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Most summer residents believe that potassium magnesia is a fertilizer for beets. Indeed, it improves the taste of the root crop. But in fact, potassium magnesia is “responsible” for the taste of not only beets, but also carrots, cabbage and other vegetables. It is equally important that thanks to this fertilizer, vegetable and fruit crops get sick less and better tolerate cold weather. It is believed that the use of potassium magnesia increases the yield by 30 – 40%.
The effect of applying fertilizer on poor soils is especially noticeable. And this is not only an increase in productivity, but also abundant flowering of ornamental crops, full-bodied bunches of grapes and juicy green needles of coniferous crops.
Potassium magnesia or, as it is also called, double salt is produced from natural materials – shenite and langbeinite-cainite rock. In garden centers, you can buy Kalimag fertilizer. This is not an analogue of potassium magnesia, although the properties of these fertilizers are similar.
What is potassium magnesia
This fertilizer is produced mainly in packs of 500 g and is a gray-pink granules, powder or chopped small pieces. Fertilizer in the form of granules or pieces is suitable for soil application, in the form of powder for summer use.
Composition calymagnesia
The composition of potassium magnesia (potassium-magnesium sulfate) contains up to 30% potassium (K), up to 10% magnesium (Mg) and 17% sulfur (S). Fertilizer is considered chlorine-free because it contains the minimum amount of this element – up to 1,5% (1).
Properties of potassium magnesia
Fertilizer improves the quality of flowering, the taste of vegetables and fruits, reduces the ripening time of the crop, improves the keeping quality of fruits. Increases the content of vitamins in green crops, starch in potatoes, sugars in root crops and fruits.
Increases the resistance of plants to viral and fungal diseases, frost resistance.
Reduces the content of nitrates, restores soil fertility.
It tends to be evenly distributed in the root layer of the soil, quickly absorbed by plants. The fertilizer is valid throughout the year.
Potassium magnesia is used on almost all soils, except for chernozems and solonetzes. When using this fertilizer, dosages must not be exceeded, as this may impair the quality of the soil (2).
The use of potassium magnesia in the garden and vegetable garden
Potassium magnesia is needed where soils are poor in potassium, magnesium and sulfur. Fertilizer is used when growing root crops, legumes, cabbage crops and other plants that do not tolerate chlorine well, but which need potassium to form high-quality fruits.
making Dates
On light soils, potassium magnesia is applied in the spring when preparing the soil for planting, on heavy soils – in the fall for digging or in grooves in tree trunks. In summer, it is more rational to apply fertilizer in the form of foliar top dressing in accordance with the requirements of agricultural technology of individual crops (3).
Dosage of application
Application rate – 20 g (4 teaspoons) per 10 liters of water or 20 g of dry fertilizer per 1 sq.m.
When landing in the landing hole:
- potatoes – 1 teaspoon;
- fruit stone trees – 300 g;
- berry bushes – 150 g.
For other cultures, the rules are:
- for cabbage in the middle of summer – a pinch per 10 liters of water, watering rate – 1 bucket per plant;
- for tomatoes – 20 g (4 teaspoons) per 10 liters of water under the root at the rate of 3 liters per plant;
- for foliar feeding of grapes, roses and conifers – 20 g per 10 liters of water from 1 to 3 times during the growing season.
When signs of magnesium and potassium deficiency appear, plants are sprayed with a fertilizer solution – 10 g (2 teaspoons) per 10 liters of water.
Application methods
Potassium magnesia is applied both in dry and dissolved form. Dry fertilizer is embedded in the soil in the near-stem grooves to a depth of 6–20 cm, followed by watering.
In the summer, foliar top dressing is used with a small drop until the leaf is wetted. For her, a solution is made at the rate of 1 tbsp. spoon for 10 liters of water.
Popular questions and answers
We asked about potassium magnesia agronomist Oleg Ispolatov – he answered the most popular questions of summer residents.
How much does it cost and where to buy potassium magnesia?
Is it possible to do foliar top dressing with potassium magnesia?
For foliar top dressing, make a solution of 10 – 20 g (2 – 4 teaspoons) of fertilizer per 10 liters of water. Let it brew for 1 hour, then drain from the sediment and spray the plants in the morning or evening until the leaves are wet.
How to store potassium magnesia?
Can potassium magnesia be mixed with other fertilizers?
However, when fertilizing in the fall, wood ash or dolomite flour can be used at the same time.
Sources of
- State catalog of pesticides and agrochemicals permitted for use on the territory of the Federation as of July 6, 2021 // Ministry of Agriculture of the Federation
https://mcx.gov.ru/ministry/departments/departament-rastenievodstva-mekhanizatsii-khimizatsii-i-zashchity-rasteniy/industry-information/info-gosudarstvennaya-usluga-po-gosudarstvennoy-registratsii-pestitsidov-i-agrokhimikatov/
- Mineev V.G. Agrochemistry. Textbook (2nd edition, revised and enlarged) // M.: MGU Publishing House, KolosS Publishing House, 2004 – 720 p.
- Yagodin B.A., Zhukov Yu.P., Kobzarenko V.I. Agrochemistry (edited by B.A. Yagodin) / M .: Kolos, 2002 – 584 p.