The Best Blood Meal for Lush Indoor Plant Growth

You want to keep your indoor plants healthy and thriving all year round, but they can be a challenge when they start lacking nutrients. Since they survive in containers, they’ll eventually pull all of the nutrients out of the soil and start to weaken, rot, and die unless you fix it. You can help them by adding fertilizer periodically, and you should make a point to mix blood meal into your plant’s soil. You can add it annually or bi-annually to help your plants recover from illnesses. It’s especially important if your plants are wilted or showing brown spots on the leaves. 

Blood meal will help the nutrients in your soil break down quicker, and this can rush a nutrient boost to your plant’s roots. It’s very effective if you add blood meal and fertilize your plants a few days later. The nutrients can help perk up your plants, kickstart their growth, and keep them looking lush and full all year round. Additionally, blood meal works on almost any type of plant without being too strong for them to handle. You can use it on succulents, hanging plants, cacti, exotics, and more. I’ve picked out 10 of the best blood meal products and reviewed them for you. You can take these reviews and the short buyer’s guide to help you narrow down your choices. 

Keeping your indoor plants healthy and happy can be a challenge because they have limited nutrients in their pots, and there is no steady stream to keep the lush and green. This is why you should make a point to refresh the soil once or twice a year to boost the nutrient content. 

1. Nature’s Care Organic Blood Meal – Top Pick 

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The first blood meal on the list comes from Nature’s Care, and you should apply it for the first time during the spring months and every two months after to keep the soil nourished. You have to mix it with the soil before spreading it out on your plants. Once you get your blood meal on your outdoor or indoor Gardenias, all you have to do is water them. This product comes from Miracle-Gro, and it uses a very simple but effective recipe that gets tailored for the home gardener to ensure that you get thriving, lush plants. 

This blood meal works well for organic gardening to help give your plants nutrient boosts without adding any chemicals to the soil to ensure you get colorful, abundant harvests of flowers or vegetables. This product contains a higher amount of nitrogen, and this can help your plants go through a faster photosynthesis process. It helps revilitze the soil by restoring lost nutrients, and it promotes vigorous growth with vibrant color. You can choose from three styles when you pick this product, including a blend of bone and blood meal to help further feed the soil. The bag comes with a resealable closure to make it easy to keep it fresh until you need it. 

PROS

• High nitrogen content 
• Revitalizes the soil 
• Promotes strong growth 
• Three sizes available 
• Easy to apply
• Works indoors and outdoors 
• Bag will seal between uses 

CONS

• Messy to apply 

2. True Organic Blood Meal – Step-Up Pick 

 

This blood meal comes from a worldwide leader in the organic fertilizer production niche, and it uses farm-grade ingredients that are grounded in the agricultural sector and you can now use them for your plants. This company has almost 20 years of experience in creating these products, and they’re the company behind Dole, Earthbound Farm, Sunkist, Taylor Farms, Driscoll’s, and Organic Girl. Each pack of blood meal is 100% organic and OMRI certified, and each batch gets tested for pathogens to ensure it’s clean. They are also the first plant food manufacturer to get teh Bureau Veritas ISO 22000 certification. 

This blood meal is a safe choice to grow your plants or flowers in, and it has a 12-0-0- formula that works in organic food production. Nitrogen is the biggest nutrient in this product, and it’s great for applying to heavy feeders like broccoli, spinach, corn, or leafy greens. It promotes fast plant growth and helps heat up your compost piles to break down nutrients better. You should apply it once in the spring and once in the fall for the best results, and it works with in-ground container plants, both indoors and out. It can also work to repel pests from your yard. 

PROS

• Bureau Veritas ISO 22000 certification 
• 100% organic 
• Safe to use 
• 12-0-0 formula 
• Promotes quick growth 
• Great for heavy feeders 
• Works indoors and out

CONS

• Only available as a smaller bag 

3. Jobe’s Organics Blood Meal – Mid-End Budget Pick

This granular blood meal from Jobe’s Organics is a quick and easy way to give you leafy, green vegetable plants, trees, ornamentals, plant walls, and shrubs. It gives the soil extra shots of nitrogen they need to grow and produce green, lush foliage. It comes made from 100% pure organic blood meal that makes it suitable for organic gardening purposes, but you should avoid putting it on legumes, beans, or peas. It works very well on nitrogen-hungry plants like shrubs, ferns, or green, leafy vegetables. It also works well to make your compost pile heat up and break down quicker.

