How to make bone-meal with leftover chicken bones! creative explained, by creative explained on YouTube. 1 min 42 s.
- Video length
- 1 min 42 s
- Time to do it
- 3 to 4 hours
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Steps
- 8
What you need
Steps
Pick the bones clean of meat and skin, then rinse them under the tap. Bones from a roast or a boiled carcass both work.
Put the bones in a pot, cover them with water and boil for 20 to 30 minutes. Skim off the fat and scum that float to the top.
Drain the bones and spread them in a single layer on a baking tray. Rinse them again if the cooking water was salty.
Dry the bones in an oven at 100 to 120°C (200 to 250°F) for 2 to 3 hours. Crack the door open slightly so steam can escape.
Test a bone. It should snap easily and feel light and chalky. If it still bends, give it more time.
Wrap the dry bones in a thick cloth and break them with a hammer, or pound them in a mortar and pestle. Grind small handfuls in a blender for a finer powder.
Sift the powder through a fine sieve and grind the coarse pieces again. Store the finished bone meal in a labelled airtight jar.
Dig a small handful into the soil around each plant at planting time and water it in. Bone meal breaks down slowly, so it feeds for months.
Tips and common mistakes
Wear a dust mask when you grind the bones, because fine bone dust is unpleasant to breathe.
Rinse boiled bones well before drying, since salt from cooking can harm plants.
Never give cooked chicken bones to pets, as they splinter. Grind them fully instead.
A blender can be damaged by hard pieces, so break them with a hammer first.
Questions
How fine does the bone meal need to be?
The finer the powder, the faster it breaks down in the soil. Coarse chips still work but take much longer to release their nutrients.
Can I dry the bones without an oven?
Yes. Spread them in a sunny, well ventilated spot for several days, or use a food dehydrator on a low setting until they are brittle.
Does homemade bone meal smell?
Boiled bones smell mild once they are dry. Grinding makes a dusty smell, so work outside or near an open window.
This guide was drafted from the video's details and general task knowledge. It has not been checked against the full video. Check the video and relevant product instructions before following a procedure. Report a correction.
