The soil has the ability to deplete, especially if vegetables are planted on it from year to year. To increase soil fertility and improve the quality of vegetables, flowers, and fruit trees grown on it, fertilizers are used. They come in different types. However, potassium fertilizer is necessary for literally all plants.

How will potassium help?

Fertilizers that contain potassium help plants be resistant to low temperatures and drought, and resist various diseases and pests.

Potassium fertilizer has a remarkable effect on crop yields, since first of all it helps the good development of their root system, and secondly, it enhances photosynthesis occurring in stems, fruits and roots, which affects the quality of fruits, especially their color, gives strength to stems and leaves plants.

Potassium regulates the circulation and consumption of not only water, but also substances necessary for the plant, and also increases the sugar content in fruits. These properties are beneficial not only during the growth of planted crops, but also during the ripening and storage of fruits.

Signs of potassium deficiency

The first signs that a plant needs potassium fertilizer are a slowdown in its growth, a decrease in turgor, i.e., the elasticity of the stems and leaves (they become sluggish). The buds and inflorescences do not develop and give the impression of being frail and non-viable. Finally, the color of the leaves fades, yellowish spots appear on them, their color becomes bluish, and the edges seem to be covered with rust.

Potash fertilizer is most needed on sandy and peat soils. There, crops can experience real potassium “hunger.” It is worth taking into account the fact that potassium is not part of plants.

Types of potash fertilizers

There are two types of potash fertilizers: chloride and sulfate.

Of the former, potassium chloride and potassium salt in the form of white or pink crystals are most often used. Since they contain chlorine, which has a bad effect on the growth and quality of plants, they must be applied in the fall. So that during the winter period it is washed out of the soil by precipitation.

Sulfuric acid fertilizers include potassium sulfate, potassium magnesium, potassium nitrate and some others. Potassium sulfate is considered one of the best fertilizers. It is especially important for crops that do not tolerate chlorine. In addition to potassium, it contains some magnesium and sulfur. It can be applied both in autumn and spring, and also during the growing season as a top dressing.

Potash fertilizers: application by time

The main application of potassium fertilizers for heavy soils should be done in the fall. It needs to be buried deeper, where the roots of the plants are located. At the beginning of their development, in early spring, when their growth begins, these feedings will be very useful.

For light soils, potassium fertilizers are best applied when digging the soil in the spring. And then - as a top dressing during the growing season.

The addition of potassium is beneficial for all plants, especially for root crops. Potatoes, carrots, beets, cabbage, cucumbers, peppers, beans, tomatoes and other crops are demanding of it. Fruit trees, shrubs, and flowers also need this substance. For example, the best potassium fertilizers for flowers are potassium sulfate, potassium magnesia and wood ash. They are applied during spring planting and during feeding during budding and flowering. During the period of abundant fruiting, trees and berry bushes necessarily require potassium replenishment.

Fertilizing lawn grasses should be done in early autumn, when the plants are already beginning to prepare for the winter period.

How to apply potash fertilizer?

All potash fertilizers dissolve in water without problems. It is in this form that the substance quickly becomes available to plants.

Dry fertilizer scattered on the ground will not bring much benefit. In this form, potassium is added only under deep digging or into grooves (grooves) at a distance of no closer than 10-15 cm from the plant.

Once or twice a day in large portions is less effective than 3-4 times in small doses.

The amount of fertilizer applied to crops is determined by their needs. For example, those of them that are very demanding of potassium need about 12 g/sq.m. annually. m K 2 O. This is approximately 24 g/sq. m of potassium chloride and potassium sulfate, 30 g/sq. m potassium salt. You can add trees and shrubs to the above-mentioned vegetable crops: pear, apple, cherry, plum, blackberry, raspberry.

Potash fertilizers are well compatible with others; they can be applied simultaneously, in one go.

Complex fertilizers

According to their composition, they are double and triple. The first include, for example, nitrogen-potassium, nitrogen-phosphorus and phosphorus-potassium fertilizers. Triples, of course, consist of three elements. These are nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium, for example.

There is a division of complex fertilizers according to the method of their release: complex, mixed and complex-mixed. This classification is made according to the number of nutrients and how they are combined. For example, pressed phosphorus-potassium fertilizers are classified as complex mixed fertilizers. Complex ones include ammophos and others.

Complex fertilizers are also divided according to their state of aggregation: solid, liquid and suspended.

