Potassium: A Critical Garden Nutrient

Garden nutrients come in the form of macronutrients and micronutrients. Macronutrients include nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. This is also known as the N-P-K ratio that you are probably familiar with on the back of fertilizer bags, expressed in the manner

10-10-10.

These nutrients are needed in large quantity as opposed to micronutrients
such as copper, iron, and boron. One of the most important macronutrients is potassium. This nutrient does everything from helping move other vital nutrients from one part of the plant to another to regulating chemical processes such as photosynthesis, carbon dioxide exchange, and regulating the moisture content of cells.

Potassium has also been shown to assist in the creation of plant proteins which ultimately can alter the nutritional value of your organic produce. Potassium must be present in sufficient quantity for nitrogen fixing bacteria to produce nitrogen on the root nodes of legumes as well.

There are a few ways to tell if a garden is lacking in potassium. Plants with very little potassium may appear weak and diseased and fruits and vegetables lacking potassium may even taste bland or lack flavor altogether. You can alleviate a potassium deficiency by adding organic fertilizers such as greensand, wood ash, granite dust, or other mineral dusts.

Greensand has the added ability of adding secondary elements like calcium and magnesium, as well as adding micronutrients. Wood ash is an excellent potassium provider although it should be added sparingly as it is more of a quick release solution and not a long term addition.

Granite dusts and other rock powders provide a nice slow release of potassium and other minerals as soil microbes are able to strip these ions off of fine rock dusts and make them available to the plants roots.

Organic gardeners should familiarize themselves with this macronutrient and become adept at detecting signs of deficiencies and establishing proper corrective measures when needed.