# Soil sample SOP to raise K?



## Canuck Mike (Jul 23, 2018)

Should I try to lower the PH to get below 7? And does anything else stand out? High zinc?

How much of this 0-0-50 Potassium Sulfate - (Sulfate of Potash) should I apply and how often.


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## Virginiagal (Apr 24, 2017)

Did you use a garden trowel to take the sample? Many trowels are coated with zinc. Zinc usually isn't a problem in alkaline soils. I wouldn't worry about it.

Your pH is fine, just a bit alkaline.

The SOP you have appears to be a powder. Call the manufacturer and ask them how they would recommend applying it. I imagine you will need to mix a particular amount in some particular amount of water and spray it over some particular amount of space. And then water it in so it doesn't stay on the leaf, This is not the granular SOP that people usually use for fertilization.

Can you get a balanced fertilizer like 10-10-10? One application of that at 10 lb per 1000 sq ft would give you 1 lb of nitrogen, 1 lb of phosphorus, and 1 lb of potassium per 1000 sq ft. That would take care of the phosphorus recommendation and leave you with three other applications to do with nitrogen and potassium. Perhaps you can find a fertilizer with about equal amounts of nitrogen and potassium and no phosphorus?

Your cation exchange capacity (CEC) is very high, which is a good thing. But it does seem a little strange. Your organic matter is quite high too, If you've been using compost, I'd back off on it,


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## DiabeticKripple (Apr 14, 2019)

use ammonium sulphate as your main fertilizer.

pretty cheap and as the sulfur breaks down it turns to sulphuric acid and will lower your PH over time.


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## Wile (Sep 17, 2020)

DiabeticKripple said:


> use ammonium sulphate as your main fertilizer.
> 
> pretty cheap and as the sulfur breaks down it turns to sulphuric acid and will lower your PH over time.


It's the ammonia that cause the acidification not the sulfur content (which is in sulfate form) in ammonium sulfate. Sulfates do not lower pH. You are thinking of elemental sulfur which goes through oxidation and changes into sulphuric acid as it breaks down. You are correct that ammonium sulfate can help reduce pH over time.


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## ABC123 (Jul 14, 2017)

honestly just apply nitrogen for now, nothing else is needed because you have etiquette nutrients.


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