Do Any Vegetables Not Like Blood Meal

Blood meal is one of the organic fertilizers that has many accolades in the organic gardening world. As the name suggests, the blood meal is a preparation of animal blood which is dried, often of cattle. The amendments of the soil are usually rich in nitrogen, thus encouraging the extended growth of vegetables and leafy plants. However, although it might appear like one of those fertilizers that can be labeled as a magic pill, not all of the cultivar performance tends to be positive following the introduction of blood meal into the ground. Some other vegetables as on the reverse may have an antagonistic effect against blood meal despite the increased levels of nutrients because of the types of nutrients they require and the types of soil they are in.

This article will analyze the blood meal and vegetables relationship exploring why some plants are okay with blood meal while others are not. It will also be endeavored to evaluate the blood meal composition, its advantages and disadvantages, and what types of vegetables should not be using this organic fertilizer.

What is Blood Meal?

Bloodmeal is a byproduct of the meat industry utilizing dried animal blood mainly of pigs or cattle. It is very effective to use in growing heavy leaf producing plants as it is high in nitrogen. Nitrogen is a macronutrient that plants actively utilize. It enables plants to photosynthesize and thus produce chlorophyll. This is why the blood meal has a rapid effect; it is generally infrequent because blood meal can be used to correct a nitrogen deficiency in the soil quickly.

When looking into the composition of blood meal, it is simply important to note that nitrogen is the most significant and primary element. Concentrations in this constituent can often measure from 12% to 15%, with some degree of fluctuation from manufacturer to manufacturer. Aside from nitrogen, it is also made up of minute amount of phosphorus and potassium which generally are present in lesser quantities.

Benefits of Blood Meal

Positive Growth Enhancement: As it has already been stated, blood meal is one of the richest organic sources of nitrogen. This is because this nutrient promotes the development of foliage and so is most suited for crops like lettuce, spinach, kale, and other leafy vegetables.

Soil improvement: blood meal is added to the soil to increase its structure and to improve the moisture holding capacity of the soil.

Organic Pest Control: Some gardeners say that blood meal has a foul smell that can keep creatures like deer and rabbits away

pH Modification: Blood meal has some beneficial effects as there are instance where this nutrient can help in lowering the pH and thus be advantageous to the flora that does well in slightly acidic environment.

In spite of these properties and other advantages, not all vegetables will reap the benefits of this heavy content nitrogen fertilizer.

Why Do Certain Vegetables Do Not Like Blood Meal?

Blood meal is utterly rich in a number of substances and by and large nitrogen. Of all the nutrients necessary for plant growth, nitrogen is probably the most important. And yet, in excess amounts, it may pose some challenges to some vegetables, particularly those that are not heavy feeders of nitrogen. More or less some of these challenges include:

Overproduction of foliage: In case of root crops like carrots, beets and radishes, more energy is directed towards root formation rather than leaf production. Deficiency of nitrogenous compounds may compel them to overgrow leaves for root storage.

Uneven nutrients supplying: Blood meal is a nitrogenous organic fertilizer but insufficient phosphorus and potassium are bound to affect vegetable growth. Lack of care in applying blood meal may create nutrient deficiency conditions in soil and may inhibit the growth of the plants.

Topsoil Content: Blood meal also has the capacity to alter the pH of the soil making it more acidic. There are some vegetables particularly those that grow in neutral or slightly alkaline conditions which do not do well when the pH is lower than required.

Vegetables That Should Not Be Amended With Blood Meal

Despite the advantages of the blood meal in specific gardening settings, there are some vegetables that do not cope well with its application and should be free of it. Let’s get into the detail of some types of vegetables that should not be used with blood meal:

Root Vegetables (Carrots, Beets, Radishes)

Root vegetables such as carrots, leeks, beetroot turnips and radishes do best under a balanced nutrient horizon. Too much nitrogen in blood meal causes abundance leafy tops and poor roots when it should be the other way around. When growing these types of arachnoids, a case in point would be nitrogen -root crops, an over pronation in nitrogen caused by abundant fertilization will leave the crops with underdeveloped, spoon shaped, disfigured or no roots at all.

Though blood meal can form granules that will eventually help vegetative growth, root vegetables would rather have fertilizers that contain more phosphorus and potassium.