All of them are usually applied in the spring during the pre-sowing period and as top dressing during the growing season.

Complex fertilizers

They have two or even three nutritional elements in one chemical compound, the ratio between which is determined by the formula.

In addition to ammophos (NH 4 H 2 PO 4), potassium nitrate (KNO 3), which also belongs to the category of “nitrogen-potassium fertilizers,” is a complex fertilizer.

Potassium nitrate contains 46% potassium and about 14% nitrogen. It is highly soluble in water. It is used both in protected ground and in any type of open ground. It is used to fertilize nightshade crops, potatoes and other root crops.

The solution is prepared at the rate of 35-40 g of saltpeter per 10 liters of water. For example, for one plant of pepper, tomato, or eggplant, you need to add 1 liter of solution.

Compound and mixed fertilizers

The first of them are obtained in a single technological process in the form of granules, each of which contains a high concentration of several nutrients from different chemical compounds.

The most striking examples of complex mixed fertilizers are nitrophos and nitrophoska. They are used for almost any soil and all crops.

Nitrophoska is obtained by adding potassium chloride to nitrophos. As a result, we have a nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium fertilizer, which is applied to the soil before sowing as the main one, in rows or planting holes during sowing. And also when feeding.

Complex mixed fertilizers include liquid complex fertilizers. They are obtained by neutralizing ortho- and polyphosphoric acids with ammonia with the addition of urea, potassium sulfate or chloride, and ammonium nitrate. They are applied, like solid fertilizers, to the soil surface before arable work. And also during sowing and fertilizing.

Mixed fertilizers are formed by dry combining several simple ones, and this can be done both in the factory and directly on farms where there are fertilizer mixing plants. That's why they are also called fertilizer mixtures.

Fertilizer mixtures can have different compositions, i.e., different ratios of nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus, depending on the properties of the soil and the needs of a particular crop.

Homemade fertilizer

If you ask the question: “What are potash fertilizers?” - then, in addition to the above, you can call oven ash, which you can prepare yourself.

Regardless of what kind of raw material you burn, there will always be a lot of potassium in the resulting ash. But the champions in this matter are buckwheat and sunflower straw, pine and birch firewood.

Potassium in the ash is present in the form of potash (potassium carbonate). It is highly soluble in water. To water the plants, you need to dilute two cups of ash in a bucket of water. Let the solution sit for 15-20 minutes and water the soil.

Furnace ash also contains calcium, phosphorus, manganese, magnesium and other trace elements.

It is best to use ash on acidic soils. It is useful for tomatoes, potatoes and other root vegetables. It is also included in the list of “potassium fertilizers for flowers”. Ash is added for digging 350-500 g per 1 sq. m, for sowing - 1 cup per 1 linear meter.

We must remember that ash is hygroscopic - it can quickly absorb moisture, which negatively affects its nutritional properties. Therefore, it can only be stored in a dry place or in airtight packaging.

The soil is not always suitable for the growth of healthy plants. A common deficiency is reduced potassium content. To saturate the soil with it, potassium fertilizers are used. Potassium is one of the main elements of plant mineral nutrition. There are several types of potash fertilizers. They have certain features and rules of use.

How to understand that plants lack potassium?

To start using potassium fertilizers, you need to understand whether additional potassium is needed, or whether the soil sufficiently supplies the plant with this substance.

External signs of potassium deficiency:

• Brown spots appear on the leaves of the plant.
• The leaves change color and acquire a yellowish tint.
• Parts of the leaves die off.
• The plant stem weakens.
• The plant grows worse.
• The process of bud formation is delayed or does not occur.

All of these listed signs indicate that the soil has insufficient potassium content. And, as a result, the formation of protein in cells stops, and the development of reproductive functions slows down. If there is a lack of potassium, the plant stops bearing fruit or may die completely.

Types of potash fertilizers

There are several types of potash fertilizers. They differ in their composition, properties and range of uses. But the main mission of all types is to compensate for the lack of potassium.

