By Kurlakid
West Yorkshire,
United Kingdom 
Do Magpie like Bonemeal? - just a discussion
I just planted new young Hedra/Ivy plants and as per advice on one of the websites (I think American Ivy society) added a little bit of Bonemeal. They did advice against Rootgrow. Don't know why as generally I have seen Rootgrow being adviced more than Bonemeal since it has a permanent growth effect on plants. So I read.
The advice was to add bonemeal to the bottom and side of the hole dug for planing and after planting scatter a abit more on the top and fork it in carefully.
My neighbor said to me that I should have gone with rootgrow since stray dogs like bonemeal and they can smell it even under the ground. Fortunately we have no stray dogs in our locality; but on odd occassions I have seen Magpies picking up something near my plants. Don't know if it is the bonemeal or whether it is an insect. Hope it is the insect and not the bonemeal that they were after.
Kurlakid.
20 Jul, 2010
Answers
I had a part box of bonemeal eaten last winter - I think it must have been by a mouse, judging from the way the corner of the box was gnawed away and the size of the tunnel left in the bonemeal itself. The little blighter got about half of what was left. I put my gloves on and used it up anyway.
20 Jul, 2010
Foxes like it too.
20 Jul, 2010
And our siamese cats
20 Jul, 2010
Bonemeal, what a waste of money - I wrote a blog about bonemeal recently, Kurlykid, you might want to read it. I bought it for years - until I did my training, and I've never bought a box since.
21 Jul, 2010
Interesting blog Bamboo, not sure how I missed it - perhaps we were away! I think we will continue to use bonemeal for the long term benefits.
21 Jul, 2010
I use blood fish and bone instead, so there's still some bone being put back in, MG
21 Jul, 2010
Magpies scavenge and eat anything, it wouldn't surprise me if they'd eat bits of it.
20 Jul, 2010