Thursday, May 12, 2022

Making Garden Mineral Supplement Using Chicken Bone & Wood Ash. 5.12.22

 In addition to eggshells, I make garden mineral supplement using wood ash and chicken bone.  I am vegetarian, and all of the bones come from the dog food I make for Rufus, which uses chicken thighs.   My calculations from the few articles that I could find about chicken bone ash, is that Calcium content is about 68% and phosphorus content is about 29%.  Wood ash is more complicated, varies by tree species and probably where it is grown.  From Wikipedia, calcium content can vary from 25% to 45%, less than 10% potassium, and less than 1%phosphorus, with the rest being trace minerals.  

By my tests, my garden soil is deficient in calcium, phosphorus, and potassium.  So I supplement.  Growing crops removes a lot of those elements, which go into the plants and the food products.

I dry the chicken bones same same as I do eggshells.  They are already slow cooked overnight in the process of cooking for Rufus' meals.  I haven't been using the woodstove much, but today was chilly so I made a fire and added a big batch of bones.


After the fire burns out and cools, I collect the ashes and spread on the garden soil.  It's a dusting, not a thick layer. I prefer doing that before planting anything in that area and letting it mellow a week or more.  In the past I tried just burying the bones, but sometimes they don't break down and I find them when  cultivating.  Burnt bones are mostly fine ash, and the ones that are recognizable are brittle and crunchy like potato chips, and disappear when cultivating.

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