• Wood ash. This type of fertilizer is safe for plants. In addition to potassium, it contains calcium, phosphorus and magnesium. Potassium content – ​​10% of the total composition. Wood ash can be used at any time of the year.
• Calimagnesia. This fertilizer is most useful for sandy soils. Contains potassium and magnesium.
• Potassium nitrate. It is the best option for use in greenhouses. Potassium nitrate contains potassium (up to 38%) and nitrogen.
• Potassium salt. The composition of the fertilizer is potassium and chlorine. Potassium content – ​​up to 40%. It is customary to use potassium salt in the fall for all crops.
• Potassium sulfate. Fertilizer with a high potassium content - up to 50%. In addition to potassium, the composition includes calcium, magnesium and sulfur. The fertilizer is effective for all types of plants and on all types of soil.
• Potassium chloride. The most common potash fertilizer. Contains 60% potassium. There is also a significant part of chlorine, so it is recommended to use it in the fall, long before planting.

Each fertilizer has its own dosage for use. It should be taken into account that for sandy soils the dosage should be increased, for chernozems it should be decreased. There is no need to get carried away with excessive use of fertilizers, this can also harm the plant.

When to apply potash fertilizers?

The timing of using potash fertilizers depends on the type of fertilizer. Those that contain chlorine should be used in the fall, when digging the soil. Chlorine is harmful to plants. Other types of fertilizers, for example, wood ash, potassium nitrate, can be applied in the spring when planting, or in the summer, as bait. Each type of crop requires a different amount of potassium. Based on this, fertilizers should be dosed individually for each type of plant. For example, fruit plants (apple tree, cherry, apricot, etc.) require a high potassium content. Vegetable crops such as cucumbers and tomatoes are on average. And some root vegetables, especially radishes, use potassium minimally.

Potash fertilizers are an important element in gardening and gardening. The main substance is potassium, which has a positive effect on the development and fertility of the plant. For proper use, you must read the instructions for use. Potash fertilizers are generally applied to the soil in the fall. Additional use - in spring and summer, practiced only when there is a lack of potassium in the soil.

Material prepared by: Alexey Stepanov, ecologist

In order to develop properly, the plant needs to receive nutrients in a timely manner. The most important of these is potassium. Potassium fertilizers help make up for its insufficient amount in soil layers. It is customary to calculate the content of an element in the form of its oxide (K 2 O).

In plant cells, potassium is present in ionic form in the cytoplasm and cell sap. It is less abundant in older parts of plants, as well as in roots, seeds and tubers. Young leaves and stems are rich in potassium. There is more potassium in cereal straw than in grains. Together with manure, the element returns to the soil (straw is used as bedding for animals), thereby restoring its fertility.

With sufficient potassium intake into the plant:

• Oxidation processes in cells are more intense.
• Cellular metabolism increases.
• The plant tolerates lack of moisture more easily.
• Photosynthesis accelerates.
• Enzymatic activity increases.
• The metabolism of proteins and carbohydrates is easier.
• Plants adapt faster to negative temperatures.
• More organic acids are formed.
• Resistance to pathogenic factors increases.

For potassium deficiency:

• Complex carbohydrates are not synthesized from simple carbohydrates.
• Protein production in cells stops.
• There is a delay in the development of reproductive organs.
• The stem becomes weak.

Plants need potassium more than all other nutrients. For the harmonious development of vegetable crops, for example, 250 kg of K 2 O must be applied per hectare of area. For grain crops, the norm is slightly less.

What are the signs of potassium deficiency?

Potassium deficiency mainly affects crops growing on light soils. Symptoms of element deficiency become noticeable during strong growth (summer).

Main features:

1. Brown spotting develops.
2. The leaves change color: turn yellow, then turn brown. A bluish and bronze tint may appear.
3. An “edge burn” appears - the dying off of the tips and edges of the leaf blade.
4. The veins on the leaves sink deep into the tissue.
5. The stem becomes thinner. It becomes less dense.
6. The plant stops growing intensively.
7. Wrinkling is noted on the leaf surface.
8. The leaves begin to curl into a tube.
9. Inhibition of budding is noted.

Soil content

The main amount of the element is found in the upper soil horizon. But most potassium cannot be absorbed by plants, since it is part of poorly soluble substances. And only 10% of the element is available for absorption. Therefore, to increase productivity, the lack of nutrients must be compensated with the help of potassium fertilizers. They dissolve well in water, and potassium becomes easily accessible to plant crops.

Potash ores - raw materials for the production of potash fertilizers

Potash fertilizers include:

• Potassium-containing ores;
• Concentrate from natural fertilizers;
• Industrial by-products.

