I have heavy clay which holds nutrients AND water. But, when I do a new bed I always add bonemeal for future years' and either some low nitrogen all purpose bulb food ie. 6-10-8 or some superphosphate down deep so roots won't reach it for awhile. The best bed had aged llama manure.

is bone meal a fert ... or a soil additive ???

i differentiate .. because.. with the llama refuse.. perhaps your regimen is better called soil improvement.. rather than fertilizing ...

get where i am going with this .... are you better off building a good soil .. rather than running to the store to buy food ????

ken

I class bonemeal as a fertilizer. Its phosphorous that isn't available to plant roots for approx. a year. I'd guess my 5 lb. box lasts 10 years.

I constantly add compost. But I also use fertilizer once a year or so. I thought it was surprising the aged llama "pellets" gave me the highest percentage of 1st year bloom that I'd ever had. So I pass it along in case anyone else has the opportunity to obtain it.