UK Growers - Where to get Fish Bone Meal with NPK 3-18-0 Ratios

Maersk

Active Member
Hello guys

In most ingredient videos/threads most people say that their fish blood bone meal gives ratios of 3-15-0 or 3-18-0

When I am looking online in the UK, amazon, ebay, etc, the ratios are coming back at 3-5-5... Which is under a third of the Phosphrous thats in the common versions overseas....

What fish blood bone meal do you guys in the UK use? And where from?

Thanks
 

DonBrennon

Well-Known Member
Hello guys

In most ingredient videos/threads most people say that their fish blood bone meal gives ratios of 3-15-0 or 3-18-0

When I am looking online in the UK, amazon, ebay, etc, the ratios are coming back at 3-5-5... Which is under a third of the Phosphrous thats in the common versions overseas....

What fish blood bone meal do you guys in the UK use? And where from?

Thanks
I think fish-blood and bone meal is mainly a British thing and just in case you didn't know,consists of fish meal, blood meal and bone meal, with the blood and bone more than likely coming from cows(slaughter/abattoir waste). I'd really like to know where the K comes from in F,B&BM cos the 3 ingredients don't contain any?????

If you want straight fish meal, the only place I've found it is in fishing tackle/bait shops(you wont get straight FBM), but obviously as it's used for bait and not fertiliser you don't get a list of the N-P-K values

We in the UK have to compromise if we want to use the same ingredients as folk in the US, the amendments just aren't available over here and getting them shipped would be potty IMO. There is a guy on ebay selling crabshell meal, but I think he's got a damn cheek calling it a meal, you have to grind it up yourself.

My favourite amendment(apart from seaweed & neem, LOL), which is available in all hydro shops and online here is insect frass, I think you could grow with just that 1 amendment and still produce good plants. It's got an even NPK, chitin, calcium, magnesium and a shit load of micro-nutes and beneficial microorganisms. Seriously good shit, literally.:bigjoint:

Some links for ya..........
http://www.thenaturalgardener.co.uk/neem_natural_fertilizer.php
https://www.houseofmistry.com/more/fertiliser
http://www.organiccatalogue.com/Soil-Care-and-Feeds/c60/index.html
http://www.thenaturalgardener.co.uk/seaweed_granules.php

....................and here's my biggest gift, don't get your wormcastings and worms from anywhere but these guys, it's the best quality I've found(I've tried most UK suppliers) and probably the cheapest too

http://iansfishingtackle.co.uk/Dendrobaena-Worms-Worm-Cast-And-Compost/Compost-Worm-Cast-and-Worm-Humus

EDIT........If you're inoculating with mycorrhizal fungi, you dont need such high amounts of P
 

Maersk

Active Member
Hey @DonBrennon thanks for the detailed post.

For bone meal, I have managed to find 3.5 - 18 - 0 at £20 for 25kg - from these guys https://www.elixirgardensupplies.co.uk/bone-meal-organic-garden-fertiliser.html

Il check out that insect frass right now, never thought of it before.

What percentages of seawead, frass, and need do you mix in? Right now my soil is 60% peat(westlands brand), 20% perlite, 20% worm castings (ians fishing like you said)

Also, Im not fixated on any specific fish meal, and it seems likely I will leave it out now anyway.

Il also heve to check out the neem you mentioned, never heard of it!
 
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Maersk

Active Member
@DonBrennon

Il get the neem and frass and call it a day.

Do you use the Mistry neem you linked to?
Mistry is selling 5kg for £10, whilst thenaturalgardener sells 2.5kg for £9... Il think il get the mistry. Also do you also follow the 1 part neem 10 parts soil guidlines they said?
Its a shame they dont list the NPK on that product...

What frass do you use?
 

DonBrennon

Well-Known Member
Hey @DonBrennon thanks for the detailed post.

For bone meal, I have managed to find 3.5 - 18 - 0 at £20 for 25kg - from these guys https://www.elixirgardensupplies.co.uk/bone-meal-organic-garden-fertiliser.html

Il check out that insect frass right now, never thought of it before.

What percentages of seawead, frass, and need do you mix in? Right now my soil is 60% peat(westlands brand), 20% perlite, 20% worm castings (ians fishing like you said)

Also, Im not fixated on any specific fish meal, and it seems likely I will leave it out now anyway.

Il also heve to check out the neem you mentioned, never heard of it!
I've never actually used the same mix twice, I try to emulate the 'Coot mix' with amendments I have at the time.

I like a lot of seaweed in my mix and have gone up to 1 cup per cubic ft and the plants love it, with the frass and neem, it depends what else I'm amending with but usually 1/4 to half a cup
 

DonBrennon

Well-Known Member
I have used the mistry's neem before, but I do think that the stuff from the natural gardener is better quality. Another thing to consider is the postage, If you plan on buying a few amendments it does work out cheaper getting them from the same place and mistry's only sell neem.

Here's some data on the mistry neem
N-2.33
P-0.17
K-1.9
Ca-1.28
Mg-1.29
S-0.29

This is the frass I use https://ecothrive.co.uk/charge/,it's damn good stuff, it's available at most hydro shops AFAIK, but I think it's cheaper from the organic catalogue
http://www.organiccatalogue.com/Soil-Care-and-Feeds-Soil-Improvers/c60_166/p4056/CHARGE-SOIL-CONDITIONER-1-Litre/product_info.html
 

Maersk

Active Member
@DonBrennon
Would you say 1 cubic ft of soil is around 30Liters?
And 1 cup is around 0.5Liters?

Im trying to keep my calculations in liters, as thats how Ive started mixing the EWC, Perlite, etc.

I have seen that frass about, I am still deciding whether to get frass or neem... I like the other benefits of neem keeping gnats at bay too.... Although the frass npk seems better.

Im guessing if you could only choose from neem or frass you would choose neem?

Also, if 1 cup is around 0.5 liters and cubft = 30L, adding frass is gona cost me around £100... Im thinking to give that a miss considering its going to work out the most expensive item in my whole list...
 
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