You should test the soil before you add any amendments to it to ensure it needs it so you don’t overload your plants. It’s safe to use around kids or pets without worrying about them getting into it, and the granular form allows you to spread it more evenly. It comes listed for organic gardening by the USDA, and it comes with no synthetic chemicals in it. You get an easy-pour bag with a 12-0-0 fertilizer analysis. It’s guaranteed not to burn when you use it as directed. You get the choice of five styles and three sizes when you order it. 

PROS

• USDA certified organic
• Works well on heavy feeders 
• Safe to use around plants and kids 
• 12-0-0 formula
• Won’t burn with correct use 
• Five styles available
• Choose from three sizes 

CONS

• Very small instructions  

4. Greenway Biotech Blood Meal – Bargain Budget Pick 

This blood meal has a company that registers all of their products with the California Department of Food and Agriculture to ensure you get the best quality product possible when you order it. The CDFA is one of the highest regulated government agencies in the nation, and this product meets and exceeds their requirements. This means that the heavy metal content in this blood meal falls below the recommended amounts or is at zero. This is a SBA-Certified and minority wonder business, and they put out smaller batches of products that they can test for quality to ensure you’re getting the best product possible for your garden.  

This is a heavy metal-free fertilizer that will give your plants all of the nutrients they need to grow large and lush very quickly. There is even blood meal that is suitable for hydroponic setups and won’t wash away quickly. One percent of each sale this company makes on this blood meal goes to their charity, the Greenway Foundation. You get five pounds of blood meal per order, and it has 1% fat and 85% protein to equal out to 13% nitrogen. You can use it on vegetables, fruits, flowers, and other plants. 

PROS

• Free of heavy metals
• SBA certified 
• Works for hydroponic setups 
• 1% of each sale goes to charity 
• Registered to the California Department of Food and Agriculture\
• Resealable package 
• Easy to use

CONS

• Doesn’t get rid of pests  

5. Whitney Farms Blood Meal – Best for Dry Soil Types

 

If you don’t need a huge amount of blood meal because you’re going to use it indoors to grow your mini roses, this could be a nice pick for you. You’ll get a natural source of nitrogen that works well to amend the garden or container soil to encourage vigorous plant growth, and it can encourage your flowers to bloom much brighter and larger. You can also use it on vegetable plants both indoors and out without worrying about overloading the soil, and it works well on shrubs, trees, bulbs, a huge range of heavy-feeding vegetables, and flowers. 

When you order this blood meal, you’ll get three pounds per bag. This is enough to cover a large amount of pots, gardens, or flower beds without running out. This product is made in the United States using strict quality guidelines, and this helps to ensure that you get consistency between each batch. So, you can purchase it over and over again without a problem. It has a 12-0-0 fertilizer ratio to ensure you get nothing but nitrogen in your soil, and it comes from a reputable brand that has a reputation for putting out quality products. 

PROS

• 12-0-0- fertilizer rating 
• Natural nitrogen source 
• Works well in containers 
• Three pounds per order 
• Made in the United States
• Reputable company 
• Easy-pour bag

CONS

• Bag doesn’t seal back up  

6. Super Greensand Powder Blood Meal  – Best for Organic Planting Operations

 

This is a premium multi-nutrient product that is derived from glauconite. You also get a free 68 mineral and trace elements in each bag, and this is approved for organic agriculture by the OMRI. It works to improve the soil’s quality to give you nutrient-dense food by improving your plant’s quality. This product will start improving your plant’s soil almost as soon as you apply it, and it can boost the nutrients that the plant’s absorb. Unlike most chemical fertilizers, this product won’t burn your plants’ roots while remineralizing the soil to keep it healthy for different growing seasons. 

The company guarantees that at least 50% of the particles will pass through a 100-mesh screen, and 20% of the particles will pass through a 200-mesh screen. For longer-term and quicker results, use it with potting soils in gardens, composting, pots, or soil mixes. It has potassium, magnesium, iron, manganese and up to 68 trace minerals and elements. It can help improve the biological, physical, and chemical condition of your soil when you apply it, and it can improve your soil’s moisture retention capacity. It helps loosen up clay-based soil, and it is approved for organic agricultural use. 

PROS

• Contains 68 trace minerals 
• Works very quickly 
• Can use indoors or out
• Improves soil moisture retention capacity 
• Loosens up clay-based soil
• Three styles available 
• OMRI approval for organic gardening 

CONS

• Price

7. EB Stone Blood Meal – Best for Long Growing Seasons

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E.B. Stone’s blood meal is a great thing to have on hand if you’re someone who is getting into straw bale gardening and you need a compound to break down the straw bales quicker by heating them up. This is a very long-lasting source of natural nitrogen that will keep releasing the nitrogen into the soil throughout the growing season to feed your plants as they grow and produce. It works well on most plants to improve leaf color and encourage growth, and it’s a very nice addition to any heavy feeders like leafy green vegetables or larger plants. 

