Organic Potassium source

I've been looking at various bat guanos and bird guanos and many seem to be excellent sources of N and P, except none have very good K ratios (6-10-2) for example. I know that plants would start showing K deficiencies if I only used guano, so what is a good, fully available source of K that is organic and I can mix into the soil? I considered sul-po-mag (sulfate of potash) but I don't know how organic that is, and with a 0-0-60 ratio it'd be easy to overdo it.

Peace,
~Skylined

wood ash from your barbeque is organic and a good sourse of potash. a handful of ash to every gallon of soil. organic is always best.

I use sul-po-mag from Eb stone organics...0-0-22 I use 1/4 - 1/2 of the recommendeed dose of 1 tblsp per gallon...I have seen a real difference in stem rigidity and overall health of the plant.....

Wood ash for sure:: although I have yet to impliment it personally....

Ah yes I hadn't remembered to consider wood ashes. Aren't they rather alkaline though? I would think adding a couple handfuls of wood ashes (it's a 2 gallon pot) would raise the pH to the point where I wouldn't need to use dolomite lime, is this so? Also, where can I buy this ebstone organics sul-po-mag?

Peace,
~Skylined

a short list for you

Potassium sources - for flowering and fruit-
wood chips, Russian Comfrey, stinging nettle,
grass family, yarrow, maple leaves, borage,
clover, sunflower family

i use yarrow, easy to grow with little care.

jaykush said:

a short list for you

Potassium sources - for flowering and fruit-
wood chips, Russian Comfrey, stinging nettle,
grass family, yarrow, maple leaves, borage,
clover, sunflower family

i use yarrow, easy to grow with little care.

Click to expand...

do you use the sun flower, or the whole plant? thanks for the awesome list and great thread

I think almost everything vegetable is rich in K. I mostly add Kelp meal to my soil and also use good portion of seaweed extract in teas.

Kelp meal has an NPK ratio of 1 - 0 - 2. I think this can be used for flowering without giving the plant too much N. Also, it won't fuck with the pH like wood ashes will. I personally like using dolomite lime because of the Mg and Ca in it as well as the pH buffering. How much of the kelp meal should one add to a 2 gallon pot to supply the plant through an entire 10 week flowering cycle? I'm just beginning to consider the whole organcis thing myself so forgive me if I seem mostly ignorant of the various procedures and materials.

Peace,
~Skylined

can anyone say bananas?

PazVerdeRadical said:

can anyone say bananas?

Click to expand...

BANANAS! Do I win a banana?


On another note, I am all eyes because I was about to post this exact same thread......so far some great ideas! I am currently putting some bananas into my vermicomposting bin, but that is still a few months from getting any castings out of (I admit, I sacrificed some worm poop for some trout hehe). That will supply some K for the castings, correct? I am trying to keep it pretty balanced in there..... Like this guy ---------->

Heres a list Suby hooked me up with a while back...Spreadin the love...

