Dean W.

I bought some Muriate of Potash today (0-0-60). Here's where I got it at Compost - Mulch - Soil Blends - Fertilizers - Herbicides and Insecticides . I have a few questions on it if anyone has experience with it. I bought 3-4lbs bags for $2.75 ea. How much do I need to mix for my bananas? Etc. Any advice on the product would be greatly appeciated.

__________________

turtile

What are you mixing it with? You should use a 3-1-6 ratio (NPK) including magnesium, iron, calcium.... Basically, you should use half the amount of nitrogen and 1/6 the amount of phosphorus as potassium.

The amount used depends on the size of the plants and current growth rate due to the climate. Its always best to use small amounts frequently.

__________________
http://www.unusualplants.net/

Richard

A fruiting banana needs with a significant corm needs 1.5 lbs of potash per year. If your fertilizer is 0-0-60 and you have no other source of potash for your plants, you would use 1.5/0.60 = 2.5 pounds per year.

The trouble with most products sold as "Muriate of Potash" is that they are also 60% Chlorine. This dosage is toxic for plants. On the package you received, what are the percentages of chemicals listed on the label?

__________________
Back in business at plantsthatproduce.com

Dean W.

I don't know yet.
Solouble Potash 60%
Chlorine not more than 46.7%

__________________

Richard

Yikes! It's a pool chemical, not a fertilizer. Over 2% Chlorine is too high for my garden.

See: Potassium chloride - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

__________________
Back in business at plantsthatproduce.com

Dean W.

Maybe I'll take it back then! I thought I was doing good. They had some other stuff that was high in Potassium, but it was more expensive.

__________________

Richard

You were on the right track. Consider both Nitrogen and Potash when chosing fertilizer(s). For bananas, you would like a 2:3 ratio of N:K. For young plants in a pot, Alfalfa meal is a great choice.

__________________
Back in business at plantsthatproduce.com

turtile

I use Potassium Sulfate (Sulfate of Potash) on all my bananas and palms.

__________________
http://www.unusualplants.net/

hammer

i was told two put one teaspoon per plant of muriate of potash and my banana plants would grow like crazy i already have horse manure and rabbit manure i got 17 raised beds could someone give me some info please

Richard

See posts #5 and #8.

__________________
Back in business at plantsthatproduce.com

hammer

i got high yeild potash it say anything about chlorine being in it but only 60% potash there got to somthing im not saying its not chlorine it all it says on the bag 60% potash

Richard

See the 5th sentence here Potassium chloride - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, or any of these articles: Muriate of Potash - Google Search

__________________
Back in business at plantsthatproduce.com

heynow

I use sul-po-magSul-Po-Mag Questions and Answers

hammer

thanks for the info wondring if you can buy sul-pro-mag at any local stores

JoeReal

Another one excellent mineral for bananas is K-Mag. A few years ago, Harvey was kind enough to let us buy extra bags from him, it is very cheap by the 50-lb bag.

The most important feature is that it has very low chloride content, which is a big problem of KCl and supplies Mg and Sulfur. K-MAG is an excellent source of potassium, magnesium and sulfur that are used for custom blended fertilizers. Mined near Carlsbad, New Mexico, this naturally-occurring mineral known as langbeinite has a guaranteed analysis of 22% K20, 11% Mg (18% MgO) and 22% S.

Since the K analysis is actually 22% K2O, so it means that without counting the oxygen, it is 18% K. The KMag can be considered a natural organic fertilizer because it is not chemically synthesized, it is mined.

You can google for K-Mag

K-MAG Granular 0-0-22

It is also totally soluble forum, and thus you can really make a lot cheaper organic fertilizer blends for hydroponics, something like less than $1 per gallon.

heynow

It appears sul po mag and K-mag is the same thing. I get mine from a fertilizer store for under 10 dollars for 50 pounds and mix it with 8-2-8 I get from the same store.

JoeReal

There are some slight variations amongst the various suppliers. Some are mined in Canada and others in Mexico, and I believe there's another site in the USA by different companies, and sometimes, different mineral type sources. But I agree that they could contain more or less the same ranges of compositions of nutrients.

Richard

K-Mag = Sul-Po-Mag = Langbeinite = K2Mg2(SO4)3. As Joe points out, different mining locations often contain different percentages of auxiliary minerals which may end up in the product if the refining process is poor (or non-existent).

__________________
Back in business at plantsthatproduce.com