The main types of potash fertilizers are produced by processing natural salts:

1. Containing sulfur: K 2 SO 4 ∙2MgSO 4 – langbeinite, KCl∙MgSO 4 ∙3H 2 O – kainite, K 2 SO 4 ∙MgSO 4 ∙6H 2 O – schenite.
2. Chlorides: KCl∙MgCl 2 ∙6H 2 O – carnallite, nNaCl∙mKCl – sylvinite.

The composition of natural salts varies. In terms of potassium content, the leaders are sylvinite, langbeinite and shenite (about 25%).

Of the 120 known natural potassium compounds, a limited number are processed.

Concentrate from natural potassium-containing ores

It is not profitable to use pure natural ores for feeding crops, since they contain a high content of ballast (unnecessary) components. Due to ballast, the cost of loading and transportation increases. And some components are even harmful to individual plants (for example, sodium chloride contained in natural sylvinite). Therefore, the task of the potash industry is to process natural ores in order to extract highly concentrated fertilizers from them. More often, kainite and sodium-containing sylvinite are used for enrichment, from which concentrated potassium chloride is obtained by industrial methods.

The most common nutritional concentrates are:

Potassium chloride

Its production accounts for about 90% of all potassium-containing fertilizers. This fertilizer is quite rich in potassium (up to 63% in terms of oxide). In appearance, these are small crystals of white with a gray tint or pink color. They have high hygroscopicity (water absorption). Therefore, problems arise with storage and transportation. This is a very significant drawback. Entire research institutions are currently working on this problem. One option to reduce caking is granulation. Numerous methods have also been proposed for treating crystal grains with various anti-caking components.

The largest production enterprises are located in Canada (about 38% of world production), Russia (32%), Belarus (9%).

Potassium chloride is isolated from natural ore in two ways: halurgical and flotation:

• Galurgical method. The solubility of different salts at a certain temperature is different. This is the essence of the method for separating potassium chloride and sodium chloride. If you increase the temperature from room temperature to 100 ○, then the solubility of potassium chloride almost doubles, and the solubility of sodium chloride practically does not change. The resulting crystals of potassium chloride are white and strongly cake. The production waste is sodium chloride, from which commercial table salt and soda are obtained.
• Flotation method. The components of sylvinite have different abilities to adsorb substances that increase their hydrophobic properties (non-wetting with water). This is the basis for the method of separating them. The resulting potassium chloride crystals are pink in color and quite large. Hydrophobic additives that remain on their surface reduce hygroscopicity, and ultimately caking, fertilizers.

Potassium sulfate

Not all plants tolerate chlorine well, which most potassium fertilizers contain. Therefore, it is a real find for such plants. It contains about 50% K 2 O. Another advantage of the fertilizer is that it is not hygroscopic, so there are no problems with transportation and storage.

Pure potassium sulfate is small crystals of white color with a yellowish tint. To obtain potassium sulfate, natural fertilizers are used: langbeinite and schenite. However, today we have learned to process potassium chloride. Small amounts of potassium sulfate are produced as a by-product during the industrial production of other substances.

This is a more expensive fertilizer because It is used mainly for crops that do not tolerate chlorine: grapes, tobacco, buckwheat. Potassium sulfate has proven itself well when growing vegetables in greenhouses. Some plants (cruciferous plants, legumes) benefit from sulfur, which is also contained in potassium sulfate.

Calimagnesia

Obtained by processing chenite. Its advantage is the presence of magnesium (9% in terms of MgO). It contains less K 2 O than other potassium-containing fertilizers - 29%. It has a pink color with a gray tint and a very fine structure (very dusty). Does not absorb water, so it is well stored and transported. Quite effective, especially on light soils.

40% potassium salt

To obtain it, potassium chloride is mixed with sylvinite. Natural fertilizer becomes more concentrated. The resulting mixture consists of small pink, grayish and white crystals. It is not recommended to apply it to plants that do not tolerate chlorine well.. Its content in the mixture is even greater than in pure potassium chloride.

If you mix potassium chloride with another common natural ore, kainite, you can get 30% potassium salt. The advantage of this mixture is its magnesium content. It is especially useful to use it on soils depleted in this element (sandy, sandy loam, peaty).

Fertilizers from industrial waste

Cement dust

Cement dust contains quite a lot of potassium - from 10 to 35%. The element is part of various salts: bicarbonates, sulfates, silicates, carbonates. All these salts are highly soluble, so potassium easily enters plant cells. This fertilizer is applied to crops that do not tolerate chlorine. In addition, it has alkalizing properties and neutralizes acidic soils.

