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Decatur, IL

I posted this on the soil prep and analysis board, but I thought I'd get better exposure here:

According to my fall soil report, my potassium base saturation is on the high side (9.7 %). My Mg% is 19.4 and Ca% is 70.8 with a pH of 7.0. I was planning on adding 50 lbs. of gypsum per 1000 square ft. next spring.
I heard kelp meal is high in potassium. Since I'm already high in potassium, would I be better off just using alfalfa meal instead of kelp meal?
Thanks, Charlie

1/26/2010 11:47:39 AM

Colorado Springs, CO

There is more to kelp meal (or liquid seaweed concentrates) than just potassium. Although you have "high" K it does not mean that all of it is becoming available for up-take. Kelp is also rich in plant growth regulators, amino acids and plant hormones....which contribute to your plants' health, cell strength, disease resistance and drought (and frost) tolerance.

You could apply alfalfa meal too, at perhaps 10 to 20# per 1000sf. It is another source of vitamins, proteins, amino acids and a growth regulator called tricontanol.

One could also incorporate a high-quality (high %) humate granual into your soils so that slow release humic and fulvic acids can exist in that medium and aid your plants' roots ability to take in elemental ions and minerals as well as the roots' process of exchanging water and gasses.

Your pH of 7 is quite ideal, so I would guess that you have a very cooperative mineral and element exchange for your plants. Gypsum is going to add more Ca and S. One is wise to be careful not to over-amend with something that alters physical properties of their soil too. Gypsum also also drive pH downward, like lime powder takes (acidic) pH's upward. If you are now at 7.....don't risk messing with that ! Add rich composts, humic acids, and some molasses to propel your microbial activity. Abundantly active microbes will render more benefit than many might imagine !

1/31/2010 11:56:12 AM

Decatur, IL

Thanks for the advice Tomato Man!

1/31/2010 3:27:54 PM