Re: sulfate of potash for meyer lemons
- To: MEDIT-PLANTS@ucdavis.edu
- Subject: Re: sulfate of potash for meyer lemons
- From: R* F* D*
- Date: Tue, 28 Sep 1999 21:44:32 -0400 (EDT)
At 09:21 PM 9/27/1999 -0700, you wrote:
>
>
>David Poole wrote:
>
>
>> >potassium already in the local soil, so the need for boosting it
>> >artificially should eventually disappear.
>>
>> I also grow about 20 species
>> of palms and these benefit greatly from increased potash during our
>> winters since many Butia, Brahea, Syagurus etc.continue to grow
>> slowly. I balance this with a couple of applications of Magnesium
>> sulphate (Epsom Salts) in spring to prevent the characteristic leaf
>> yellowing that can occur on acidic soils.
>>
>
>For the uninformed, what is sulfate of potash? Potash being potassium? So
>is this potassium sulfate? This is something Ihave not seen (labeld as such)
>in garden stores.
RIchard:
Sulfate of potash = potassium sulfate (K2SO4), of neutral pH. It is not
potassium acid sulfate (KHSO4), a strong acid that you might have found in a
Gilbert Chemistry set. Pot-ash as a term comes from the leachate from wood
and vegetable ashes, prized by pioneers and our ancient forebears as a
source of alkali for making soap. It's interesting that many of the
handcrafted herbal soaps now offered are potassium soaps with glycerine,
which is what you get from potash + tallow.
Potash really is an archaic name, like muriatic acid used for hydrochloric
acid. These terms are pretty nostalgic. Most people know them by their
more common chemical names. With the advent of the Internet and industrial
farming, there will be little purpose in continuing their use.
Richard F. Dufresne
313 Spur Road
Greensboro, NC 27406
336-674-3105