Furnace ash

This is a chlorine-free fertilizer, available both to villagers and to many summer residents. Contains potash (potassium carbonate). Its amount varies greatly among different types of fuel. For example, the ash of young deciduous plants contains up to 14% potassium oxide. There is less of it in old coniferous species. Ash can be called a complex fertilizer because, in addition to potassium, it contains phosphorus. The presence of potassium oxide in the ash allows it to be used on soils with high acidity.

Complex fertilizers

The general trend in world practice has been the expansion of the production of complex textiles with a simultaneous reduction in one-sided forms. IN Double (potassium and phosphorus-potassium fertilizers) and triple (nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium fertilizers) are produced.. Based on the production method, they can be complex, mixed or combined.

Complex potassium-containing fats:

1. (KNO 3). It contains about 46% K 2 O and 13% nitrogen. These are small crystals, colored gray-white with a yellow tint. They are soluble in water and not hygroscopic. Mainly used for growing vegetables.
2. . It contains the most potassium – 30%. Also contains 4% nitrogen, 24% phosphorus.
3. . It contains nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus oxides in equal quantities. The fertilizer is obtained by decomposing apatite using the sulfuric-nitric acid method, neutralizing the extract with ammonia and adding potassium chloride.
4. . The composition of liquid fertilizers includes potassium, nitrogen and phosphorus.

Typically, the presence of potassium in complex fats is indicated by the letter “k” in the name. However, recently the name does not always reflect the composition. Therefore, you need to carefully read the instructions on the package.

Mixed Tuki

They are obtained from ready-made fertilizers, which are mixed in prescribed proportions.

Combined fertilizers

They are a product of processing finished fertilizers with acids, ammonia, and ammonia. Available in the form of granules with different contents of nutritional components.

Use of potash fertilizers

General information

Potassium-containing fertilizers contain substances that dissolve well in water. When they are introduced into the soil, they quickly react with its components. K+ is bound by soil colloids. Chlorine anions, remaining in solution, are easily washed out of the soil layers.

It is better to apply potash fertilizers, especially chlorine-containing ones, before autumn digging. The substances are mixed with the wetter part of the soil, where the main root system is located. Absorption of nutritional components occurs faster.

If the soil is light, then potassium-containing fertilizers can be applied in the spring, since potassium is poorly retained in such soil and is quickly washed away.

Potassium fertilizers are highly acidic, so they are often used together with calcium-containing fertilizers or lime. On chernozem (gray soil) soils that have an alkaline reaction, potassium fertilizers do not have a negative effect on plants.

Application of potassium-containing fertilizers for vegetable crops

Vegetables are very demanding in terms of nutrition, moisture and temperature. They have a weak root system located in the arable soil layer. Therefore, they must be grown on well-aerated, fertile soils. All vegetable crops are divided into several groups according to the degree of nutrient removal. Some of the most beloved vegetables by the people - tomatoes and cucumbers - belong to the middle group, and radishes remove the least amount of potassium from the soil.

Tomato fertilizer

Compared to other vegetable plants tomato is not too picky about potassium. To obtain 100 centners of fruit, about 50 kg of readily available potassium is needed. It is not recommended to add fresh organic matter to tomatoes, as there is a strong accumulation of vegetative mass. These plants require a high content of phosphorus fertilizers. Potassium fertilizers do not particularly increase yields, but they do affect the quality of the fruit.

• together with sowing - 0.1 kg per hundred square meters;
• 1 fertilizing – 0.15 kg per hundred square meters;
• 2 feeding - 0.3 kg per hundred square meters.

Cucumber fertilizer

To grow 100 centners, 44 kg of potassium is required. In addition to the pre-sowing application of fertilizers, the cucumber needs additional feeding: the first - two weeks after planting, the second - at the beginning of flowering.

• simultaneously with sowing - 0.1 kg per hundred square meters;
• 1 fertilizing – 0.2 kg per hundred square meters;
• 2 feeding - 0.4 kg per hundred square meters.

Fertilizer of flowers and fruit and berry crops

During different periods of growth, plants require different amounts of potassium. Nutrients are absorbed most in spring and autumn. Moreover, in the spring, potassium should prevail over nitrogen in the fertilizer mixture, and vice versa in the fall. Phosphorus is consumed throughout the development period. The K:P:N ratio for an apple tree, for example, is 2.53:1:1.95.

