Mussel Meal (nitrogen+)

Mussel Meal (nitrogen)

Mussel Meal is dried, ground New Zealand mussel meat, an organic nitrogen fertiliser with 8.6% nitrogen plus sulphur, potassium and trace elements. It suits soil building and top dressing for medical cannabis, vegetables and fruit.

At a glance

• Type: single input amendment (dried mussel meal, not shell flour)
• Supplier certificate on file: BioGro licence 202. See the certificate and its dates.
• Analysis: 8.6% nitrogen, 1.9% phosphorus as P₂O₅ (0.85% elemental P), 1.3% potassium as K₂O (1.1% elemental K), 2% sulphur, 3.6% sodium
• Use for: organic nitrogen in soil mixes, beds and top dressing
• Rate: 430 g (712 ml) per square metre of bed, or 145 g (240 ml) per 50 litres of media, for the heavy feeder nitrogen target

What it is

Mussel Meal is the meat of New Zealand farmed mussels, dried and milled. It is a protein meal, so the nitrogen is bound in protein and is released as soil microbes digest it. It is not crushed shell: the calcium content is only 0.55%.

The analysis below is the Cawthron Institute report (ICP-MS) for this material.

What it does

• Supplies nitrogen for protein and chlorophyll: leaf and stem growth.
• Brings sulphur (2%) and a little potassium and phosphorus with the nitrogen.
• Releases over weeks as the protein breaks down, so it works best mixed into the soil ahead of planting; top dressing also works.

Analysis

NPK = 8.6 - 1.9 - 1.3 (N, P₂O₅, K₂O); elemental 8.6 - 0.85 - 1.1

• Nitrogen (N): 8.60%
• Phosphorus (P₂O₅): 1.95%
• Phosphorus (P, elemental): 0.85%
• Potassium (K₂O): 1.33%
• Potassium (K, elemental): 1.10%
• Sulphur (S): 2.00%
• Calcium (Ca): 0.55%
• Magnesium (Mg): 0.42%
• Sodium (Na): 3.60%
• Iron (Fe): 0.04%
• Copper (Cu): 3.4 mg/kg
• Manganese (Mn): 9.1 mg/kg
• Zinc (Zn): 50.0 mg/kg
• Boron (B): 32.0 mg/kg
• Cobalt (Co): 0.47 mg/kg
• Molybdenum (Mo): 0.66 mg/kg
• Selenium (Se): 2.2 mg/kg

How to use

• Best incorporated into the soil; top dressing is also effective.
• Heavy feeder nitrogen target of 150 ppm (about 336 kg of nitrogen per hectare):
• Beds: 430 g (712 ml) per square metre.
• Modified media or compost: 2900 g (4800 ml) per cubic metre.
• Smaller batches: 145 g (240 ml) per 50 litres of media.

Learn more in fifteen seconds

• Nitrogen: what it does
• Nitrogen for the whole crop
• Every amendment brings passengers

Handling and storage

• Wear a mask to avoid inhaling particles and open in a well ventilated area.
• Wear gloves and eye protection, and wash hands after use.
• Once opened, keep sealed and dry.
• Strong smell when wet; mix it in and keep it away from pets.