Potassium sulfate: instructions for use and composition of sulfate fertilizer, dosage

Potassium fertilizers supply plants with the most important nutrient - potassium. Their introduction is necessary when growing any crop. Consider the rules for the use of potassium sulfate, dry and liquid application, application on soils of various types, foliar application. Compatibility of fertilizer with other agricultural products, storage, analogues, differences from potassium sulfide.

What is this?

Potassium sulfate refers to potash fertilizers, nitrogen-free and chlorine-free. Since it does not contain nitrogen, it is, for the most part, suitable for feeding plants in the fall, towards the end of the growing season.This is the only fertilizer that can be used to feed turnips in their last month of growth.

Potassium sulfate is an affordable and widespread fertilizer. You can buy it in stores for gardeners, it is sold in packs of 0.5-5 kg. In appearance, it is a white fine powder of a crystalline structure. The fertilizer contains 45-52% nitrogen and 18% sulfur. There are small impurities of magnesium and calcium, as well as other elements that do not have any effect on the properties of the substance or fertilizer.

Potassium sulfide affects the synthesis of proteins, vitamins and enzymes. The potassium element improves the resistance of plants to fungi, drought, cold snap, and helps them to use moisture more rationally. It affects the ripening of fruits, increases the content of starch, pectin compounds, makes the color of berries and fruits brighter, richer, improves taste. Sulfur affects the metabolism and transport of substances, is included in the composition of proteins, amino acids.

Terms of Use

Potassium sulfate can be applied under crops in the form of a powder, that is, in dry form, or you can prepare a solution for irrigation. It is used to enrich the soil in greenhouses and open beds, to stimulate the growth and active fruiting of horticultural crops.

Dry application

Potassium sulfate has good solubility, it can dissolve in the soil when in contact with moisture, so the powder can be applied dry, it is not necessary to dilute it. The powder is scattered over the site in spring or autumn when digging, into holes and grooves, into planting pits during planting. In summer, dry sulfate can be applied between the rows of beds when growing vegetables. Dosage per sq. m. is 15-35 g for various vegetable crops and up to 150 g for an adult fruit tree.

Liquid breeding for irrigation

Potassium sulphate (another name for potassium sulfate) fertilizes crops grown in garden beds and in greenhouse soil. According to the instructions, the solution consumption per hectare for root dressing is 200-400 liters, the dosage is 20-30 g per 10 liters. The last application must be made no later than 2 weeks before harvest. The method of applying liquid top dressing can be any: the solution is poured under the roots on the beds or poured into the drip irrigation system.

If you need to quickly feed a large tree with fertilizer, you should make inclined vertical holes up to 0.5 m long in the root zone in the root zone. Pour the fertilizer solution into them. This method is convenient in that the mixture goes directly to the roots, and the plant can quickly absorb it.

Application on different soils

Fertilizer can be applied on all types of soil, neutral or acidic.But the behavior of potassium sulfate affects the composition of the soil: on sandy soil it easily penetrates down, on clay soil it lingers at the top. In heavy soils, the powder must be applied to the depth at which the roots of the plants are located. The best time to use on heavy soils is autumn, on light soils, on the contrary, spring. In addition, sulfate can be used in the garden during the season.

According to the type of soil, the use of sulfate is recommended, first of all, on soddy-podzolic soils and peatlands poor in potassium content. On chernozems, it is customary to apply it for root crops, vegetables, fruit trees and sunflowers - crops that take a lot of this element out of the soil. On gray and chestnut soils, the use of fertilizer is influenced by the percentage of potassium in the soil, the type of crop and its cultivation technology.

Sprinkling stems and leaves

For foliar spraying, potassium sulfate is diluted in water and the plants are sprayed with a solution along the leaves and stems.Dosage - 1-2 g per 1 liter, consumption - until the leaf surface is completely wetted. This substance is clean, leaves almost no residue, the solution can be poured into the sprayer tank, it does not clog nozzles.

Safety precautions

Potassium sulfite is classified as class 3 in terms of toxicity. This is how low-toxic agents are determined, which almost never cause poisoning (except for the drug entering the body in small doses during prolonged contact). Of the protective equipment when working with the substance, you need to wear gloves, goggles and a respirator. They are necessary because dust in the eyes, on the skin or in the respiratory tract can cause irritation.

Wash off powder or solution that gets on the skin with water. In case of contact with eyes, also rinse them with water. If it enters the stomach, it is necessary to do a lavage: drink 1 liter of clean warm water and 6-7 pcs. activated charcoal tablets.

Compatibility with other fertilizers

Can be combined with phosphate fertilizers, when mixed with superphosphate, it is better absorbed, gives more benefits than when used separately. It can also be mixed with nitrogen fertilizers, except for urea, but the fertilizer mixture must be prepared just before application, do not store.

Do not mix potassium sulfate with chalk, it can be replaced with lime, especially on acidic soils. Do not mix it with organic fertilizers, manure or compost.

How to store

The powder does not cake during long-term storage, but it can absorb moisture, so you need to keep it only in a dry place, in a closed package. Next to the fertilizer, you can store other preparations or agricultural products, but it is not allowed to store and save food, feed and household items. It is necessary to limit access to fertilizer to children and animals.

Potassium sulfate has a shelf life of 5 years, but in good storage conditions it retains its properties much longer, so if the powder has not gotten wet, has not changed color and appearance, it can also be used.The finished solution is stored without losing its properties for more than a month, so if there is too much left, this volume can be used next time.

Analogues

You can replace potassium sulfate in the garden with various potash fertilizers, for example, potassium chloride and non-chlorine substances - potassium nitrate, potassium magnesia. They contain potassium in different percentages, and include other elements. In a private household, potassium sulfate can be replaced with ash, which will become not only a source of potassium, but also other elements. Ash for top dressing is suitable only for that which remains from the burning of wood and plant residues. Coal is not suitable.

What is the difference between potassium sulfate and potassium sulfate

These are different names for the same substance and fertilizer. There is no difference if you buy fertilizers under these names - their purpose, dosage and consumption will be the same.

Potassium sulfate is a widely used fertilizer, it is used both in the fields and in private gardens, as well as for dressing indoor flowers. It does not contain chlorine, therefore it is approved for use under all crops. Fertilizer increases the content of vitamins and carbohydrates in products obtained from plants fed with it.

When feeding fruits and berries in early autumn, they overwinter better. It can also be used to recharge in the spring and throughout the season, at regular intervals. Potassium sulfate does not contain chlorine, so it is often chosen to feed crops that cannot tolerate it: grapes, nightshade, citrus. Sulfur will be useful for crops from the legume family, cruciferous.

After fertilizing with potassium sulfate, the quality of fruits, their taste, the amount of sugars, starch, and vitamins they contain improve. They become more resistant to rot, other infections that spoil fruits in storage.

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