The best results are obtained by the autumn application of potash fertilizers. However, according to research, a high effect is also observed when they are used during the dormant period (from October to spring).

Grapes remove a lot of potassium from the soil, so it is necessary to fertilize them with potassium-containing fertilizers annually. Ash is an excellent potassium fertilizer for this crop. It can be applied either in dry form (a bucket for one plant) or in the form of an extract (dilute the ash with water, leave for three days).

Some gardeners believe that the more fertilizer you add to the plants, the better: allegedly, oil cannot spoil the porridge. Mineral fertilizers are poured “by eye”. This cannot be done. An accurate calculation of the dose of fertilizers is needed, based on the type of plant, its growing season, type of fertilizer, and application rate.

For growth, health and harvest

Potassium is a vital element for plants. With its deficiency, the reproductive organs lag behind in development, stems and shoots become fragile. The application of potassium fertilizers promotes the growth of leaf mass, increasing plant immunity and their resistance to pests and diseases. A full-fledged harvest is formed, and fruits and berries are stored longer. Let's look at the most common potash fertilizers.

Potassium sulfate (potassium sulfate)

Potassium in this fertilizer is approximately 50%. It is usually applied to crops that react poorly to chlorine (for example, grapes). Potassium sulfate is very suitable for vegetable crops grown in greenhouses. Fertilization with potassium sulfate has a positive effect on the legume crop.

Potassium sulfate is considered one of the best potash fertilizers, since it does not contain toxic additives - sodium and chlorine. The main method of application is in the fall or spring, both when digging the soil, and directly into the hole when planting.

When digging up the soil in the autumn, 25-30 g per 1 m2 is usually added.

Potassium sulfate helps increase sugar in fruits, increases the content of vitamins, and improves the taste of fruits and berries.

Plants need potassium most of all during the period of bud development, during flowering, and trees and shrubs can be fed with potassium sulfate during fruiting.

Wood ash

A natural fertilizer containing potassium is wood ash. It usually contains about 15% potassium, phosphorus and trace elements. Ash is ideal for highly acidic soils.

Application rates on sandy loam are about 150-220 g per 1 m2. On loams, the dose can be doubled or tripled if there is a lot of clay in the soil.

Potassium chloride

First on this list is potassium chloride. This fertilizer contains about 63% potassium.

Potassium chloride is good for berry crops, however, due to the presence of chlorine, which many crops perceive negatively, it is advisable to add it before winter, incorporating it into the soil along with digging the soil or loosening it.

It is not advisable to add potassium chloride to planting holes for seedlings. Sugar beets, carrots and potatoes respond best to the addition of potassium chloride. The addition of potassium chloride is effective for grapes, cereals, tomatoes and cucumbers (for autumn digging). Application under corn is acceptable.

Fruit trees respond well to fertilization with potassium chloride

In the autumn, 10-20 g of fertilizer per 1 m2 is usually applied, and in the spring - 3-5 g per 1 m2.

Calimagnesia

This fertilizer contains up to 29% potassium and about 9% magnesium. It is most effective on light soils (sandy and sandy loam).

Potassium, together with magnesium, helps increase plant immunity, resistance to return frosts and winter frosts, accelerates ripening and increases yield. Calimagnesia is ideal for grapes, potatoes, tomatoes, grains and legumes, radishes and onions.

The application rate is from 30 to 60 g per 1 m2 in autumn and spring. In summer, the dosage should be 9-11 g per 1 m2.

Potassium magnesia is also indicated for application during the period of flowering and the beginning of berry set.

Advice

It is appropriate to add potassium salt to sandy, sandy loam, and peat soils—where potassium deficiency occurs most often.

Potassium salt

Potassium salt can be of different percentage concentrations (40% - potassium chloride and sylvinite and 30% - potassium chloride and kainite). It is not recommended to apply this fertilizer to plants that do not tolerate chlorine well, since it contains more chlorine than potassium chloride.

It is possible to fertilize the soil with potassium salt as safely as possible for plants in the autumn. The application rate is 25-35 g per 1 m2.

Potassium carbonate (potash, potassium carbonate)

This fertilizer contains chlorine, magnesium, sulfur and up to 55% potassium. Potatoes respond best to this fertilizer.

