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atlantasassybelle

Blood Meal and Bulbs

atlantasassybelle
13 years ago

I recently just invested a large amount of time and money to plant over 1300 bulbs (tulips, daffodils, crocus, chinodoxa, species tulips, snow drops, you name it!) in my garden beds. As we have a large squirrel and rabbit population near my house, I'd read that blood meal was an effective deterrent to them digging up bulbs.

I did not mix the blood meal in with all the soil. Instead, I used the "lasagna layering" approach for my beds and I sprinkled a layer of blood meal over the deepest layer of bulbs (tulips and daffodils) after I'd put in about 2 inches of garden soil on top of them. Then I planted the rest of the bulbs and sprinkled another layer of blood meal on top of the soil and then added a thick layer of Scott's Nature Scapes Color Enhanced Mulch (about 2-3 inches). I'm now reading that blood meal adds a lot of nitrogen to the soil and that too much could cause the bulbs to not flower. I can't do anything about the blood meal down deep in the soil (but it was less than a half cup spread over a 4 x 8, 1.5 foot deep bed and an even smaller amount in another bed), however I am concerned that the blood meal on the surface may also add to the nitrogen problem and seep down into the soil.

Is there a risk that I've just created a no flower situation come spring? Is there any additive (like Bone Meal) I can also add on top of the soil or should I peel back the layers of mulch and try to scrape away the blood meal that hasn't already sunk down into the soil with watering and heavy rains? Am I worried over nothing?

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