On 11 May 2006 15:31:15 -0700, "higgledy" wrote:

I bought a bag of bone meal to add to the soil when I transplant my
tulips. Why is bone meal a good fertilizer for flower bulbs and rose
bushes? Is any fertilizer high in phosphate just as good as bone meal?.


Bone meal is particularly high in phosphorus. It is "organic" and by
nature a slow release fertilizer, great for tubers and bulbs. Rock
phosphate (crushed limestone) is another good fertilizer very high in
phosphorus. Dried seagull bird poop is another source of phosphorus,
although to a lesser extent than the two mentioned. Personally, I use
fish emulsion and composted cow manure on my roses with excellent
results.