Feeding during the season is about 18-22 g per 1 m2. When incorporating into the soil in autumn, the fertilizer rate can be increased to 40-60 g per 1 m2. In spring, the maximum dose is 80-95 g per 1 m2.

Cement dust

A good potassium fertilizer without chlorine. The most effective use of cement dust is on soils with high acidity.

The application will have a positive effect on plants that do not tolerate chlorine well. The application rate is 50-70 g per 1 m2 in spring and autumn.

Potassium fertilizers, as an important mineral supplement, are applied to vegetable crops before sowing and in the summer at certain stages of development. The natural potassium content in the soil depends on its type:

• clayey - 4%;
• loamy - 2.5%;
• sandy – 1%;
• soddy-podzolic – 1.5%.

Potassium is necessary for all life processes, therefore the chemical industry produces a line of potassium mineral fertilizers.

What are potash fertilizers?

Potash ore mined from the ground is not used in its pure form. Reasons: expensive, contains inclusions that are harmful to plants. Ore is processed at industrial enterprises. Types of potash fertilizers produced there:

• complex;
• simple.

Simple fats include preparations containing one nutrient, for example, potassium. There are fertilizers containing only nitrogen and phosphorus as active substances. Complex potassium fertilizers, in addition to potassium, contain other active elements.

What potassium fertilizers are said to be simple?

All simple fertilizers are divided into two groups. The first group contains chlorine, the second does not. When using potassium fertilizers, prepare fertilizer mixtures:

• for watering at the roots;
• foliar treatments;
• application to the soil.

A high concentration of chlorine in the soil causes harm to plants in the garden, so chlorine-containing preparations must be applied strictly according to the scheme contained in the instructions for use.

Chlorine-containing fertilizers

Potassium salt is a substance with a high concentration of chlorine. The raw materials for the production of 40% potassium salt are potassium chloride and the mineral sylvinite. Potassium salt with a lower chlorine content (30%) is obtained by mixing kainite ore with potassium chloride.

Potassium salt is a fertilizer that benefits fruit and berry crops when added to soil:

• peat;
• sandy;
• sandy loam.

Correct timing of application is needed: potassium salt is not added in summer and spring; in the fall it is added once when digging the soil.

They adhere to the established norm - 40 g/sq.m. m. Salt is dangerous for a number of vegetable crops and shrubs:

• raspberries;
• gooseberries;
• strawberries;
• cucumbers;
• tomatoes;
• legumes

Potassium chloride is a fertilizer for complex plant nutrition. Potassium chloride is combined with other drugs (phosphorus, nitrogen) or used only. Available in the form of crystals or granules. Their color can be white, gray, pink. The percentage of potassium depends on the production technology and can vary from 52 to 99%.

Potassium magnesia is a concentrated product; it contains up to 30% potassium, 10% magnesium, 17% sulfur. There is chlorine, but it is very small (from 1 to 3%). Potassium magnesia is available in the form of granules or powder, dissolves well in water, its properties are more pronounced when applied to loamy soil. Potassium magnesium should be added to clay soils in the fall, and to light soils in the spring. The standards are given in the table:

About fertilizers that do not contain chlorine

It is better to apply potash fertilizers that do not include chlorine to your summer cottages:

• Potash.
• Potassium nitrate.
• Potassium sulfate.
• Ash.

Potash

Potash (potassium carbonate) does not contain chlorine, which is dangerous for plants. In addition to 55% of the main active substance (potassium oxide), it contains a small percentage of sulfur and magnesium. In a potato field, the addition of potassium carbonate is common. Current standards for vegetable crops:

• summer feeding - 20 g/sq.m. m.;
• spring soil preparation – 100 g/sq.m. m.;
• for digging in the fall - 65 g/sq.m. m.

Potassium sulfate

It is produced from two natural minerals containing potassium - langbeinite and schenite. They are made according to GOST 4145-74, according to which the drug also contains sodium and iron in addition to 50% potassium.

Summer residents have found use for potassium sulfate during the spring and summer feeding of garden crops. If potassium salt needs to be added due to chlorine during autumn work and under certain plants, then potassium sulfate can be used in any form without fear. Apply to most vegetables regardless of season.

This product has two names, the second is potassium sulfate. Both names are usually present on the original packaging. Potassium sulfate is produced in the form of a finely crystalline substance of white or yellow-white color. Potassium sulfate improves acidic soils by normalizing acidity.

