Along with nitrogen and phosphorus, potassium is an essential element for any green plant, especially when it comes to fruit crops. Today we will try to tell you about potash fertilizer: what it is, how it is applied and what results it gives. In addition, we highlight the main types in which this top dressing is found on store shelves.
What is potassium for the plant?
Most often, gardeners and gardeners feed their plot with organic matter (manure in the first place). This is an excellent nutrient medium, but we must not forget about the need to make minerals in the soil. Skew is also common here. Use urea and other sources of nitrogen, but forget about the most important potash fertilizer. What is it and what is it for? First of all, such substances differ in that they are soluble in water and extremely important for plants growing on a wide variety of soils. They can and should be applied on heavy clay areas, and on chernozem, and on sandy soils. Potassium is necessary for plants, as it helps the movement of sugars through tissues. On the one hand, this allows fruit crops to eat normally, and on the other hand, it provides the formation of tasty, sugar fruits. Any farmer will say that one of the most important is potash fertilizer. What is it and what types of such top dressings are, we will consider in the framework of our article. It is thanks to the timely introduction of them into the soil that we can significantly increase the plant's resistance to various diseases, frost and drought.
Signs of Potassium Deficiency
So, we decided that it is mandatory to apply potash fertilizers to the soil. “What are these?” The novice gardener asks. We will talk about this a little lower, but for now, let's discuss what caused this need. According to farmers, this is an indispensable mineral, without which the full development of the plant is impossible. However, its flaw is not immediately apparent. Around the middle of the growing season, you can see that the culture has a bluish tint and general fading. And if potassium starvation is even more pronounced, then brown spots appear. If there is potassium in the soil, but in insufficient quantity, then the plants often bloom unnaturally abundantly, and then form small fruits.
The main types of fertilizers
Despite all the variety, these fertilizers are divided into three large groups.
The most popular in agriculture are concentrated, produced using factory processing of potash ores. This is potassium chloride and sulfate, potassium-magnesium concentrate, potassium magnesium sulfate.
The second large group is raw potash salts, that is, ground natural potash ores. It is cainite and sylvinite, rich in toxic impurities of chlorine.
Finally, the third group consists of potassium salts, which are obtained by mixing raw potassium salts with concentrated ones.
How to get potash fertilizers
Potash fertilizers are produced in Canada, Russia and Belarus. It is in these countries that 85% of all world deposits of potash ores are located. This ore is mined in much the same way as coal. Development is open (career) type and closed when it comes in handy to go into the mines. The extracted raw materials go to production, where they are crushed and brought to the final form, in which the consumer already knows.
Wood ash
Let's now try to highlight the main sources of such a useful substance as potash fertilizer. What is this, we have briefly described, but we will return to this issue in the course of the story.
In fact, potassium is needed in the garden in small quantities, so in its pure form it is almost never applied to the soil. However, an ordinary source of this mineral is ordinary wood ash. This universal, affordable and completely harmless raw material is obtained by burning wood. In addition to potassium, it contains a little phosphorus and calcium, as well as a huge amount of other trace elements. In this case, the percentage of potassium content depends on the species of wood burned and ranges from 7 to 40%. Such fertilizer should be applied primarily on acidic soils. At the same time, one kilogram of ash will easily replace 500 g of lime or chalk. It will be useful to all garden crops, however, if this fertilizer is not enough for you, then first of all it should be allocated for cucumbers and zucchini, pumpkin and tomatoes, pepper and potatoes.
Potassium chloride
At first glance - a substance completely unsuitable for feeding a plant. It contains about 60% useful potassium and an admixture of chlorine, which is extremely toxic and harmful to plants. Therefore, if it is necessary to saturate the soil with potassium, and there is nothing else at hand, the gardener will have to act in advance. Fruit and berry crops do not tolerate chlorine, although it is the berries that are most responsive to potash.
A similar option is potassium salt. It contains 30-40% potassium and selvinite. Recommended for application only in the winter, immediately before digging. However, such top dressing with potash fertilizers has a bad effect on berry crops, which are very sensitive to toxic impurities. For this reason, adding potassium salt to an existing bed is not recommended.
Potassium sulfate
He is also known as potassium sulfate. Potash fertilizers are often undeservedly forgotten by gardeners, although their prudent use can significantly improve the quality of the harvest. Moreover, potassium sulfate is the best option for your summer cottage. Of all potash fertilizers, only this does not contain toxic impurities of chlorine, sodium and magnesium. It can be applied to the soil both in autumn and spring, and mixing with any other fertilizer is allowed. However, its amount will need to be calculated each time. For the main application for digging, you can take 30 g per 1 m 2 , and if potassium sulfate is used for root dressing, the amount must be reduced to 5 g per m 2 .
