Potassium sulphate (potassium sulphate)

On poor soils without the use of potassium, it is difficult to grow most fruit crops – the yield will be low, and the taste of the fruit will be slurred, and ornamental plants will bloom poorly.

Potassium deficiency in the soil quickly affects the condition of plants – the edges of the leaves dry and brighten, then necrotic spots appear, the ovaries crumble.

One of the most popular potash fertilizers among summer residents is considered to be potassium sulfate. The fertilizer is valued for the fact that it does not contain chlorine, which means that it can be effectively used for growing crops that are sensitive to this element – legumes, potatoes, berry bushes, strawberries and grapes (1).

What is potassium sulfate

Potassium sulfate or potassium sulfate (K2SO4) is a mineral fertilizer with a high content of potassium. It is used for growing plants in open and closed ground. Powder of white color with a slight gray tint, easily soluble in water and bitter-sour taste.

Composition of potassium sulfate

The composition of the potassium fertilizer (K) contains about 50%. Quite a lot, about 18%, sulfur (S), 3% magnesium (Mg) and 0,4% calcium (Ca) (1).

Properties of potassium sulfate

Due to the high content of potassium, the fertilizer has a regulatory effect on the growth, development, flowering and fruiting of plants, increases their resistance to weather conditions, diseases and pests, and increases frost resistance.

And potassium improves the taste of fruits, increases the level of sugars, starch content and increases their shelf life.

Fertilizer is suitable for all types of soil except solonchak.

The use of potassium sulfate in the garden and vegetable garden

When using potassium sulfate, it is necessary to take into account the features of this fertilizer. It works best on vegetable crops of the Cabbage family, as well as cucumbers, zucchini, peppers, eggplants, and potatoes. The yield and taste of fruits in strawberries, raspberries, currants and other berry crops increases. Improved flowering of ornamental and indoor plants.

It is important to take into account that on sandy soils, potassium sulfate easily penetrates to the roots even with surface application, on heavy soils, fertilizer should be applied directly to the root zone (2).

making Dates

The most effective is the introduction of potassium sulfate in the fall for digging or incorporation into the soil.

In the summer, root and foliar top dressing with fertilizer solutions are recommended.

Spring application of potassium sulfate is recommended a month before planting. On light soils, fertilizer is applied to a depth of 5-10 cm, on heavy soils – at least 15 cm (3).

Dosage of application

Gardener’s Golden Rule: It’s better to underfeed than overfeed. Follow it and your plants will thank you with a beautiful view, beautiful flowering and a rich harvest.

In general, the application rates for potassium sulfate are as follows:

• when planting fruit trees – 200 – 250 g in a planting hole;
• when planting berry bushes and grapes – 20 g per 1 sq. m;
• when planting tomatoes, peppers, eggplants and pumpkin crops – 15 g per 1 sq. m;
• when planting potatoes, cabbage and root crops – 30 g per 1 sq. m;
• for feeding roses before flowering – 15 g per 1 sq. m;
• for liquid feeding of indoor plants – 1 g per 1 liter of water;
• for liquid top dressing of perennials and fruit and berry crops – 10 g per 10 liters of water.

Application methods

There are 3 ways to apply potassium sulfate:

• in dry form for embedding into the soil;
• in liquid form for irrigation under the root;
• in liquid form for foliar feeding.

In spring or autumn, the fertilizer is evenly scattered over the soil and closed up when digging or tilling the soil with a flat cutter.

An aqueous solution is used for top dressing in the summer, primarily when signs of potassium starvation appear. The soil is watered first. After applying liquid top dressing, the soil is loosened or covered with mulch. The most effective fertilizing with a solution of potassium sulfate is when it is carried out into the pits directly into the root zone.

Foliar top dressing is an ambulance for plants with signs of potassium starvation. For her, 35 – 40 g of potassium sulfate is dissolved in 10 liters of water and used without delay for spraying plants. Spraying is carried out in dry calm weather, in cloudy weather or in the evening (3). But not during the rain and not before it.

Popular questions and answers

We asked about potassium sulfate agronomist Oleg Ispolatov – he answered the most popular questions of summer residents.

Sources of

1. 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/

2. Mineev V.G. Agrochemistry: Textbook (2nd edition, revised and supplemented) // M .: MGU Publishing House, KolosS Publishing House, 2004
3. Yagodin B.A., Zhukov Yu.P., Kobzarenko V.I. Agrochemistry / Edited by B.A. Yagodina. // M.: Kolos, 2002.