The role of potassium in plant life. Potash fertilizers: types, properties, feeding rules

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

How will potassium help?

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

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

Potassium regulates the circulation and consumption of not only water, but also the substances necessary for the plant, and also increases the sugar content in fruits. These properties are beneficial during not only the growth of the planted crops, but also 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, that is, the elasticity of stems and leaves (they become sluggish). Buds and inflorescences do not develop, give the impression of frail, unviable. Finally, the color of the leaves fades, spots of a yellowish tint appear on them, their color becomes bluish, the edges seem to be covered with rust.

Most of all, potash fertilization is necessary on sandy and peaty soils. There, crops can experience a real potash "hunger". It is worth taking into account the fact that potassium is not included in the composition 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 commonly used. Since they contain chlorine, which has a bad effect on the growth and quality of plants, they must be applied in the fall. To for winter period it was washed out of the soil by precipitation.

Sulfuric fertilizers include potassium sulfate, potassium magnesium, potassium nitrate and some others. Potassium sulfate is considered one of the the best fertilizers... It is especially important for crops that cannot 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 potash fertilizers for heavy soils must be done in the fall. It must be covered deeper, where the roots of the plants are located. At the beginning of their development, in early spring when they begin to grow, these dressings will come in very handy.

For light soils, potash fertilizers are best applied during spring digging of the soil. And then - as top dressing during the growing season.

The introduction of potassium is useful for all plants, especially for root crops. Potatoes, carrots, beets, cabbage, cucumbers, peppers, beans, tomatoes and other crops are demanding for him. Fruit trees, shrubs, flowers also need this substance. For example, the best potash fertilizers for flowers are potassium sulfate, potassium magnesium and wood ash... They are brought in during the spring main laying and when feeding during budding and flowering. During the period of abundant fruiting, trees and berry bushes necessarily require potash feeding.

Top dressing lawn grasses should be carried out 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 most quickly becomes available to plants.

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

Single or double use in large portions is less effective than 3-4 times in small doses.

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

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

Complex fertilizers

According to their composition, they are double and triple. The former include, for example, nitrogen-potassium, nitrogen-phosphorus and phosphorus-potassium fertilizers. Triple, 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 based on the amount of nutrients and how they are combined. For example, compressed phosphorus-potassium fertilizers are classified as complex-mixed. The complex ones are ammophos and others.

The separation of complex fertilizers is also carried out according to their aggregate state: solid, liquid and suspended.

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

Complex fertilizers

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

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

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 nitrate per 10 liters of water. For example, under one plant of pepper, tomato, eggplant, you need to add 1 liter of solution.

Complex mixed 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 for all crops.

Nitrophoska is obtained by adding potassium chloride to nitrophos. As a result, we have nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium fertilizer, which is applied to the soil before sowing as the main fertilizer, 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 plowing. And also when sowing and feeding.

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

Fertilizers can have a different composition, that is, a different ratio of nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus, depending on the properties of the soil and the needs of a particular crop.

Self-made fertilizer

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

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

Potassium in 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 glasses of ash in a bucket of water. Let the solution brew for 15-20 minutes and water the soil.

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

It is best to apply ash to acidic soils... It is good for tomatoes, potatoes and other root vegetables. It is also included in the list of "potash fertilizers for flowers". Ash is brought under digging 350-500 g per 1 sq. m, for sowing - 1 glass per 1 running meter.

It must be remembered that ash is hygroscopic - it is able to quickly absorb moisture, which negatively affects its nutritional properties. Therefore, it can only be stored in a dry place or in an airtight container.

Lack of mineral nutrients negatively affects horticultural plants... They wither and stunted. The main signs of potassium deficiency are visible on the foliage surface. Burns appear on them, especially at the edges, as well as darkening of the surface and folding into spiral scrolls.

Lack of potassium in the shoots of young plants can lead to the formation of a reuse process useful compounds through the outflow of potassium from the stronger parts of the plant to the weaker ones. This process is called recycle. It is dangerous in that the upper parts of the garden culture quickly dry out and lose their vital activity. If potash fertilizers are not applied in time, the plant may die.