You can use it on annuals, perennials, plants, vegetables,and shrubs without a problem, and you can use it as an organic source of nitrogen to most compost piles to help break them down. Also, it’s a nice way to repel a range of pests that could attack your gardens or flowers, and the product comes packed in a compact box that is easy to store between uses. It has a 13-0-0 fertilizer formula rating to it, and you get 3.5-pounds of product per order to cover larger areas, including several containers, flower beds, or a bigger vegetable garden. 

PROS

• For use on a wide range of plants 
• 13-0-0 rating 
• Long-lasting nitrogen source 
• Works well for heavy feeders 
• Compact box package 
• 100% organic 
• From a reputable company 

CONS

• Box  won’t keep the product fresh  

8. Burpee Organic Blood Meal – Best for Strong Root Growth

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Burpee’s organic blood meal is a natural source of calcium and phosphorus, and it’s a nice early-season addition to help get your plants off to a strong start during the spring months. It also promotes strong root development, gives your flowers superior blossoms or fruit when it’s time to harvest them, and enhances how well they grow early in the season. Blood meal will break down very slowly to ensure that it releases nitrogen all through the growing season to ensure all of your plants perform strongly while resisting common diseases or pests. 

This blood meal works well to help you start peppers and tomatoes, or you can use it to encourage healthy growth of bulb and root crops all season long. It does wonders added to new bedding plants, boosting your established gardens, and keeping any containers you have on your patio looking nice. You can choose from a few quantities when you order to match your needs, and it is OMRI listed for organic gardening. So, you can safely add it to your organic crops without worrying about adding synthetic chemicals to the soil. 

PROS

• Breaks down very slowly 
• Organic composition
• Encourages strong root growth 
• Boosts established gardens 
• OMRI listed 
• No synthetic chemicals 
• Great for heavy feeders

CONS

• Small amount per order

9. Dr. Earth 716 Blood Meal – Best for Fertilizer Tea

 

Dr. Earth’s blood meal is a great additive to your container gardens to encourage lush and full growth for everything from vegetables or herbs to flowers. This is a 13-0-0 fertilizer formula, and you get a unique kiln-dried blood meal that has a host of beneficial microbes infused. These microbes will sink into the soil as you add the blood meal to nourish the roots and encourage deep root systems that can absorb more nutrients while fending off diseases better. You can make a nice fertilizer tea with it to help nourish all of your plants without worrying about damaging the root systems. 

The kiln drying process locks as many nutrients into the product as possible, and it creates a viable source of strong organic nitrogen that works well on indoor and outdoor plants or shrubs. As a bonus, this blood meal is an excellent way to repel deer, rabbits, and other pests quickly and easily without having to apply chemical-laced products to keep them healthy throughout the growing season while reducing the amount you lose to pests. The bag has a resealable zipper on it to allow you to close the bag between uses to ensure that it stays fresh until you need it. 

PROS

• Kiln dried formula 
• 13-0-0 fertilizer 
• Encourages strong root growth 
• Adds microbes to the soil 
• Resealable zippered bag 
• Can make fertilizer tea
• Packed with nutrients 

CONS

• Smaller amount for the price   

10. Family Farm and Feed Blood Meal – Best for Natural Gardening Setups 

 

 The final blood meal product on the list comes from Family Farm and Feed, and it’s a must-have product when you’re going to practice natural gardening. As this is an organic product, there are no synthetic chemicals in the composition, and it’s a natural way to boost the nutrient content of your garden soil, or you can add it to indoor plants or containers without worrying about burning the root system and killing the plants. This product encourages rapid growth, and it’s a renewable resource that you can add back once or twice a year to refresh your soil. 

When you order this blood meal, you’ll get a clear package that contains two pounds of clean blood meal to add to your soil. The company stands by all of their products, as does Amazon. So, if you’re not 100% satisfied, it’s easy to get in touch with customer service and get a refund or a replacement product. You apply one package for every 100-square feet, so it is better for smaller applications so you don’t have to purchase additional ones. You should reapply this product at least once every two months for the best results to ensure that it nourishes your plants until the end of the growing season. 

PROS

• No synthetic chemicals 
• Easy to contact customer service 
• 100% satisfaction guarantee
• Covers 100-square feet 
• Easy to apply to your area 
• Clear packaging 
• Won’t burn the roots

CONS

• Have to reapply it every two months 

Blood Meal Buyer’s Guide 

If you’re considering incorporating blood meal into your plants, you have to know what to consider when you start shopping. A short buying guide can help you compare the various products and sift through the product reviews until you narrow down the choice that will work best to give your houseplants a needed nutrient boost to keep them healthy and thriving all year round. 

