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Re: K20
Kyle wrote:
> I am coming to the conclusion after searching the Krib and reading the
> list that I may be potassium limited. I have been using TMG and Leaf
> Zone. TMG at recommended label directions and Leaf Zone slightly short
> of recommended dosage.
If you're already dosing with TMG and Leaf Zone then your plants are
probably not potassium limited. What symptoms are you looking at that
make potassium limitation seem likely?
> I would like to phase out the Leaf Zone and use straight K2O which I
> recently purchased.
It's highly unlikely that you bought K2O. I think it would react with
humidity to yield potassium hydroxide. If that's true and you did
manage to buy some real K2O, then the best thing you can do with it is
put it in a safe, dry place and find someone to take it away as soon as
possible. Potassium hydroxide is caustic enough to eat the flesh off
your bones. Or to clean out your plumbing.
> So how much muriate of potash, 0-0-60, K2O would you guys suggest?
> Thanks,
Muriate of potash is potassium chloride -- KCl. The analysis is stated
as K20 for traditional reasons. It contains *NO* K20. In fact, the
only way I can think of that they would get 60% or so K20, by using the
stoichiometric combination 2KCl + H2O => K2O + 2HCl; K2O is about 57
percent of the ending mix.
There's an article by Neil Frank (conveniently available at the Krib)
that describes how to get different concentrations of nutrients using
convenient measures and commonly available chemicals, including KCl.
Find out how much K your water supply provides, and then use Neil's
article to figure out how much you need to add to get the level up to
where you want it. I use a target level of about 10 mg/l, but you can
go WAY higher than that if you want to.
Roger Miller