Potash fertilizer is a mineral fertilizer that is responsible for taste qualities fruits, the development of foliage, and also increases the resistance of vegetable gardens and horticultural berry crops to diseases and pests, promotes long-term storage harvest. The main properties of potassium include:

Improving performance immune system... This allows you to provide protection against a variety of diseases and changing environmental conditions.
Protection against certain types of insect pests.
Compatibility with other minerals. The complex of potassium, phosphorus and nitrogen is the main one in the mineral nutrition of all garden garden crops in any soil and at any time of the year.

The assimilability of potash fertilizers is quite high by almost all plants. The ionic form of this type of mineral is found in the cell sap in the form of soluble salts.

Types of potash fertilizers and principles of their application

It is not economically justified to use mined potassium-containing ore in its pure form, and the pure ore contains elements that can harm the plant (sodium chloride). Ballast components greatly increase the cost of potash feedstock. It is because of this that the enterprises of the chemical industry process potash ores in order to obtain high-quality, harmless, highly concentrated and nutritious fertilizers. The result of this process is the emergence of several types of potash fertilizers.

Potassium chloride... It contains about 60% of the active substance - potassium. Has the appearance of a fine crystalline substance of a pink hue.

The production of this fertilizer accounts for 90% of all output as a result of ore processing to improve yields.

As you know, chlorine-based fertilizers are best applied to the soil well before the start of the sowing campaign. Summer residents do this in the fall for digging or loosening the soil with a walk-behind tractor. The dosage of potash fertilizer per 1 m2 of soil is 15 or 20 g.

It should be remembered that the introduction of potassium chloride is not recommended for feeding potatoes, tomatoes, red currants, cucumbers, gooseberries and all types of berry plants.

Potassium sulphate(potassium sulfate). Not all plants can tolerate the presence of chlorine in fertilizers equally. For some, this substance has a detrimental effect. There is no chlorine in the composition of potassium sulfate, therefore, for such basic garden crops as cucumbers, tomatoes, potatoes, berries, this is the best potash fertilizer.

Potassium sulfate contains up to 50% of the active substance. It has the form of small crystals of a white-yellowish tint. Potassium sulfate also contains sulfur (18%), which will be useful for a number of legumes and cruciferous crops, magnesium (about 3%) and calcium (about 0.4%).

Make given view fertilization in the fall, before cultivating the soil or digging up the near-stem soil in the orchard. In spring and summer - as a recharge. Dosage - up to 25g / 1m 2.

Ideal for all types of soil. Potassium sulfate is especially useful for crops from the common family (radish, turnip, cabbage).

Potassium salt... For the production of this type of potassium fertilizer, sylvinite and potassium chloride are used. They are mixed, after which a more concentrated compound is created - potassium salt. The concentration of the active substance is 40%. If you mix potassium chloride with another type of ore (kainite), you can get a less concentrated potassium salt (up to 30%).

It should be remembered that potassium salt is a fertilizer containing chlorine in a higher concentration than pure potassium chloride, therefore it is not recommended to apply it for plants that do not tolerate it well. With caution and strict adherence to the recommended dosage, it should also be used for crops that do not interfere with chlorine.

The use of this type of fertilizer is effective on peat, sandy, sandy loam soils. It is introduced into the soil only in autumn as the main feed for fruit and berry crops. The dose of a single application is equal to 30-40 grams per square meter... In spring and summer, experts do not recommend using potassium salt.

Potassium nitrate... This type of potash feed is most preferable for crops during their fruiting period. Also, this fertilizer is one of the main ones for growing. vegetable crops in greenhouse conditions. Potassium nitrate fertilizer contains 13% nitrogen and 38% potassium. These are two of the three essential ingredients for the growth and development of horticultural plants.

In addition to the main dressing, it is also used for outside root dressing. The dosage, based on 1m 2, is exactly 20 g, which dissolve in 10 liters. water It is best to apply in the spring, during the growth of young shoots. A special period is the moments of budding and ripening of fruits.

In the case of using several more nitrogen-containing dressings in the form of urea or ammonium nitrate, their dosage should be approximately halved. Saturation of the soil with nitrogen can affect the development of the plant. And when the flowering period comes, it is better to refrain from nitrogen application.

