Blood meal is used as a nitrogen source, and if added to a compost pile, it helps get worms to thrive in the compost.

Just recently, I got some more saffron crocus bulbs in another attempt at trying to grow them. Last time, something chewed all the tops off and there was no further growth. I plan to set down some 1/4 inch screening as a bed and walls around the area, then plant the crocus just above the screening. Then make a screen dome to cover the whole area and protect against rabbits and whatever else was chewing the leaves. Hopefully, this fall I might get some to blossom if all goes well. Wish I could find some stainless steel screening as that would be the best choice, but alas, its very expensive too.

As a rule, all such amendments should be worked into the soil, not just laid on the surface.

I usually prep a garlic bed with bone meal, blood meal, and wood ashed by tilling them in before planting. Then, long about May, I side dress with them again, carefully working them in with a hand cultivator so as to not harm any roots.

I haven't had any problems with critters that way.

"Are animals attracted to blood meal? "

Actually, some animals are repelled by blood meal, rabbits in particular and maybe deer as well.

BTW, my critter problem when I used bone meal was a one time occurence. I didn't mean to imply that it is something you need to worry about.

Jim

I would suspect that indeed some critter, came around and walked on your garlic trying to figure out where the good smell was coming from. I wouldn't worry about the bent over tops, those plants will go ahead and crop for you. I think they would like you to put a few sticks around them to hold their tops up, they'd feel better and maybe do some repair work. I got a little too enthusiastic hoeing out some weeds a few weeks ago and chopped the tops right off two nice plants, can't fix THAT problem, but now they have put out some new leaves and don't look all that bad. They won't be as big at harvest time, that's all. Yours may not be hurt much at all.
I recently came across some notes from a garden lecture that said the alliums like lots of minerals, so I went out and sprinkled some Planters II. I usually give my garlic and also my brassicas some sulfur, since it tends to be a bit short here, and I like these foods to have a good bite to them. And one thing you may not be able to do, but it's saved us from low nitrogen situations, is use diluted urine. I can guarantee it won't bring cats around! Our garden is way out in the sticks, we have no plumbing out there, so we have a pee bucket. In winter it goes on compost heaps, but in summer it goes on anything I think needs a boost of nitrogen. I did it in town too, but discretely, after we had two dump trucks of leaves plowed into our garden and wound up with a terrible N deficiency. Everything I planted just turned yellow and sat there till they got some nitrogen. They'd turn green for two weeks and grow, then I'd have to dose them again. We got through that summer without having to use any chemical fertilizer (some 6-6-6 would have fixed the problem immediately) and the next year we had the most beautiful black dirt and the nitrogen was available again.

Raccoons like the smell of blood, and probably were more than just curious. The only place I would use blood meal would be in teh compost pile, so it will increase worm colonies. Most small animals like rodents and rabbits would be a bit scared by the smell, as it usually indicates death nearby.
Donna,
Your yellowing may also be from low iron? I found that, even though NE is usualy high in iron, my garden soil was not, so I have added some for that last two years as iron sulfate, and other iron sources. My garlic was HOT last year when harvested, I must assume that there is plenty of sulfur here. I also add lime every year because my soil gets so acidic around the edges where I have 30 blueberry bushes growing. They get their dose of acid each spring too.

My Shepherd smells blood and bone meal a mile away! Even when I work it in the soil she'll scratch the ground looking for it.

So, what I do is, I use liquids! As foliars, they aren't troublesome. I even prefer to use fish emulsion instead of the blood meal. But the liquid bone meal works awesome

My dog stomped all around the garden when I amended the soil with dried blood, bone meal, and wood ashes. My husband said, "You basically buried dead bodies in the garden and expected Goliath to leave it alone?" The dog dug up about half the cloves and I had to replant and fence the garden in.

Been using bone meal and blood meal on all my gardens. I use them on veggies of any kind, roses, annuals, etc. Been doing this for 15 years or so. Usually till them in the top 4 inches of soil when I work the beds (along with lime and any other amendment I think I need). Works great in my gardens and never had a problem with any dogs or other animals except cats and they have been permanetly taken care of now. Dont think it was the bonemeal or blood meal that drew them. They just like to crap in my newly turned beds. Pennington's is the best I have ever used and probably the cheapest also.

Good luck

edgman/Tom R

Is it too late to apply some bone meal into my tomato plant growing in the pot? I have few small green tomatoes but none are turning red yet and it is mid-July. Is that normal? I'm in the zone 5-Colorado. Thanks.

Bone meal needs to be down where the roots are to be used by the plant. Better to put it there before planting.

Green tomatoes will ripen off the vine, btw. I live in marginal tomato territory myself and got used to not expecting a red tomato on the vine. Although, there are varieties for bad climates, Oregon Spring being the one I used to grow. Unfortunately, I have made myself sensitive to tomatoes so don't eat or grow them anymore.