Legumes (Beans, Peas)

Additionally, legumes such as beans, peas, lentils, and chickpeas, have their own unique characteristics. They contain efficient root nodules that have symbiotic nitrogen-fixing bacteria that can incorporate nitrogen gas in the air. They do not like blood meal or any other agricultural nitrogen fertilizer hence the addition of it is in little or no supply.

Even in case of thick stem and leaves, if legumes are grown we should not offer additional nitrogen. Typically, this is unfavorable as it indicates an over-abundance of nitrogen and restricts flowering and pod formation.

Onions and Garlic

Like other alliums including onion bulb, garlic and onion bulb plants crosses require optimum nutrients for the development of their bulbs. Excessive application of Nitrogen such as blood meal –although stimulating excessive top growth- results in small, misshapen bulbs. Thus, these kinds of vegetables are more accustomed to slow releasing, balanced fertilizers than to quick nitrogen additions.

To these plants, a fertilizer with lower nitrogen ratio as compared to phosphorus and potassium fertilizer is advisable in order to avoid unnecessary application of so much nitrogen that will affect the growth of the bulb.

Tomatoes

Tomatoes have high nutrient requirements as they are considered as heavy feeders but their absorption goes beyond nitrogen only. There is nitrogen, and when applied early on in the growing season, is a very desirable nutrient for leaf emergence. However too much nitrogen applied later in the growing season will delay flowering and fruiting, which will cause a lot of leaves to be produced but not fruits. Too much blood meal application will lead only to green leaves and tomatoes will be very few.

Tomatoes perform well with a balanced fertiliser having an upper limit of phosphorus or potassium than what has been recommended, particularly towards fruit set. With blood meal applied on its own, this ratio is likely on occasions been disturbed and this may result in lower yields.

Peppers and Eggplants

Like tomatoes, peppers and eggplants also risk suffering from too much nitrogen. While nitrogen promotes stem growth through leaf production, exceeding the optimum level can slow down the cascading fruits as well as decrease the number of fruits being borne. Additional nitrogen replenishments through blood meal may lead to an excess growth of leaves with only a couple of flowers leading to reduced amounts of either peppers or eggplants.

The aforementioned fruits are better off with a complex fertilizer or one comprising of more phosphate and potash for bearing the fruits.

Squash, Cucumbers, and Melons

Squash, cucumbers and melons lie among those plants which are considered as heavy feeders but in order to successfully grow and to produce they do require some recipe versatility. Just as nitrogen is essential for early plant development, so is the level of nitrogen which is excessive essential as well- for enormous green plant and less flowers bearing fruits. These vegetables benefit from a fertilizer high in phosphorus and potassium once flowering begins, just as tomatoes and peppers do.

Blood meal can beet this goal, leading to excessive vegetative growth at the expense of fruiting.

Substitutes for Blood Meals for Growing These Vegetables

Structural changes are needed for vegetables that did not do well with blood meal; organic and balanced fertilizer can be used. Below are some suitable options.

Compost: Compost is a general purpose organic additive that nourishes the soil with elements and nutrients over a long duration without exaggerating on the quantity of nitrogen supplied. Plus, it helps to increase soil structure and water holding capacity.

Bone Meal: Bone meal is natural vegetarian option ideal for root crops and flower plants since it is rich in phosphorus which aids in root and flowering growth. Bone meal may be combined with conventional organic fertilizers in order to achieve a complete range of nutrients.

Fish Emulsion: This organic fertilizer is a softer form of nitrogen in the absence of blood meal with some phosphorus and potassium. It’s safer in terms of nutrient overload.

Kelp Meal: Kelp meal is a micronutrient material fortified plant and increased the soil fertility without the adoption of high amount of nitrogen. It is useful more to flowering and fruiting plants.

Manure: Well-rotted manure serves as yet another positive option towards improving soil structure by providing organic matter and an even nutrient blend.

Conclusion

Blood meal is a good organic fertilizer particularly for nitrogen-loving crops such as leafy vegetables but not all crops in a vegetable garden.- nutritious drought tolerant crops such as tubers, legumes, and many other fruiting crops could be adversely affected by the overdoses of nitrogen, by shallow roots or low amounts of fruits. To ideally prepare each vegetable type for production, it is useful to understand its nutrient preferences. On the contrary, the right fertilizer is used, and the application of blood meal maximized nitrogen is avoided, most crops are expected to be healthy and produce adequate harvest.