Potash(potassium carbonate). This fertilizer is also called "Potash". This is the most new form potash fertilizers that do not contain chlorine. The potash fertilizer contains 55% potassium oxide. This fertilizer will be most effective for growing potatoes. Potash also contains small amounts of sulfur and magnesium.

The one-time application rate for a simple top-up is 15-20 g / m 2 of the area of the garden plot. When cultivating the soil in autumn, 35-65 g / m2 should be applied. When spring feeding, it is necessary to calculate the application rate of about 85-100 g / m2. Later dressings are dosed in the range of 16-18 g / m2

At industrial enterprises, potash is mined by processing natural potassium salts. It is created as a by-product of the processing of nepheline into alumina. At home, this fertilizer can be obtained by processing plants and wood ash.

Kalimagnesia(potassium magnesium sulfate). This viburnum-magnesium fertilizer is very effective for application to sandy and sandy loam light soils. A one-time application is made by means of a 20 or 30 gram dose per square meter (depending on the plant). Kalimagnesia contains about 27% potassium, 16% magnesium. Also, this fertilizer contains an insignificant percentage of chlorine - 3%. Despite this fact, it does not apply to chlorine-containing substances for improving the yield.

Potassium-magnesium sulfate is obtained from the processing of chenite. It looks like a pink fine powder with a grayish tint. It is very dusty and practically does not absorb water. It is convenient to store it even in damp rooms.

Wood ash... Natural, one of the most affordable and cheapest mineral fertilizers. It contains potassium (10%). Wood ash contains a number of macronutrients (phosphorus, calcium, magnesium). It also includes trace elements (copper, boron, iron). Ash is applied at any time of the year:

In the autumn. While digging the soil.
In the spring. When planting garden and horticultural crops.
Summer. It is used as a dry makeup and as part of complex, liquid fertilizers.
In winter. Used for feeding greenhouse plants.

Wood ash is very useful for potatoes, all types of root crops, berries, cabbage. Due to the high concentration of calcium, ash is used to lower the acidity of the soil. Introduced on average 1 liter jar per square meter of soil.

The use of potash fertilizers is one of the most important components of the process of growing horticultural crops on summer cottages... Correct and timely application will ensure good plant growth and will be the key to high yields.

The main characteristic of mineral potash fertilizers is good solubility in water, potassium is not able to accumulate in the soil. It is better retained on heavy soils (loam, clay), in light soils it is less, the most depleted in potassium are peaty.

The value of potassium for vegetable and fruit crops:
■■ increases the frost resistance of crops;
■■ increases plant immunity, enhances resistance to fungal infections;
■■ helps to increase overall yields;
■■ improves fruit taste, appearance and shelf life.

Signs of a lack of potassium in plants:
As a rule, the lack of potassium does not appear immediately, but by the middle of summer:
■■ plants become faded and stunted;
■■ shoots become thin;
■■ the leaves turn yellow, then turn brown, and die off along with the petioles;
■■ leaves become wrinkled, curl up into a tube;
■■ Sometimes plants bloom unnaturally and then form small fruits.

All types of potash fertilizers

Raw potassium salts

Extracted from natural minerals - ground natural potash ores. The most famous are sylvinite and cainite, both of which contain chlorine and other ballast components. They are rarely used, as a rule, in the regions of production (Ural, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Ukraine).

Concentrated potash fertilizers

These are potassium chloride and sulfate, potassium-magnesium concentrate, potassium-magnesium sulfate (chenite).

Potassium chloride ranks first in this group in popularity due to the greatest specific gravity potassium oxide (K 2 O) - 52-63%. However, as the name implies, it contains an admixture of chlorine, which is extremely toxic to many plants. Externally is crystals white with gray tint, possibly pink, which dissolve well in water.
Potassium chloride must be added in advance: fruit and berry crops do not tolerate chlorine. Recommended for application before winter, for deep digging.
Potassium sulfate, or potassium sulfate , does not contain chlorine. Can be applied to the soil both in autumn and spring, used both in the open and closed ground and mix with others mineral fertilizers... Represents small white crystals with a yellowish tint. Does not cake.
Most often used on cruciferous crops that respond well to sulfur addition.

Complex mineral fertilizers

Double (nitrogen-potassium and phosphorus-potassium) and triple (nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium) fertilizers are produced.