Potassium sulfate is a fertilizer that is ideal for outdoor and indoor use. After its regular use, gardeners note that the content of sugar and vitamins in cultivated fruits, vegetables and berries increases markedly. At the same time, plants become less susceptible to various diseases, the percentage of damage to finished products by gray rot decreases several times.
Winter protection
There is another important point explaining the need to use this fertilizer in the garden. It provides perennial shrubs a safe wintering. That is, by feeding your fruit plantations and berry plants in the fall, you can be sure that they will survive the most severe cold. Representatives of the cruciferous family are especially fond of potassium sulfate . They react extremely negatively to chlorine, which is part of the potash fertilizers listed above, so this is the only acceptable option for cabbage, turnips and radishes.
Complex mineral fertilizers
Pure sources of potassium practically end there. Now let's look at the most popular complexes, which include potassium. And the first on the agenda will be the tandem of potassium and nitrogen. According to farmers, this is the perfect combination for most garden plants. Many people know it under the name potassium nitrate. Its use in the garden ensures high productivity. And it can come in handy throughout the summer period. The complex contains potassium (44%) and nitrogen (13%). This mix can be used even after the plant has flowered and has formed an ovary. At the same time, a small amount of nitrogen will strengthen the culture, but will not spur the growth of green mass. That is, the plant will continue to engage in its main task, that is, the formation of fruits, instead of growing lush bushes. Potassium will play an equally important role at this time. Introduced at this stage, it will lay the foundation for the future harvest and help the fruits and berries gain excellent taste.
For which garden crops is potassium nitrate used? Its use is more justified for feeding root crops (carrots and beets) and berry crops. This fertilizer and tomatoes respond well. Not only the quantity, but also the quality of the fruits noticeably improves, they become large, and the flesh - sugar. But for potatoes it will not be so effective, because phosphorus is more important for it. It makes little sense to add saltpeter to greens, radish and cabbage.
This fertilizer can be applied in dry and liquid form. However, the solution will act faster, so it is recommended to dilute 15-25 g per 10 liters of water and fertilize the soil at the rate of 1 liter per m 2 . During the summer period, it is necessary to produce at least two, but no more than four applications of potash fertilizer. From the moment of the last feeding until harvesting, at least 3-4 weeks should pass.
Kalimagnesia
This is a favorite food for potatoes by farmers. As part of this fertilizer potassium and magnesium are combined. This is its main value, since during the period of active plant growth, the need for these two elements is very great. At the same time, it is often not possible to satisfy it by introducing organic matter. That is, in theory, manure, humus or compost should fully provide the plant with everything necessary. But, as practice shows, they have an optimal ratio of potassium and other nutrients.
Nitrophoska
Nitrogen-potassium fertilizers are an ideal choice for soil with an excess of phosphorus. This is an ideal way to get a wonderful crop from garden crops cheaply and quickly. Thanks to the timely application of this fertilizer, flowering, development, formation and ripening of fruits occur. In this case, the gardener will not be required to purchase complex and expensive compositions. You can use nitrophosphate for any garden crop, however, the amount will vary depending on the nature of the soil and the plant fed.
Nitroammofoska
We have listed almost all the main potash fertilizers. Their names are well known to agricultural technicians, but not so for beginner amateur gardeners. First, we discussed what are the options for mono-top dressing (pure potassium). However, it is best for plants when they immediately receive a complex of essential minerals. Therefore, pay attention to nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium fertilizer. Having a deficiency in at least one of these substances, the plant will not bear fruit well. Therefore, it is necessary for every gardener to have it in his arsenal. The composition of this complex fertilizer contains 17% nitrogen, 24% phosphorus and 28% potassium. Its use is extremely useful for all types of garden crops. Nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium fertilizer on tomatoes is especially good.
They suffer less from scab, root and stem rot, late blight. They are fed no more than twice during the whole season. Another big lover of this fertilizer is grapes. This southern resident tolerates winter quite tolerably in the middle zone of Russia, if he regularly receives such top dressing. Apply this fertilizer with great success on almost any soil. However, it showed itself best on chernozems and alumina.
To summarize
Thus, we can conclude that mineral dressing is one of the most important events during the summer season. It is thanks to the optimal amount of potassium in the soil that you can significantly increase productivity, protect crops from bacterial diseases, and also ensure good survival of fruit bushes and trees in the coldest winter. However, the best introduction of the substance affects the quality of the fruit. The optimal amount of this mineral allows you to get large, sweet and tasty fruits that are perfectly stored and not prone to rot. But it is equally important to combine mineral fertilizers with each other. An ideal complex is the three - phosphorus, potassium and nitrogen. This magnificent trio will turn your site into a real garden of wonders.