Well whether I have blood lying around isn't really the point and you might have just caused someone who would have taken the time to answer my question to now over look it. Thanks.

Blood isn't hard to obtain. Ethnic markets carry pints of animal blood for cheap. Blood can also be saved from the next time I butcher an animal.

Blood meal is just dried blood. You could use the blood as you would the meal, if its needed.

Commercially available dried blood is 'harvested' from slaughter houses, then pasteurized by running it through evaporative / vacuum boilers, then dried in tumbling ovens, then hammer-milled into powder. A fragrant enterprise.

If its just using liquid blood, I'd be a bit worried about attracting raccoons, rats, fox, and canines.

Actually, my response kept your post at the top of the forum where it was more likely to be seen. You're welcome.

The obvious drawback to using fresh blood in the garden is the unwanted attention it could generate - all manner of critters would be attracted to it. Any kind of local predators and carrion eaters - dogs, coyotes, raccoons, rats, crows, etc., not to mention flies. And there would probably be an odor as well. Even applications of blood meal applied directly to the garden attracts attention.

I wouldn't go out of my way to locate and apply. If readily available, I would think it much more useful and easier to handle if incorporated into a regular composting operation.

GardenGal (and those applicable) Thanks for the feedback. I wasn't worried about predators, as my garden is fenced in twice (backyard privacy then garden fencing) however I never considered flies. I wonder if the blood was watered in would I have the same problem and whether or not it would still be beneficial.

Rlv4, posts remain at the top until someone responds to it.

I wouldn't go out of my way to locate and apply. If readily available, I would think it much more useful and easier to handle if incorporated into a regular composting operation.

Would you think that composting the blood would result in the same problems as applying it in a garden? I have a hot compost bin and I will have access to fresh blood next week, might as well make good use of it if I keep it.

Thank You.

If your compost is hot adding the blood would not cause an increase in unwanted insect levels since the hot compost would cook any eggs that might get deposited there. The blood might cause an increase in the heat as the bacteria digesting the other material utilize the Nitrogen in the blodd as food to digest the carbon material.

A pathologist I used to know - ages ago - used the units of human blood to fertilize his roses and other ornamentals. He poured it into trenches between the plants, then filled the trenches.

His garden was lovely.

Either mix fresh blood with water or dry it and mix it with another organic fertilizer. Blood is a tricky material. Most organic gardeners avoid it because of the ease with which you can burn plants. Composting might be a great way to handle it. I would wonder if it might create a fire in the compost from the heat generated? I guess I would pour it on top and water it in, then cover it with plenty of leaves to capture the aroma of decomposing blood.

David52 points out an important thing about using blood in the garden. The commercial form is heat pasteurized...with good reason. I wonder if the same people here that are recommending using the blood in their compost also advocate adding animal meat to the pile as well. If not, why? Seems the same risks of disease transmission would be there...

...I wonder if the same people here that are recommending using the blood in their compost also advocate adding animal meat to the pile as well..."

Heck yeah! If the pile is an active pile and you have the carbons to mask odors there's no reason not to use either.

tj

Hi, so I have a question I thawed some pork chops and thought I could use the blood the garden. So I cooked it in the oven but I think I over cooked it bc it isnt coming off of my pan.. I cooked it at 200 but I was in the kitchen doing a few things so i didnt think it was very long.. I guess I didnt check on it enough or stir it. But half of it came up and half it it stuck to my small cake pan I dont use much.. I was going to cook the bones down as much as I can so break them down and put them in the compost.. well my question is how can I get the other half up? Add water then put it the oven to soften it up then scrape and then what?