Potassium nitrate - the composition includes K 2 O (44-46%) and nitrogen (13%). Outwardly, these are small gray-white crystals with a yellow tint, soluble in water. It can be used even after the formation of ovaries, since a small amount of nitrogen will strengthen the culture, but will not spur the active growth of the vegetative mass.

Potassium nitrate most often used for feeding root crops (carrots and beets) and berry crops, suitable for tomatoes. Fertilizer can be applied in dry and liquid form. The last feeding is carried out at least 3-4 weeks before harvesting.

Kalimagnesia - complex potassium-magnesium fertilizer, chlorine-free, hygroscopic, non-caking. It is used as a top dressing (10 g / m2) with a low content of mobile magnesium in the soil.
Used for feeding potatoes.

Nitrophoska Equal amounts contain nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus oxides. Can be used for any garden culture.

Nitroammofoska The content of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium is approximately equal. It is used for the main application (randomly or locally) and pre-sowing application, as well as for foliar feeding.

Natural source of potassium - wood ash

As mentioned above, potassium is needed for garden plot in a small amount, therefore, it is almost never introduced in its pure form. An excellent source of potassium is ordinary wood ash, in addition, it contains phosphorus, calcium and other trace elements. The percentage of potassium in ash depends on the type of wood burned and ranges from 7 to 40%, for example, ash from young deciduous plants contains up to 14% potassium oxide, conifers it is less. The presence of potassium oxide in ash makes it possible to use it on soils with high acidity.
Ash is stored in a dry place, as moisture promotes leaching of potassium from it.

Top dressing with potash fertilizers by crops

Cucumbers need potassium. Potassium-containing fertilizers are applied three times: the first time when sowing, the second time - when 2-3 leaves appear, the third time - during abundant flowering and the formation of ovaries.

Tomatoes not demanding on potassium, prefer more phosphorus and nitrogen. Potash fertilizers for tomatoes are scattered along with sowing, after planting the seedlings in the ground before flowering, a second top dressing is carried out. You can carry out one more dressing in the phase of fruit formation.
With a lack of potassium in tomatoes, corrugation and dome-shaped curling of the leaves are observed - "edge fuse". The fruits are covered with yellowish-bronze spots.

Lack of potassium in cucumbers and tomatoes

Grape picky about potassium. If grapes don't get enough potassium, they can pull potassium from older leaves, redirecting it to younger shoots. Fruiting bushes of grapes are annually taken for the growth and formation of fruits up to 10-12 g of potassium.

The best potash fertilizers for your garden


Lebozol POTASSIUM 450 suitable for feeding plants in the second half of the growing season: it compensates for the lack of potassium, which is necessary for fruit formation, increases productivity, the content of sugars and vitamins in fruits and roots, and also increases the winter hardiness of plants. Contains specialized components that allow it to better spread over the surface of the sheet when foliar feeding, increase the absorption of the fertilizer and make it resistant to rain washout.		Brand Bona forte developed a complex granular fertilizer “Universal. Autumn" according to the technology "all batteries in one granule". The high content of phosphorus and potassium improves metabolism and stimulates the growth of the root system, nitrogen ensures complete solubility of the fertilizer and better absorption of phosphorus and potassium. The granules dissolve well, so the nutrients are evenly distributed in the soil: 5 kg of fertilizer is enough for 8 acres!



Complex granular fertilizer of prolonged action “FERTIKA Lawn. Autumn" contains all the necessary macro- and microelements in an optimal ratio. The increased content of phosphorus and potassium ensures good rooting of the mixtures and contributes to the formation of a powerful root system. Fertilizer provides good overwintering plants and, in general, high safety of the lawn.	HUMATE POTASSIUM "SUFFLER" - highly concentrated organic mineral fertilizer with a high content of humic acids. It increases the resistance of plants to fungal and bacterial diseases, accelerates the growth of green mass and ripening of fruits, and also helps plants to endure the cold period more easily.

1 It is better to apply potash fertilizers, especially chlorine-containing ones, during autumn digging.
2 If the soil is light, then potassium-containing fertilizers are applied in the spring, since it is quickly washed out of such soils.
3 Potash fertilizers are used together with calcium or lime, since they have increased acidity.