Alfalfa Hay: 2.45/05/2.1
Apple Fruit: 0.05/0.02/0.1
Apple Leaves: 1.0/0.15/0.4
Apple Pomace: 0.2/0.02/0.15
Apple skins(ash) : 0/3.0/11/74
Banana Residues (ash): 1.75/0.75/0.5
Barley (grain): 0/0/0.5
Barley (straw): 0/0/1.0
Basalt Rock: 0/0/1.5
Bat Guano: 5.0-8.0/4.0-5.0/1.0
Beans, garden(seed and hull): 0.25/0.08/03
Beet Wastes: 0.4/0.4/0.7-4.1
Blood meal: 15.0/0/0
Bone Black: 1.5/0/0
Bonemeal (raw): 3.3-4.1/21.0/0.2
Bonemeal (steamed): 1.6-2.5/21.0/0.2
Brewery Wastes (wet): 1.0/0.5/0.05
Buckwheat straw: 0/0/2.0
Cantaloupe Rinds (ash): 0/9.77/12.0
Castor pomace: 4.0-6.6/1.0-2.0/1.0-2.0
Cattail reeds and water lily stems: 2.0/0.8/3.4
Cattail Seed: 0.98/0.25/0.1
Cattle Manure (fresh): 0.29/0.25/0.1
Cherry Leaves: 0.6/0/0.7
Chicken Manure (fresh): 1.6/1.0-1.5/0.6-1.0
Clover: 2/0/0/0 (also contains calcium)
Cocoa Shell Dust: 1.0/1.5/1.7 Coffee Grounds: 2.0/0.36/0.67
Corn (grain): 1.65/0.65/0.4
Corn (green forage): 0.4/0.13/0.33
Corn cobs: 0/0/2.0
Corn Silage: 0.42/0/0
Cornstalks: 0.75/0/0.8
Cottonseed hulls (ash): 0/8.7/23.9Cottonseed Meal: 7.0/2.0-3.0/1.8
Cotton Wastes (factory): 1.32/0.45/0.36
Cowpea Hay: 3.0/0/2.3
Cowpeas (green forage): 0.45/0.12/0.45
Cowpeas (seed): 3.1/1.0/1.2
Crabgrass (green): 0.66/0.19/0.71
Crabs (dried, ground): 10.0/0/0 (I personally just crush the shells with my foot)
Crabs (fresh): 5.0/3.6/0.2
Cucumber Skins (ash): 0/11.28/27.2 ( WOW!!!! Who knew???)
Dried Blood: 10.0-14.0/1.0-5.0/0
Duck Manure (fresh): 1.12/1.44/0.6
Eggs: 2.25/0.4/0.15
Eggshells: 1.19/0.38/0.14
Feathers: 15.3/0/0
Felt Wastes: 14.0/0/1.0
Field Beans (seed): 4.0/1.2/1.3
Feild Beans (shells): 1.7/0.3/1.3
Fish (dried, ground): 8.0/7.0/0
Fish Scraps (fresh): 6.5/3.75/0
Gluten Meal: 6.4/0/0
Granite Dust: 0/0/3.0-5.5
Grapefruit Skins (ash): 0/3.6/30.6 (And people throw these things away? Wow!)
Grape Leaves: 0.45/0.1/0.4
Grape Pomace: 1.0/0.07/0.3
Grass (imature): 1.0/0/1.2
Greensand: 0/1.5/7.0
Hair: 14/0/0/0
Hoof and Horn Meal: 12.5/2.0/0
Horse Manure (fresh): 0.44/0.35/0.3
Incinerator Ash: 0.24/5.15/2.33
Jellyfish (dried): 4.6/0/0
Kentucky Bluegrass (green): 0.66/0.19/0.71
Kentucky Bluegrass (hay): 1.2/0.4/2.0
Leather Dust: 11.0/0/0
Lemon Culls: 0.15/0.06/0.26
Lemon Skins (ash): 06.33/1.0
Lobster Refuse: 4.5/3.5/0
Milk: 0.5/0.3/0.18
Millet Hay: 1.2/0/3.2
Molasses Residue
(From alcohol manufacture): 0.7/0/5.32
Molasses Waste
(From Sugar refining): 0/0/3.0-4.0
Mud (fresh water): 1.37/0.26/0.22
Mud (harbour): 0.99/0.77/0.05
Mud (salt): 0.4.0/0
Mussels: 1.0/0.12/0.13
Nutshells: 2.5/0/0
Oak Leaves: 0.8/0.35/0.2
Oats (grain): 2.0/0.8/0.6
Oats (green fodder): 0.49/0/0
Oat straw: 0/0/1.5
Olive Pomace: 1.15/0.78/1.3
Orange Culls: 0.2/0.13/0.21
Orange Skins: 0/3.0/27.0 (Right up there with Grapefruit. Note: both can attract fruit flies so, bury them in the compost)
Oyster Shells: 0.36/0/0
Peach Leaves: 0.9/0.15/0.6
Pea forage: 1.5-2.5/0/1.4
Peanuts (seed/kernals): 3.6/0.7/0.45
Peanut Shells: 3.6/0.15/0.5 (I grind them up in the food processor first)
Pea Pods (ash): 0/3.0/9.0 (I cut them up with a pair of scissors while shelling them)
Pea (vines): 0.25/0/0.7
Pear Leaves: 0.7/0/0.4
Pigeon manure (fresh): 4.19/2.24/1.0
Pigweed (rough): 0.6/0.1/0
Pine Needles: 0.5/0.12/0.03
Potato Skins (ash): 0/5.18/27.5
Potaote Tubers: 0.35/0.15/2.5
Potatoe Vines (dried): 0.6/0.16/1.6
Prune Refuse: 0.18/0.07/0.31
Pumpkins (fresh): 0.16/0.07/0.26
Rabbitbrush (ash): 0/0/13.04
Rabbit Manure: 2.4/1.4/0.6
Ragweed: 0.76/0.26/0
Rapeseed meal: 0/1.0=2.0/1.0=3.0
Raspberry leaves: 1.45/0/0.6
Red clover hay: 2.1/0.6/2.1
Redrop Hay: 1.2/0.35/1.0
Rock and Mussel Deposits
From Ocean: 0.22/0.09/1.78
Roses (flowers): 0.3/0.1/0.4
Rye Straw: 0/0/1.0
Salt March Hay: 1.1/0.25/0.75
Sardine Scrap: 8.0/7.1/0
Seaweed (dried): 1.1-1.5/0.75/4.9 (Seaweed is loaded with micronutrients including: Boron, Iodine, Magnesium and so on.)
Seaweed (fresh): 0.2-0.4/0/0
Sheep and Goat Manure (fresh): 0.55/0.6/0.3
Shoddy and Felt: 8.0/0/0
Shrimp Heads (dried): 7.8/4.2/0
Shrimp Wastes: 2.9/10.0/0
Siftings From Oyster Shell Mounds: 0.36/10.38/0.09
Silk Mill Wastes: 8.0/1.14/1.0
Silkworm Cocoons:10.0/1.82/1.08
Sludge: 2.0/1.9/0.3
Sludge (activated): 5.0/2.5-4.0/0.6
Smokehouse/Firepit Ash:0/0/4.96 (I put the ashes from my smoker in the pile)
Sorghum Straw:0/0/1.0
Soybean Hay: 1.5-3.0/0/1.2-2.3
Starfish: 1.8/0.2/0.25
Sugar Wastes (raw): 2.0/8.0/0
Sweet Potatoes: 0.25/0.1/0.5
Swine Manure (fresh): 0.6/0.45/0.5
Tanbark Ash: 0/0.34/3.8
Tanbark Ash (spent): 0/1.75/2.0
Tankage: 3.0-11.0/2.0-5.0/0
Tea Grounds: 4.15/0.62/0.4
Timothy Hay: 1.2/0.55/1.4
Tobacco Leaves: 4.0/0.5/6.0
Tobacco Stems: 2.5-3.7/0.6-0.9/4.5-7.0
Tomatoe Fruit: 0.2/0.07/0.35 (A note on tomatoe fruit: These should be hot composted. I just let any rotted or insect eaten tomatoes compost in the soil beneath the plants and have "freebees" come back each consecutive year. Hot composting will kill the seeds.)
Tomatoe Leaves: 0.35/0.1/0.4
Tomatoe Stalks: 0.35/0.1/0.5
Tung Oil Pumace: 6.1/0/0
Vetch Hay: 2.8/0/2.3
Waste Silt: 9.5/0/0
Wheat Bran: 2.4/2.9/1.6
Wheat (grain): 2.0/0.85/0.5
Wheat Straw: 0.5/0.15/0.8
White Clover (Green): 0.5/0.2/0.3
Winter Rye Hay: 0/0/1.0
Wood Ash: 0/1.0-2.0/6.0-10.0 (A note on Wood ash: Wood Ash can contain chemicals that could harm plants and also carcinogens so, they should be composted in moderation)
Wool Wastes: 3.5-6.0/2.0-4.0/1.0-3.5

