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Old November 5, 2008   #1
dice
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Location: PNW
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Default Muriate of Potash warning

A warning on using fertilizers containing muriate of potash
(potassium chloride) as potassium source:

Quote:
As for your low-Potassium predicament, I have a warning
for you: Under no circumstances should you EVER add Potassium
Chloride to boost your K. That stuff will kill every Earthworm down
there; there goes your Humic Acids. It's also called Muriate of
Potash. Use Greensand or Wood Ashes instead.
Quoted from
http://en.allexperts.com/q/Fertilize...-Vegetable.htm

(I don't know the expert, I don't have independent confirmation
of the toxicity to earthworms, but there are plenty of
alternate sources of potassium for incorporating into soil
or container mix.)
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Old November 12, 2008   #2
Wi-sunflower
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Default

I think that "expert" is being more than just a bit "overly cautious".

My hubby is definately not a fan of "organic". He got a degree in agronomy specalizing in Turf from Purdue during the 60s. The era of "big ag" and all things chemical.

He was a Golf Course superentendant for over 25 years and used any and all the Potashes, murate and sulfate. Whatever he could get. But the course always had plenty of earthworms. Sometimes to the point where they would actually spray to kill them because there were too many "castings" on the greens.

Horrible I know.

Since he's been away from that job over 20 years now, he's softened somewhat on "organic" stuff and we do what we can to incorporate any organic ideas we can into our farm produce.
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Old November 12, 2008   #3
Wi-sunflower
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I just wanted to add something since I had a chance to talk to hubby about this while we were at lunch.

Basically, he said that for anyone in an area like we are (mid west) with good rain and good water, Murate isn't going to be a problem.

BUT if you live in an area like out west where there are salinity issues already in the soil and maybe the quality of irrigation water is brackish, then Murate is going to exacerbate the salt problem. It's the chlorine that is the problem.

But Sulfate can be a problem too. If you've ever seen a blue-black layer on the surface of transplants that may have been overwatered a bit, you have seen "black layer". It can be a major problem on golf courses. Things don't drain well when they have black layer. One theory of what promotes Black Layer is the sulfer in fertilizers. Not everyone agrees on that, but I have been able to corelate getting black layer to when I start adding fertilizer to my greenhouse irrigation water.

Just some more things to think about.
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