Photos for the material: archives of press services, Alexander Kirillin.

For normal development, plants need to receive a large number of various elements from the soil. When there is a shortage of them, special fertilizers are used, including those based on potassium.

Potash fertilizers are minerals used for enrichment with potassium, they increase crop yields and improve their quality characteristics. With a lack of potassium, metabolic processes are disrupted, the production of protein and complex carbohydrates slows down.

IMPORTANT! One of the first signs of a potassium deficiency in plants is sluggish, drooping leaves.

The disadvantage of this element can be determined by the following features:

"Edge burn" - the edges of the leaves die off;
the appearance of brown spots;
discoloration and curling of leaves;
the stem becomes thinner and less elastic;
growth retardation and flowering delay.

Adequate potassium makes plants more resistant to low temperatures, lack of moisture, pests and a number of diseases. The fruits become more beautiful and resistant to transportation, they are stored longer, and their taste improves.

Additionally:

fruit crops accumulate more monosaccharides;
the amount of sugar in root crops increases;
the proportion of starch in potatoes increases;
in cereals, the stems become thicker, the plants later tend to the ground;
the best quality fibers are obtained from flax and hemp.

Application

Potash fertilizers can be used for feeding and spraying plants, as well as for enriching the soil. The effectiveness of their use directly depends on the type of soil:

On sandy, podzolic, peaty calcareous, as well as red soils, it leads to a noticeable increase in the yield and an increase in its quality.
Loams, chernozems, gray soils - the result of the additional application of potassium is almost invisible. On such soils, it is recommended to feed only some species of plants that are most sensitive to its lack.
Salt licks - the use of such fertilizers is not required, since the potassium content is quite high.

IMPORTANT! For calcareous soils, the dosage must be increased!

Potash fertilizers are used in several main ways:

the main fertilizer for soil enrichment - in the fall when digging or plowing the land;
pre-sowing - added directly to the hole when planting certain types of crops (potatoes, cucumbers, etc.);
for feeding - diluted with water and used when watering plants.

IMPORTANT! With an insufficient content of nitrogen and phosphorus, the effect of potassium fertilization will be minimal!

Plants should be fed with potash fertilizers in cases where there is a deficiency of this element. Also, a similar feeding is made for:

additional nutrition of flowers and vegetables - in early and mid-spring;
preparing for winter perennial plants- during the ripening of the crop;
lawn grasses - in autumn;
fruit and berry trees and shrubs - in the years since big amount harvest.

IMPORTANT! It is better to feed plants with potassium after heavy rains!

Plants that require an increased supply of potassium include nightshade and silage crops, most of the fruit trees and shrubs. At the same time, fertilizers with the presence of sodium are better suited for root crops - it promotes the flow of nutrients to the roots. For greenhouse plants, potatoes, flax and buckwheat, as well as other chlorophobic crops, fertilizers that do not contain it are suitable.

Video - Potash fertilizers

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All potash fertilizers are divided into several large groups:

concentrated - these include chloride and sulphate potassium, potassium magnesium and kalimag, potassium carbonate, potassium chloride electrolyte;
crude - potassium salts sylvinite and kainite;
from industrial waste - cement dust, furnace ash;
complex - potassium nitrate, ammophosphate, nitrophosphate, liquid complex fertilizers;
combined - a variety of mixed fat treated with acids, ammonia and other substances.

The table below shows the most common potash fertilizers and their main characteristics.

