Article Directory
Free Online Article Directory. For Article Authors & Publishers

The Importance of Potassium for your Home Vegetable Garden Plants

When your vegetable plants lack potassium they can appear smaller than normal even a little thin as is the case with tomatoes and although they do not look "sickly" they are suffering and that could cause smaller harvests and even no harvest at all.

Potassium is important to your vegetable plants because if aides in the process of photosynthesis. Photosynthesis, if you remember from science class in school, is the process of converting carbon dioxide into organic compounds using the energy from sunlight.

Potassium in plants has also been shown to aid in the formation of proteins in plants which gives your vegetables their nutritional value. So it goes without saying that plants growing in soil that lacks or is deficient in potassium will in turn not be able to carry out the photosynthesis process or provide adequate protein. And if that was not enough potassium has been shown to aid microorganisms in the soil.

Now that we have covered potassium's importance and what will happen if you neglect this very important nutrient, let's go over how to get some in your soil. There are over the counter items you can use that will add potassium directly into your soil for immediate solutions, but if you want long term solutions use the following.

If you are fortunate like me to have an outdoor fire pit (I bought mine at Target for $60), then burning some good ole fashioned logs will result in a good source of potassium for your soil. I am talking about wood ash. It doesn't contain a lot of potassium and may raise your soil's pH level, but it is a quick release option and also safe. Do not use charcoal ash. Charcoal ash can be toxic to your plants.

Greensand is another option that comes from the bottom of the ocean. A small portion of the potassium that it contains is quick releasing while the majority of it is slow release. A benefit of green sand is that it also contains other nutrients and will improve clay like soil conditions. It is best to add the green sand to your compost pile as opposed to directly in your garden.

Speaking of composting, if you are not doing it, you should be. Proper composting can fix just about any issue in anyone's soil. A Google search on proper compost ingredients will give you everything you need to know about constructing a good compost bin for your pile and what to add in it.

Author Resource:- About the Author
Mike is a contributing writer for Mike the Gardener Enterprises, LLC the exclusive home for the Seeds of the Month Club. Enter the word "article" in the referral code box and receive a 50% discount on the price of any membership.
Submitted 2010-10-29 18:46:29
By: Bruce Tucker 99 or more times read
Article Read 319 Times
Article From
Article Listed
[Valid RSS feed]  Bruce Tucker's Author Feed
http://www.articlelisted.com/author-rss-feed.php?rss=779
[Valid RSS feed]  Category Rss Feed
http://www.articlelisted.com/rss.php?rss=93

Related Articles

  • The Various Ways Of Giant Hogweed Removal


    There are actually various giant hogweed eradication methods but there's no single method that will do the job alone. Often, a minimum of two(2) solutions are being used for higher chances of effectiveness. Severing is amongst the widely applied techniques in preventing the spread or killing off of hogweed. Just like many other plants, it grows by its roots and propagates through its seeds. Therefore slicing the roots seems to be the best solution, but this by itself does not guarantee success.
  • Spring is Coming


    The days are getting a little longer. In our Zone 5, Western New York neck of the woods, the sap is running. The arrowwood shrubs are red. The willow twigs are bright yellow. Snowdrops have been peaking through. It can only mean one thing. Spring will be here soon.
  • Rustic Garden Furniture


    The charm of country living is found in the rustic garden furniture. One of many big reasons individuals tend to love rustic garden furniture is as a result of it's usually not made in a manufacturing facility .The rustic garden furniture is exclusive with chairs, tables, benches, and arbors that depict early America.
  • Match Your Honey's Personality To Her Bouquet With The Help Of A Santa Rosa Florists Store


    Many times when people get ready to select a floral gift from their local Santa Rosa florists shop for someone that they care about they have a hard time determining exactly what that person would like best.
  • Why You Should Choose Office Furniture Leasing


    A business is more than just an office space. It is made up of ideas, hard work and determination. However, having an appropriate office space goes a long way towards creating the image you need to project to your clients and customers.
  • Flowers Portland Designers Help You Send Sympathy Bouquets


    You can give an arrangement of sympathy flowers Portland designers help you create. The loss of a loved one is tough to deal with, and expressing your feelings is often difficult.
  • Get Yourself A Swimming Pool For Your Back Garden This Summer Time


    Among the finest methods to take advantage of the warmer summer months is actually by unwinding within your backyard garden.
  • North American Trees Leaf Identification


    We sometimes wonder when we look at trees and say, I wonder what kind of tree that is? The proper way to identify different variations is by looking at their leaves.
  • Red Maple Leaf Identification


    The Red Maple tree is one of the most commonly found trees in North America. It is known for its ability to grow under nearly any conditions, as well as its beautiful leaf colors. These trees are often used in landscaping designs in street landscaping, parks, homes, and community centers.
  • Flower Leaf Identification - How To Know A Flower By Its Leaf


    Springtime brings about a huge variety of newly budding plants. A walk through a flower garden will reveal plants that are common and easily identified by just looking at them.

HTML Ready Article. Click on the "Copy" button to copy into your clipboard.




Firefox users please select/copy/paste as usual
Actions
Print This Article
Add To Favorites


Navigation
select
Home
select
Sign up
select
Login
select
Submit Articles
select
Submission Guidelines
select
learn more
select
Top Articles
select
About Us
select
Contact Us
select
Privacy Policy
select
RSS Feeds
   
Submit Your Articles To Our Other Article Directory
Morefreeinformation.com