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Low Potassium levels #869141

Asked May 19, 2024, 5:29 PM EDT

I have been testing my soil since 2017. The potassium level was initially 38 ppm. Since then I have been using Potash (0-0-60) at a rate of ~2.5 pounds/1000 sq ft. Admittedly, that is lower than the recommendation for 3.2/1000, but the K+ level has barely changed in 7 years with the 2014 report showing 41 ppm. I will continue adding potash, but is there something that is causing my lawn to be hypokalemic? What should I be looking for that might be causing this? Thank you

Marquette County Michigan

Expert Response

Kevin - increasing the Cation Exchange Capacity (i.e. CEC which indicates the ability of the soil to hold nutrients) will help increase Potassium levels.  See the article below for more details on this topic.

https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/what_is_your_soil_cation_exchange_capacity

Increasing the organic matter in the soil is the key to raising the CEC.  More info about organic matter is in the article below.  Methods for increasing the organic matter would be to mow high and leave your grass clippings on the lawn (i.e. use a mulching blade), top dress with organic matter and/or mulch leaves in the fall.

https://www.canr.msu.edu/hrt/uploads/535/78622/Organic-Matters-figure-6pgs.pdf

I would recommend you wait 3 years before your next soil test since raising the organic matter and Potassium takes time.

I am also including a link below to the MSU Gardening in Michigan Lawn web page that has info I thought you may find interesting.

https://www.canr.msu.edu/home_gardening/lawns/

Hope that helps and good job using the soil test to know the health of your lawn!



Diane - MSU Advanced Extension Master Gardener Replied May 19, 2024, 7:51 PM EDT
Thanks for your response and links. I do mulch the lawn when mowing including the leaves in the fall. I am going to have to figure out how I am going to top dress a 1/2 acre of lawn with compost.

On Sun, May 19, 2024 at 7:51 PM Ask Extension <<personal data hidden>> wrote:
The Question Asker Replied May 19, 2024, 9:26 PM EDT

I have a suggestion that worked for my lawn (when I too had low potassium, little organic matter and nothing that seemed to work).  Instead of applying Milorganite (which is a quick-releasing Nitrogen that most likely is largely  washing through the soil), I suggest you switch to using a Winterizer fertilizer which is slow releasing.  With a slower release, the fertilizer can be taken up slowly by the grass.  When I did that for a few years , added a Potassium fertilizer, and mulching, I was able to increase both the organic matter and potassium level in my soil.

Hope that helps

Diane - MSU Advanced Extension Master Gardener Replied May 20, 2024, 2:37 PM EDT

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