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Encyclopedia Botanica Podcast, Episode 34: Phosphorus and Potassium

March 3, 2017 hilary dahl
Eggplant_Seattle Urban Farm Co.

Welcome to part 2 of our 2-part series on organic fertilizer! In the first part of the series, we talked about Nitrogen as an essential nutrient for healthy plant growth. This week we're talking about Phosphorus and Potassium. These two nutrients are responsible for many vital plant functions, including root growth, flower production and fruit development. As we discussed in part one of this series, the NPK ratio is a tool for informing gardeners of the relative percentages of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium in a fertilizer. So this week's podcast is all about the P and the K of that ratio.

 

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SHOW NOTES:

In this episode, we discuss:

  • Phosphorus and Potassium (P + K of the “NPK” ratio)
  • The roles Phosphorus and Potassium play in the health of your garden
  • Organic sources of Phosphorus and Potassium
  • Balanced fertilizer
  • Kelp

Important Take-aways:

  • Vegetable crops pull a lot of nutrients out of the soil, so no matter where you're growing, those nutrients need to be replenished.
  • Phosphorus and potassium, are responsible for many vital plant functions, including root growth, flower production and fruit development.
  • Phosphorus
    • Compost can contain a significant amount of phosphorus. Compost also acts as a chelating agent and combines with iron. Basically, this means that it converts the micronutrient iron into a soluble form that the plants can absorb.
    • Phosphorus can be unavailable to plants if your soil pH is out of whack, so if you are having issues with phosphorus deficiency in the garden, make sure to check the pH before just continuing to add more fertilizer to the soil. This element is most available to plants when the soil pH is between 6.0 and 7.0.
    • Organic sources of phosphorus are rock phosphate, bone meal and compost
  • Potassium
    • Potassium plays a crucial role in your plants ability to absorb water.
    • Organic sources of potassium are greensand (which is more of a long-term investment in the soil) and sulfate of potash. (which releases nutrients more quickly).
  • Kelp
    • While organic fertilizer ingredients like greensand do add micronutrients to the soil, many growers use Kelp Meal or other seaweed products to add micronutrients to the garden. We apply kelp to gardens in both a granular and liquid form.
    • The idea behind a foliar feeding is that the fertilizer is sprayed directly on the leaves of the plant. Typically people try to do foliar feeding first thing in the morning when the stomata on the leaves are still open and they can most effectively soak up the nutrients in the spray.  

Check out past episodes:
Encyclopedia Botanica Podcast, Episode 86: Quinoa
Apr 20, 2018
Encyclopedia Botanica Podcast, Episode 86: Quinoa
Apr 20, 2018
Apr 20, 2018
Encyclopedia Botanica Podcast, Episode 85: April Slack Q+A with Colin McCrate
Apr 13, 2018
Encyclopedia Botanica Podcast, Episode 85: April Slack Q+A with Colin McCrate
Apr 13, 2018
Apr 13, 2018
Encyclopedia Botanica Podcast, Episode 84: Seed Saving for the Home Gardener, Part 2
Apr 6, 2018
Encyclopedia Botanica Podcast, Episode 84: Seed Saving for the Home Gardener, Part 2
Apr 6, 2018
Apr 6, 2018
Encyclopedia Botanica Podcast, Episode 83: Seed Saving for the Home Gardener, Part 1
Mar 30, 2018
Encyclopedia Botanica Podcast, Episode 83: Seed Saving for the Home Gardener, Part 1
Mar 30, 2018
Mar 30, 2018
Encyclopedia Botanica Podcast, Episode 82: Pollinator Gardens with Justin Wheeler
Mar 16, 2018
Encyclopedia Botanica Podcast, Episode 82: Pollinator Gardens with Justin Wheeler
Mar 16, 2018
Mar 16, 2018
Encyclopedia Botanica Podcast, Episode 81: Asparagus with Alley Swiss
Mar 9, 2018
Encyclopedia Botanica Podcast, Episode 81: Asparagus with Alley Swiss
Mar 9, 2018
Mar 9, 2018
Encyclopedia Botanica Podcast, Episode 80: March Slack Q+A with Colin McCrate
Mar 2, 2018
Encyclopedia Botanica Podcast, Episode 80: March Slack Q+A with Colin McCrate
Mar 2, 2018
Mar 2, 2018
Encyclopedia Botanica Podcast, Episode 79: Sweet Peas with Simon Crawford
Feb 23, 2018
Encyclopedia Botanica Podcast, Episode 79: Sweet Peas with Simon Crawford
Feb 23, 2018
Feb 23, 2018
Encyclopedia Botanica Podcast, Episode 78: Veggie Garden Remix with Niki Jabbour
Feb 16, 2018
Encyclopedia Botanica Podcast, Episode 78: Veggie Garden Remix with Niki Jabbour
Feb 16, 2018
Feb 16, 2018
Encyclopedia Botanica Podcast, Episode 77: Bare Root Perennials with Kathy Boullin
Feb 9, 2018
Encyclopedia Botanica Podcast, Episode 77: Bare Root Perennials with Kathy Boullin
Feb 9, 2018
Feb 9, 2018

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Featured
Hilary
Hilary

Hello, I’m Hilary Dahl. Outside of this podcast, my job is to help beginning and experienced growers create beautiful and productive gardens. I have the unique experience of working in on a wide range of projects, from small backyard garden plots to multi-acre vegetable farms. I also work in my own garden every day when I get home. This podcast is an opportunity to discuss seasonal garden topics and share the the joy of growing your own food. 

Kellie
Kellie

Hi, my name is Kellie Phelan, and I've been gardening for about 3 years. I started with just a few containers, growing lettuce and peas and cherry tomatoes. I loved shopping in my backyard! Just a few steps out the back door and I was harvesting food for dinner. So, it seemed only natural to expand my garden and I'm working on fitting as many fruits and veggies as possible into my small city lot. I've made a lot of what I'll call 'valuable' mistakes - learning as I go, and Hilary has been an awesome resource. I am honored and excited to be a part of Encyclopedia Botanica, where I'll be chatting with Hilary, asking questions, and helping all of us get better at growing food.

← Encyclopedia Botanica Podcast, Episode 35: Listener Q+AEncyclopedia Botanica Podcast, Episode 33: Nitrogen →

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