More benefits are obtained from adding potassium sulfate to red soil, sandy or peat soil. These types of mixtures are not used on solonetzes; they contain a sufficient amount of their own salts.

Ash

Many summer residents fertilize their gardens with ash. Make your own fertilizer or buy it at a gardening store. It is useful not only because of potassium, of which it contains about 10%. Plants, along with ash, receive all the micro- and macroelements necessary for growth: iron, boron, copper, magnesium, calcium, phosphorus.

Ash can replace many fertilizers; it is applied to garden soil from spring to autumn, and in winter it enriches the soil of greenhouses. After which, on acidic soils, the acidity level noticeably decreases. Ash for potatoes from potash fertilizers is the most popular option. It is applied in the fall when preparing the soil, and in the spring - in the holes during planting. It is permissible to add a liter jar of ash per square meter of field.

Complex fertilizers

The production of complex fertilizers is a global trend. There are double and triple tuks. Double fertilizers are two types of potash fertilizers:

• nitrogen-potassium;
• phosphorus-potassium.

Triple fats contain 3 main elements: potassium, nitrogen, phosphorus.

It is used in greenhouses during mass fruiting. This is a double nitrogen-potassium fertilizer, containing 46% potassium and less nitrogen – 13%. Saltpeter is produced in the form of gray-white crystals that quickly dissolve in water.

Liquid forms of fertilizer are prepared from saltpeter, applied at the roots to enhance plant growth or fertilized on the leaves in the evening. The norm that should be followed when preparing 10 liters of working solution: 20 g. This volume of organic fertilizer is enough to feed 1 square meter of plants. m. ridges.

Benefits for vegetables

Thanks to fertilizers containing potassium, the nutritional value of fruits increases and the amount of sugars in plant tissues increases. Vegetable crops are less likely to get sick, fruits are better stored, and they are less often damaged by gray rot.

In perennial plants, frost resistance increases. Potassium fertilizers applied in the fall to the trunks of fruit trees and shrubs help them withstand winter frosts. Fertilizers increase productivity and stimulate the development of the above-ground parts of plants and their root system.

There are general signs that clearly indicate a lack of potassium in them. Even an inexperienced gardener can identify plants suffering from potassium deficiency; this is indicated by the appearance of these symptoms:

1. The leaf surface along the edge of the perimeter begins to turn yellow.
2. A large number of stepchildren are formed.
3. The leaves on the lower tier lose their natural green color, turn pale, and yellow chlorotic spots are visible on them.
4. The structure of the tissues of the stem and shoots deteriorates, they become fragile.
5. Low yield.
6. Leaves on fruit trees and bushes become smaller.

How to properly apply fertilizer on your beds?

Vegetables deplete the soil, taking nutrients from it. Cucumbers and tomatoes, the most favorite garden vegetables, consume the most potassium. Radishes are among the least consumed plants. By annually introducing potassium fertilizers containing various macroelements, summer residents better restore soil fertility.

For tomatoes and cucumbers

Adding fresh organic matter to tomatoes is not always beneficial; they begin to fatten – accumulate excess vegetative mass. Tuki used by summer residents improve the taste of tomatoes and reduce the risk of fungal diseases. When using potassium salts, you should adhere to the following standards when growing tomatoes:

• for digging in the spring per hundred square meters - about 100 g;
• 10 days after planting seedlings - 150 g per hundred square meters;
• while pouring fruits - 300 g per hundred square meters.

Before sowing cucumber seeds or planting cucumber seedlings per acre, add 100 g of potassium fertilizers, during the first feeding - 200 g, when feeding cucumbers the second time - 400 g. Peppers can be fed like tomatoes.

Fruit trees and shrubs

Garden crops have a constant need for potassium. The most intensive consumption of potassium salts occurs in the spring – autumn seasons. At the same time, potassium fertilizers applied in late autumn bring the greatest effect. Many people replenish potassium in the soil with manure, as well as compost made from it.

Grapes intensively consume potassium. Fertilizers are applied to it annually. Many gardeners prefer adding natural nutrient mixtures based on ash to industrial fertilizers. A good result is achieved by adding dry ash - a bucket per bush. Many people make an extract by infusing it in water for three days.

By wisely combining organic fertilizers and industrial fertilizers in your gardens, you don’t have to worry about the quality and quantity of the harvest.