Fertilizer with calcium + sulfur

[Leo in N E Illinois]

I personally favor inorganic, but there is good argument for all organic.

Inorganic tends to knock back mycorrhizae when applied, it takes a week or so to recover. Organic does not routinely change mycorrhizae levels.

Some feel mycorrhizae are essential for growing, others notice that some magnificent trees have been grown with all inorganic ferts and no worries about mycorrhizae.

Personal choice I suppose

 

[Carol 83]

Buy some fertilizer from @Leo in N E Illinois , he makes his own.

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

Buy some fertilizer from @Leo in N E Illinois , he makes his own.

It is true I have a fertilizer company make two different formulations for me, to my specifications. They are happy to do it if you buy more than 100 kilos at a time. I sell most of my fertilizer to the orchid growing hobby. I do sell a little to the bonsai community. The "cool thing" is that trees and orchids, in general need the same nutrients in the same ratios. One of the formulations I carry is specifically for acid loving plants, blueberries in particular, but this blueberry fertilizer is ideal for Satsuki and other acid loving trees.

Unfortunately the OP @Matthew Rudling is in South Africa. The labelling requirements and export permits required would be prohibitive. I won't try to ship fertilizer across international borders. The time alone required to research the "how to ship" is beyond the amount of effort I'd be willing to put in. The company I deal with might be willing to ship international, but the minimum order would be at least 100 or more kilograms.

 

[Carol 83]

It is true I have a fertilizer company make two different formulations for me, to my specifications. They are happy to do it if you buy more than 100 kilos at a time. I sell most of my fertilizer to the orchid growing hobby. I do sell a little to the bonsai community. The "cool thing" is that trees and orchids, in general need the same nutrients in the same ratios. One of the formulations I carry is specifically for acid loving plants, blueberries in particular, but this blueberry fertilizer is ideal for Satsuki and other acid loving trees.

Unfortunately the OP @Matthew Rudling is in South Africa. The labelling requirements and export permits required would be prohibitive. I won't try to ship fertilizer across international borders. The time alone required to research the "how to ship" is beyond the amount of effort I'd be willing to put in. The company I deal with might be willing to ship international, but the minimum order would be at least 100 or more kilograms.

Sorry, didn't pay attention to the OP's location, just trying to help you out.

 

[MichaelS]

in slightly larger amounts it interferes with iron, and manganese uptake.

How?

 

[Wires_Guy_wires]

How?

Calcium sulphate breaks down into calcium and sulphate when it comes in contact with water. Iron and manganese release more easily in soils if sulphate is present, they can wash out before a plant can take them up.

SO₄²-, can pull on Mn and Fe because both Mn and Fe can have a "2+ electron configuration" by lack of a better term, and fit like a lego block on the 2- of the sulphate.

Coincidentally, it's also how people can solve Mn and Fe deficiencies due to blockages in the soil; sprinkle a little gypsum and the stuff is released (or pulled from more or less inert salts if you will) for the plant to use.

Please, do consider my chemistry is somewhat rusty. I do biochem where I rarely come across anything other than Ca and Mg nowadays. Leo, or someone else like @Deep Sea Diver might have a better explanation.

 

[MichaelS]

Calcium sulphate breaks down into calcium and sulphate when it comes in contact with water. Iron and manganese release more easily in soils if sulphate is present, they can wash out before a plant can take them up.

SO₄²-, can pull on Mn and Fe because both Mn and Fe can have a "2+ electron configuration" by lack of a better term, and fit like a lego block on the 2- of the sulphate.

Coincidentally, it's also how people can solve Mn and Fe deficiencies due to blockages in the soil; sprinkle a little gypsum and the stuff is released (or pulled from more or less inert salts if you will) for the plant to use.

Please, do consider my chemistry is somewhat rusty. I do biochem where I rarely come across anything other than Ca and Mg nowadays. Leo, or someone else like @Deep Sea Diver might have a better explanation.

I use 1-3mm crushed rock gypsum at about 1 teaspoon/Litre on plants (all kinds) to supply Ca and S and I find no deficiencies of Fe or Mn whatsoever. If you have little S in your water or in the air - like me, coarser grades of calcium sulphate is an excellent way to supply S - and Ca.

 

[Matthew Rudling]

I decided to use the fertilizer after all. I also decided to start a comparison between the two maples that I have: organic pellets + bi-montly organic liquid for one, and inorganic pellets (above), and weekly soluble fertilizer on the other (rotating monthly). It will give me a good idea of which gives me the desired result, or if it makes no difference!

I also checked our water source and we receive only borehole water. I probably have slightly acidic water to begin with and lots of calcium.

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

How?

I don't know the biochemistry details. I do know that in the USA southwest there are areas where the soils and bedrock are derived from gypsum. In these areas, the soil will be sparsely vegetated, because the gypsum is toxic to "normal" vegetation. We have grasses, shrubs, cacti, and an assortment of flora endemic to gypsum soils. The existence of these biogeographic communities implies that excessive gypsum is a problem that only a limited array of species can cope with.

Toxic might be too strong a word, the effects of gypsum are more sub-lethal, where the "generalist" species fail to thrive, and the gypsum endemics thrive and out compete the "normal soils" species.