Need a K2O and Mn bump

BuckinNC – posted 17 July 2006 15:33

Just received my latest Soil Test Report for 419 in costal North Carolina. Need to hit it with 3-4 #/1,000 K2O (potash) and about 1#/1,000 of Mn (manganase). N and P are in range. Considering Lesco 0-0-28 [6.5% Mn], two applications of 6# product/1,000. But have also considered a liquid like Greenflow 0-0-25 and then a flowable Mn.

Anyone have experience with products specifically intended to add K2O or Mn?

Thanks for your help and advice.

Grassguy – posted 17 July 2006 21:03

liquids are faster acting but the residual is lesser than granuals. The liquid will be lost to leaching faster than the granual.

jr – posted 18 July 2006 05:41

granular application of potassium is almost always best, both because of the aforementioned leaching issue, and because when potassium appears in excess all of a sudden in a highly available form, plants have this annoying habit of taking up virtually nothing else but the potassium until its gone, effectively starving themselves of other nutrients. the only time this would be desirable is if you were having a potassium emergency, which i deal with in palms fairly often, but nothing else in the landscape that i can think of.

BuckinNC – posted 18 July 2006 07:38

Thanks guys. Granular it is. Have enough of a problem with leaching through our sandy soil down here, don’t need to exacerbate the situation with a flow through of the liquid. And the 0-0-28 has the Mn I need anyway.

Grassguy – posted 18 July 2006 22:53

what causes the turf to favor the potassium only? What is the catylist for this selective behavor? Thats new on me, I’ve never heard of a turf grass plant leaning towards one nutrient only. Potassium in excessive quantities is toxic to the turf.especially when the turf cant use it,(PH range of 5.0 and belowe) Potassium is only widely available at PH ranges of 6.0 and above.

BuckinNC – posted 19 July 2006 06:03

I used a soil report from last fall to apply lime over the winter. Not really sure what went haywire, but now my pH is 7.5 – “over limed”. NC Ag is recommending a “corrective treatment” of up to 5# K2O per 1,000 to bring it back in down. The high pH also bears on the Mn deficiency – as pH increases, Mn availability decreases. So, the K2O is supposed to get the pH down below 6.5 and the Mn is to account for the related deficiency.

Thanks for your continuing interest.

Buck

[This message has been edited by BuckinNC (edited 19 July 2006).]

Grassguy – posted 19 July 2006 11:00

To much lime will cause the PH to rise, Ammonium chloride can also be used to lower PH and it doubles as a nitrogen source. But I would stick with what NC Ag is recommending and apply what they say and your PH will be fine.A PH of 7 is ten times more alkaline than a PH of 6. Anytime you suspect the turf needs lime test the soil first.

jr – posted 21 July 2006 18:42

its a concept called luxury consumption, grassguy, when a plant takes up more of something than it needs, and it happens with potassium. i either dont remember or never knew why, but it happens. in so doing it can block uptake of other positive ions due to the plants internal charge.