watering in thoroughly. For larger areas, follow typical guidelines of about 2–3 lbs per 100 sq ft unless the product label specifies otherwise.^[2][3][4]

What plants is blood meal good for?

Blood meal is ideal for heavy feeders such as corn, tomatoes, peppers, squash, onions, broccoli, cabbage, and leafy greens that require abundant nitrogen for strong vegetative growth. It also benefits lawns and many flowering ornamentals when applied at conservative rates.^[7][6][3][5]

Can you sprinkle blood meal on top of soil?

Yes, you can sprinkle it on top as a side-dress, but it should be lightly worked into the surface or watered in immediately for best effect and to reduce odor and animal attraction. Avoid leaving thick, dry layers on the surface, which can crust or concentrate salts near seedlings.^[3][2]

Which plants don’t like blood and bone?

Avoid using blood and bone heavily on succulents, cacti, many rock-garden and alpine plants, and some acid-loving shrubs that prefer lean soils, as well as nitrogen-fixing legumes like peas and beans that already obtain nitrogen biologically. In these cases, use compost or milder, more balanced organic fertilizers instead of strong high-nitrogen amendments.^{[11][9][10][8][7][3]}

How to apply blood meal to correct depleted nitrogen?

For beds with depleted nitrogen, spread blood meal evenly at recommended rates over the affected area, lightly incorporate into the topsoil, and irrigate to activate microbial breakdown and nitrogen release. Monitor plant response and avoid repeated heavy applications in a short period, as excess nitrogen can burn roots, cause overly lush, weak growth, and increase susceptibility to pests. Blood Meal vs. Bone Meal Fertilizer: What’s the Difference?

Blood meal is a fast-acting organic fertilizer rich in nitrogen that promotes leafy growth, while bone meal is high in phosphorus and calcium, supporting strong roots, flowering, and fruit development. Visit here.