Name	Composition	Application	Dosage	Receiving
	KCl with NaCl admixture		15-20 gr per m2	From natural ore by halurgical and flotation methods
	K2SO4	Suitable for chlorine intolerant crops; applied to greenhouse plants	20-25 gr per m2	Teach by processing potassium chloride
Potassium salt	KCl * MgSO4 * 3H2O with NaCl impurity	Used for fertilizing fruit and berry crops in autumn	30-40 gr per m2	It is obtained by mixing potassium chloride with sylvinite
	KNO3	Most often it is used for feeding greenhouses and irrigating fruit and berry plants, as a basic fertilizer it is applied to the soil in spring - early summer	15 - 25 grams per 10 liters of water	On an industrial scale - by the decomposition of potassium chloride and sodium nitrate, at home - by leaching manure with water with the addition of ash, lime, etc.
	K2SO4 * MgSO4		20-30 gr per m2	Obtained by processing chenite
	K2CO3	Used to feed potatoes	Mixed with peat in a 1: 2 or 2: 3 ratio	Byproduct of processing nepheline to aluminum
	Potassium is presented in the form of K3PO4 and K2CO3; it also contains oxides, sulfates and chlorides of calcium, magnesium, sodium, etc.	It is used as fertilizer and feeding of all types of plants throughout the year.	Water solution in a ratio of 1:10 - for irrigation, as dry fertilizer when landing - ½ glass per well	Wood combustion product
Cement dust	K2CO3, KHCO, K2SO4, CaCO3, MgO, etc.	Suitable for chlorine intolerant crops; used to neutralize acidic soils	Mixed with peat in a 1: 1 ratio	Waste from cement production
	K2SO4 * MgSO4 with admixture of CaSO4 and NaCl	It is used for all agricultural crops as the main fertilizer and in the form of top dressing	40-45 gr per m2	Potassium magnesium concentrate
Chleorkali electrolyte	KCl with a little NaCl and MgCl2	Is used for autumn fertilization soil	15-20 gr per m2	Waste of magnesium production from carnallite

Excess potassium

Excessive potassium intake leads to uneven maturation of crops. Plants are less resistant to pests and diseases, they are harder to tolerate frosts and lack of moisture. Growth retardation, lighter color and early leaf fall are noted. The thickness of the peel increases and the size of the fruits themselves decreases, their taste becomes less pronounced, and the shelf life is reduced. The assimilation of magnesium, zinc, calcium and a number of other elements decreases, and magnesium starvation of plants may occur.

Potash fertilizer production

The production of potash fertilizers is carried out in several ways, the main of which is the processing of potassium salts: carnelite, sylvinite, kainit, chenite and some others.

The main countries producing potash salts are: Russia, Canada, Belarus, Germany, Turkmenistan. Moreover, the first three account for more than 80% of world production.

They are also the leading producers of potash fertilizers. Germany, China, Israel and Jordan have significant production volumes. The difference between the last two countries is that they produce fertilizers based on salts. Dead sea... The leading consumers of fertilizers are the USA, Brazil and India; France, Malaysia, Japan, Thailand, Italy and some other countries also occupy a prominent place in the world market.

Most of the potash fertilizers produced in Russia are potassium chloride - about 98%. The remainder is potassium sulfate. In Russia largest deposits potassium is located in the Upper Kama Basin - more than 30% of the world's reserves are concentrated there. A number of enterprises are engaged in the extraction and processing of potash ores, the largest of which are Uralkali and Silvinit. Potash fertilizers, which contain sulfates, are produced from kainite and langbeinite rocks, as well as from alunites. Their reserves are being developed in the Orenburg and Saratov regions, as well as in Bashkiria. Among the producers of potassium sulfate are also enterprises of the aluminum industry - here it is a by-product of processing bauxite ores.

Potash fertilizers take a special place in the life of any plant. After all, potassium, along with other elements, is the basis of the mineral nutrition of plant organisms.

The importance of potash fertilizers and signs of potassium deficiency in plants

The role of potassium in the growing season of plants is quite specific. Unlike nitrogen, it is presented in cells not by organic matter, but by its ionic form. Moreover, in young and not lignified parts, it is much more. Most of this element, somewhere around 80%, is in the cell sap. With a lack of potassium in the fast-growing parts, it can move from older organs.

The main signs of potassium starvation are as follows:

Regional burn. The most basic symptom of a lack of this element.
Chlorotic spots are white.
Dying off and curling of the tips of the leaves.
Delayed budding.
Growth retardation.
Thinned stems.

Potassium plays a rather important role in the life of the plant. With its participation, the process of photosynthesis and oxidative reactions inside cells take place. Also, this element has a positive effect on enzymatic activity, protein-carbohydrate metabolism and increases the resistance of plants to various unfavorable factors.

What potash fertilizers are best for indoor plants

Houseplants are more susceptible to potassium deficiency than outdoor crops. To maintain their health at the proper level, it is imperative to make potash fertilizers. This should be done in strict accordance with the recommended dosages. An excess of potassium is no less harmful than a lack of it.