Defining Blood Meal 

This product is an upgraded form of traditional fertilizer, and it gives your plants a slow-release of nitrogen when you mix it into your plant’s soil. This is a huge source of nutrients for your plants because animal blood has higher levels of nitrogen and proteins. It is dried and powdered blood from cows or other slaughtered animals, and it’s very popular to mix into vegetable and fruit plants. You can also create a liquid fertilizer with it because this type of meal is water-soluble. 

Once you purchase it, you should read the dosage instructions very thoroughly. If you accidentally get it on your plant leaves, it’s strong enough to burn them and cause more damage. To use it, you want to mix it into the first few inches of soil and water it. The water will help push the meal down to your plant’s roots to help them absorb more nutrients. 

Matching the types of indoor plants you have to your blood meal will help ensure that it’ll create an optimal growing environment for them, and you should avoid getting anything on the leaves because it can burn them.

Brand 

The brand you choose is very important because more well-known ones tend to pay more attention to the ingredients. It’s also easier to get in touch with a brand if you have problems. Maybe you’re curious as to whether or not a brand will do well with your indoor orange trees or if you should pick something else. The customer service team will be able to advise you on which product would work best for your plants. 

Coverage

Stronger formulas will cover more area, both inside and out. The average coverage area hovers right around 100 to 200 square feet, and this works out to a teaspoon or less per plant. If you don’t have a lot of houseplants, you could get at least a year out of a single purchase. This includes reapplying the product every few months to encourage continued growth and the dark, green coloring. 

As with any type of fertilizer, you’ll need to add water to help it start working and sink to the roots of your plants. Each time you water, the fertilizer will encourage your plants to absorb as many nutrients as possible to green up the leaves and help them grow. 

Application Process

How do you apply your meal? For the most part, many companies recommend that you mix the product into your soil before you plant your indoor plants. Once you apply it and get the plant in the pot, you should apply a light layer of water. Also, make sure you double-check the recommendations for reapplying it. Larger tomato plants will most likely need more meal than smaller succulents to make it last for a few weeks before you have to reapply it. 

Benefits of Using Blood Meal 

There are many benefits of adding blood meal to your plants to help encourage healthier, greener growth and blooms with higher yields. This is a very affordable organic fertilizer that gives all of your plants a big boost of nitrogen. A few benefits of adding blood meal to your plants include: 

1. Improves Soil Quality 

Blood meal is a fantastic way to improve your soil quality because it helps balance the nutrient content. When the active growing season comes around, it’s not uncommon for your garden area to run low on essential nutrients because your plants use it. Once you incorporate blood meal into the garden, it makes the soil return to a natural balance. In turn, this will keep the soil nourishing your plants’ root systems. 

2. Rich Nitrogen Source 

Blood meal gives you plants and the soil a consistent, rich source of nitrogen. Higher nitrogen levels can increase the soil’s acidity levels, and this is a great thing for crops like peppers, squash, onions, and radishes. If you plan on having a vegetable garden, you’ll need a higher amount of nitrogen to nourish all of your plant’s roots quickly. 

3. Balances the Carbon to Nitrogen Ratio 

If you have a compost pile to use to enrich your soil, you can add blood meal to it to help balance out the carbon to nitrogen ratio. Any brown material present in your compost pile like the dried, wilted leaves, straw, or paper, all contain carbon. Adding blood meal to this compost pile will ensure that you get a balanced nutrient dose to add to your soil. 

4. An Attractive, Lush Garden

Gardeners will notice that you have a visible difference in how green your plants are after you enrich the soil with blood meal. Since it is high in nutrients, it helps to produce plentiful, lush, and deep green foliage on all of your plants. Blood meal is ideal for helping you get long-lasting deep green coloring. 

It could also attract butterflies and birds by encouraging healthy flowers. It works even better when you apply it to your vegetable gardens with Brussel sprouts, kale, lettuce, and other heavy feeders. They’re nitrogen-hungry, so they need extended nitrogen to have a full harvest. 

Bottom Line 

Blood meal is an organic way to help your plants stay healthy while giving them a boost of nutrients. I’ve given you 10 different options from various brands that you can compare side-by-side to see whether or not they’ll work well for your indoor plants. You can use the buying guide to narrow down your choices and make the best selection for your needs to keep your indoor plants looking lush and healthy 365 days a year.