How to Get Bone Meal in Minecraft

Guide Java Bedrock

Quick answer: Craft it: 1 bone makes 3 bone meal, and 1 bone block makes 9. A fully filled composter gives 1 bone meal the next time it is used, and pufferfish and tropical fish have a 5% chance to drop 1 when killed.

What you need

Bones (skeletons) or bone blocks (fossils)
Or 7 wooden slabs for a composter
Plant matter to compost (seeds, leaves, vines...)

Step by step

Get bones (for example from skeletons) and craft 1 bone into 3 bone meal.
Uncraft bone blocks: 1 bone block makes 9 bone meal.
Use a composter: almost any plant-like item works, including vines, leaves and mushrooms. When it is completely filled, 1 bone meal drops the next time it is used.
Kill pufferfish or tropical fish: each has a 5% chance to drop 0-1 bone meal.
Loot trial chambers supply chests: 2-5 bone meal.
Farmer villagers can collect bone meal from a full composter to speed up their crops.
Use it: beetroots have a 75% chance to grow a stage, saplings 45%, and mushrooms 40% to become huge mushrooms. It also crafts dyes and bone blocks.

Java vs Bedrock

Using bone meal on a surface next to a water source can generate seagrass. Coral and coral fans can generate in warm ocean biomes in Java Edition, and in any biome in Bedrock Edition.

Versions: Describes the current Java and Bedrock releases. See the edition note above for differences.

Frequently asked questions

How many bone meal does a bone give?

1 bone crafts into 3 bone meal.

How many does a bone block give?

1 bone block makes 9 bone meal.

How do I get bone meal without bones?

Fill a composter completely, or kill pufferfish and tropical fish (5% chance each).

Does bone meal always grow a plant?

No. Beetroots have a 75% chance per use and saplings 45%.