Subject: Re: Sulphate of Potash From: "Bill Robinson" <roseguy@gte.net> Organization: Date: Thu, 10 Feb 00 18:38:04 Message-ID: <MOD$000210.20485@rec.gardens.ecosystems>
Greg Johnson wants to make a balanced fertilizer by spiking
bone meal and blood meal with potassium sulphate. He asks if
potassium sulfate is safe and organic.
Commercial potassium sulfate is made by reacting sulfuric
acid with potash. This material is not organic to say the
least but it is not particularly destructive of the environment.
Potassium sulfate is used in agriculture to correct potassium
deficient soil. It is a salt and at conventional levels it
is beneficial to plants.
Potassium, like all of the other mineral nutrients, is an
essential nutrient at one level but is toxic at higher
concentrations. It doesn't take too much potassium sulfate
to burn the roots.
The thing I don't like about the mix of blood meal plus bone
meal plus potassium sulfate is that it leaves out the needed
trace elements. How's about adding generous portions of fish
meal or fish emulsion - stuff from the ocean has got it all.