A buddy of mine saves all his pot ash...he sprinkles it around his containers and swears by it....Dont waste your waste.....Pot ash = potash....LOL

Wow. That is an insanely good and extensive list. The only thing it is missing is the availability levels of the nutrients. Otherwise...superb list. Do you need to have the wood ash completely burned (white) or will partially burned material suffice as well?

Sophisto - where can this ebstone organics sul-po-mag be purchased?

Peace,
~Skylined

All I can say is Wow Sophisto.......and Suby.......that is one heck of a list! That is the best and longest list I have come across......

I am assuming those values are post vermicomposting? Or at least composting? Or are those the values of the raw material? I am still trying to get a grasp on this whole vermicomposting/composting thing.......learning along the way..........like I discovered worms DO NOT like dog food! I was a bit inebriated one night and decided to try it because my dogs did not finish their meal..........the next morning the worms all fled the scene and when I took the lid off the worms flung everywhere! Ha, live and learn........



Also, what in the world is Rapeseed meal: 0/1.0=2.0/1.0=3.0? Is there a plant called Rape? Or is that supposed to be grape? I dont think I want to be raping my babies......

Kiggity Kelp.

skylined said:

Wow. That is an insanely good and extensive list. The only thing it is missing is the availability levels of the nutrients. Otherwise...superb list. Do you need to have the wood ash completely burned (white) or will partially burned material suffice as well?

Sophisto - where can this ebstone organics sul-po-mag be purchased?

Peace,
~Skylined

Click to expand...

Check out their web site. They should have a list of suppliers....Most often they will always be found at nurseries and garden stores......Grow shops dont sell their stuff...At least none that I have come across..

I think it's www.ebstoneorganics.com

Ah excellent. Thanks a lot Sophisto, I will definitely check that out. I bought a few bags of superphosphate that's made by a company called epsoma, they also had the sul-po-mag but I don't like high NPK ratios like that, makes me nervous that it'd be easy to overdo it and it'd be a bitch to get that small of an amount mixed properly. I like the 0-0-22 ratio a lot better, will have to order up a few bags of that.

Peace,
~Skylined

Diggity, great idea on the banana peels for them worms, although perhaps let them dehydrate a bit under the sun before adding them to the worms, as they are sensitive to excess humidity the peels (or any other highly hydrated ingridient) can give off.

peace

do you use the sun flower, or the whole plant? thanks for the awesome list and great thread

Click to expand...

like i said, i use yarrow not sunflower. and i use the leafs and flowers to make fermented plant extracts. which is basically water, molasses, yarrow and lacto bacillus.

My Growmore Kelp Meal is 0-0-1.5

My Whitney Farms Jersey Greensand is 0-0-3

Haven't used these yet but picked 'em up with some other stuff from local nursery to whip up a batch of LC Mix.

My sources of K are

Kelp, wormcastings/liquid and molasses.

I believe coco is also a natural source of K.