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Help me duplicate a gardening supplement- Liquid Bone Meal!
TRS71:
--- Quote from: Orcio_Dojek on June 13, 2021, 02:57:15 PM ---@TRS71
You will need strong acid like 35 % HCl to dissolve calcium phosphorate:
Ca3(PO4)2 + 6 HCl ----> 3 CaCl2 + 2 H3PO4
This will yield an easy source of calcium and phosphorus for plants, besides lowering pH of the soil (it will harm plants).
You will need the "protein" which you wrote earlier, as it probably is used to bind H3PO4 and prevent formation of residue.
--- End quote ---
Cool, I can buy a gallon of 35% no problem~What do I do for the binding protein?
Also whats the ratio of bone meal to a gallon.
I've had no chemistry in 25 years, and I blew through those cells an eon ago...
If I get a "recipe" for liquid bonemeal, I know a LOT of people will be overjoyed! THANKS!
Orcio_87:
I found that "CaCl(H2PO4) is higly soluble in the water".
Bone meal cointains Ca10(PO4)6(OH)2 and Ca3(PO4)2:
Ca10(PO4)6(OH)2 + 14 HCl ----> 6 Ca(H2PO4)Cl + 4 CaCl2 + 2 H2O
Ca3(PO4)2 + 4 HCl ---> 2 Ca(H2PO4)Cl + CaCl2
This means you will need from 115 to 124 ml 35 % HCl for every 100 g of bone meal.
But in practice (H2PO4)- is stable around ph about 5, so you need to bring pH to that level.
I suggest using bromothymol blue or bromocresol purple as they turns yellow at pH below 6.
Is Ca(H2PO4)Cl really that soluble - I don't know, beacause formation of Ca(H2PO4)2 is also possible.
About binding calcium or phospate with a protein - I don't know what protein they are using. Maybe some of the milk proteins ?
TRS71:
Any recommendations on a protein? I don't need a 1:1 exact copy, just a working mix.
Im not sure what the protein is added for even. Stopping the formation of residue sounds feasible, even store-bought liquid meal leaves a sludge.
I can leave it in a "brew bag" so it won't gum up the pump. I just need the plants to be able to "drink" it... There are going to be a LOT of happy hydo farmers if I get one correct mix down.
There are recipes just boiling bones, but I doubt their actual effectiveness.,
TRS71:
Oh yea. Also, they say to have to water at 6.0 ph exactly before adding herculean harvest bone meal. 1st time I saw directions that exact. Must have to do with absorption?
Orcio_87:
--- Quote ---Any recommendations on a protein? I don't need a 1:1 exact copy, just a working mix.
--- End quote ---
I suggest using milk proteins (milk) as it has some ability to bind calcium phosphates.
--- Quote --- Oh yea. Also, they say to have to water at 6.0 ph exactly before adding herculean harvest bone meal. 1st time I saw directions that exact. Must have to do with absorption?
--- End quote ---
pH is needed to maintain H2PO4-, not HPO42- or something else (Ca(H2PO4)Cl is said to be so soluble).
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