For feeding indoor crops, potassium sulfate or, in another way, sulfate is most often used. In addition to potassium, it contains magnesium, as well as an element such as calcium. You can feed them almost all indoor crops. It's just that for each specific plant there will be its own scheme of use and dosage.

Potash fertilizers: application (video)

Also, calcium chloride can be used for application under indoor crops. But it has one significant drawback. It contains chlorine. And not all plant species can successfully transfer this element. In addition, chlorine can negatively affect the composition of the soil.

Experienced flower growers prefer not to use pure potash fertilizers. This is due to the fact that for the full growth of crops, other elements are also needed, and the introduction of potash fertilizers alone will not achieve this. Therefore, it is much easier and more convenient to use mineral complexes where not only potassium is present, but also other nutrients.

Types and composition of potash fertilizers

All potash fertilizers existing at the moment can be divided into 3 large groups according to the method of production:

Concentrated. They are products of factory processing of natural potash ores.
Raw. They are crushed natural ores.
Mixed. Obtained by mixing raw fertilizers with concentrated.

The main fertilizers of the potash group are presented in the form of a table below:

Name		Description	Usage
Potassium chloride	Concentrated	White or pink crystals with a slight gray tint, readily soluble in water. Depending on the variety or production standards, it can also be produced in the form of rather large granules of red-brown color	Can be used on crops insensitive to chlorine. V open ground in spring
Potassium sulphate	Concentrated	Well-flowing powder of white crystals with a slight yellow tint. Has an unlimited shelf life	Can be used as a basic fertilizer or as a top dressing in case of potassium deficiency. You can apply for almost all types of crops
Kalimagnesia	Mixed	Granule release form. Contains up to 8% magnesium. It is characterized by a reduced chlorine content	Can be used to feed any crops
Potassium salt	Mixed	It is a mixture of potassium chloride with sylvinite	Used as the main fertilizer for autumn application
	Concentrated	Powder gray containing up to 8% magnesium	Used when fertilizing crops with increased sensitivity to chlorine
Potassium carbonate (potash)	Concentrated	White crystalline substance. It is very soluble in water and has a low degree of toxicity	Most often used for application on acidic soil types

Potassium chloride: description and instructions for use

It accounts for about 90% of all potassium-containing fertilizers. The content of the main active ingredient in it is quite high and, when converted to oxide, is about 63%.

By outward appearance potassium chloride is crystalline substance pink or white with a very high hygroscopic capacity. It is because of this feature that problems arise with it during transportation and storage. This is one of the most significant disadvantages of this fertilizer.

Scientists from the most different countries... But so far, much progress has not been made on this issue. About 38% of the total world production of this fertilizer is concentrated in Canada. Russia accounts for about 32%.

Potassium chloride can be obtained in two main ways:

Halurgic. The method is based on different indicators of solubility at different temperatures.
Flotation. The method is based on various adsorption rates.

Fertilizers (video)

Method of administration and dosage

Like most fertilizers of the potassium group, potassium chloride is applied during autumn or spring digging of the soil. Can be used both in independent form and as part of other mineral complexes.

Recommended potassium chloride for use on light types of soils... For example, it shows good results on various sandy loams and loams. Possesses high efficiency when applied under root crops, sunflower and millet.

There are the following application rates for this fertilizer per square meter:

For cabbage, beets, carrots from 20 to 25 g.
Cucumbers and tomatoes 10-15 g.
Radish and green crops no more than 5-10 g.
Potatoes from 15 to 20 g.

Potassium chloride plays an important role in the life of plants, but when using it, do not forget that there is whole line chlorophobic cultures. For example:

grape;
potato;
smoking tobacco.

On them, the chlorine components of this fertilizer have a very Negative influence and significantly reduce yields. To make up for this harmful effect it is necessary to strictly adhere to the terms and basic methods of introduction.

Organic fertilizers for summer cottages (video)

Potassium chloride is absolutely safe in terms of fire hazard. Therefore, working with him does not require compliance with any special conditions other than the rules of personal hygiene. To increase the effectiveness of this fertilizer, it is recommended to mix it with nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizers. Moreover, this must be done immediately before entering.