Viewing post #2464049 by ElPolloDiablo

Intheswamp said:
ElPol, I appreciate the feedback. It is a vegetable garden but no corn or wheat will be planted. Also, no leaf vegetables during the summer (way too hot)...basically cow peas, tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, squash, watermelons, okra, and...zinnias. From what I can tell, all of the vegetables can use the potassium...naturally some more than others. By the fall/autumn, when I hope to plant some leafy vegetables the added potassium should have been partially used up.

Looks like I was way off base with the thought of bone meal....0% potassium!!!! <duhhhh>

The entire garden is around 1600sqft with the growing area only being around 900sqft. 2.3 pounds of muriate of potash is recommended per 1000sqft so at the most I would only need probably around 4 pounds or so. The amount of potassium sulfate that I would need seems like it wouldn't be cost-prohibitive. I'm not sure, though, how muriate of potash (potassium chloride) converts to potassium sulfate in regards to the amounts to use. I've found one place that stated to use only 1/3 the amount of potassium sulfate as was recommended for potassium chloride.

I used to use Thomas' slags as a nitrogen -free fertilizer for vegetables when it was still commonly available. I may still have half a bag of it.
However starting in 2019 I have switched to a liquid PK fertilizer for vegetables and showy ornamentals. Minimal waste since only the plants that need it get treated, either through irrigation or foliar spray. Very very good results so far and I'll keep using it until the rocket scientists in Brussels will outlaw that as well.