How to Make Homemade Potassium Fertilizer in 2023

If you need to know everything on how to make homemade potassium fertilizer, you are at the right place. This guide will explain what potassium fertilizer is and how to make your own organic version.

All fertilizers for plants contain nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus. These macronutrients are elements found in large quantities in plants.

The building of chlorophyll is important for nitrogen (N). It helps produce leaves. A nitrogen-deficient plant will send nutrients first to the young shoots, then to the mature leaf. A sign that your plant is in need of nitrogen can be the death of mature leaves.

Potassium regulates stomata and small pores on leaves that allow gases into and out of plant cells. It also maintains turgor (water pressure that keeps the plant upright) and osmotic equilibrium (transfers plant nutrients from high density to low density). Leaf lesions can be a sign that you have a potassium deficiency. The mature leaves will die first. Fruit growth is especially dependent on potassium.

Phosphorus is involved in energy transfer to cellular metabolism. It is found in the structure of cell membranes as well as nucleic acid. Deficiency can be manifested by developmental delays, lesions, and purple leaves.

Potassium is the best reason to eat bananas, right? The bananas’ peels and fruit are rich in potassium. You may not want to throw away a delicious banana in your garden, but it’s highly unlikely you want to keep the peel.

There is a perfect medium that works for you and for your garden at the same time. There are many ways to extract nutrients from banana peels. There are many ways to extract the nutrients from a banana peel.

You can mix it and put it in your soil. Or you can let it sit for a while to make a tea to spray your plants with. Or you can simply place a piece of the peel in your garden, near the roots of your plants.

We recommend drying for the best results. This helps to keep unwanted visitors away (bugs, rats, possums) and delivers the required nutrients to the root systems of your plants.

These micronutrients are also required by plants, although they may be in lower amounts. To perform vital physiological maintenance and grow, plants need all three macronutrients as well as thirteen micronutrients.

How do plants feed?

The root absorbs all nutrients from the soil and then transports them throughout the plant.

Transpiration and pressure on the root pushing water up and the source sink phenomenon, which draws water from less active areas of the plant to those that are actively growing such as shoots and fruits, are two ways nutrients are transported through the plant.

Pin

What are potassium-rich fertilizers?

Potassium-rich fertilizers have a higher percentage of potassium than the other macronutrients (nitrogen, phosphorous). Learn more about the effects potassium has on your plants here.

Look for percentages such as 10:12:22 to identify potassium-rich fertilizers. This means that the macronutrient content of the fertilizer is 10% nitrogen, 12 phosphorous, and 22% potassium.

The ratio numbers on fertilizer brands are known as ‘NPK‘. Each number represents the fertilizer’s percentage of potassium, phosphorus or nitrogen.

Fertilizer 5-5-5 or 10-10-10, or 12-12-12-12, contains nutrients in a 1:1:1 ratio. These NPK ratios are indicative of a balanced fertilizer that contains equal amounts of each macronutrient.

There is only one difference between 12-12-12 and 5-5-5 fertilizer. 12-12-12 fertilizer has 7 percent more phosphorus, nitrogen and potassium than 5-5-5. The remainder of the product is filler material and does not affect your plant.

Fertilizers containing lower levels of macronutrients should not be used on small plants. However, larger plants should have higher amounts of fertilizers.

Organic fertilizer recipes made at home usually have lower concentrations of targeted nutrients than those manufactured from chemicals. This decreases the risk of fertilizer toxicity and can save plants from being killed. Because there are fewer chances of fertilizer being released into the wild, it is more eco-friendly.

When should you use potassium fertilizer?

Potassium fertilizers can be used to grow flowers and fruit trees. Potassium fertilizers improve the appearance, color, taste, acidity, and vitamin content of fruits. Potassium activates enzymes which produce sugars and proteins. Rose and orchid plants are frequently treated with potassium-rich fertilizers. To produce lycopene, tomatoes also need high levels of potassium.

Potassium-rich fertilizers are required for houseplants that flower with carmine, hibiscus, or African Violent. Plants will require fertilizers with a nitrogen-to-potassium ratio of 1 during the reproductive flowering stage.

Potassium can be used to raise the soil’s alkalinity. pH is a measure of acidity and alkalinity. It can be measured from 1-10. Anything below 7 indicates acidic soil. Some plants, like winter jasmine or Boston ivy, have strong tendencies to alkaline soils.

Too much potassium can cause magnesium to be impeded. If you aren’t sure of the exact amount, you can feed less potassium than you think you need.

Share the image below to your Pinterest board and save this Potassium Fertilizer Recipe!

Pin

How to Make Homemade Potassium Fertilizer

1. Homemade Potassium Fertilizer Recipe: Banana

Four banana peels and three egg shells can be dried. Add 4 tablespoons Epsom salt to the mixture. Blend the mixture in a food processor. Add 75 ml water to the powder. Mix well and then pour the liquid onto your plants.

Alternatively, you can also make potassium-soaked compost by adding bananas to your compost bin.

2. Homemade Potassium Fertilizer: Kelp

If you live near the coast, it may be possible to look for potassium-rich alga. You should only collect algae. Other algae contain less potassium.

Make a concentrated seaweed fertilizer by filling a bucket with pre-prepared kelp. Cover it with rainwater, and let it sit for one month. Stir it every other day. Add a few nettle stalks for extra nitrogen to the mixture.

Oregon State University has created a table that shows the average NPK ratios in organic substances. This is useful for anyone who wants to create their own organic fertilizer recipes. It can be used to determine the right ingredients to make the ideal NPK mix for your plant.

3. Homemade Potassium Fertilizer: Wood Ash (from Your Fireplace or Fire Pit).

To add potassium and calcium carbonate to your soil, you can sprinkle some ashes on it. Hardwood is the best, and no lighter fluid or charcoal, please. This can cause damage to your plants.

However, ash should not be used in areas where acid-loving plants are being maintained. Ashes are alkaline and can raise soil alkalinity.