Recent Questions

Q: I want to use potassium sulfate (0-0-50) as a fertilizer for potted bulbs. What concentration should I use, and how often should it be applied?

The Expert: One teaspoon per pot, twice a year would be sufficient. Make one application once you see spring growth, and another application a week or two before the leaves start dying back.

Q: I have two sago palms with yellow leaves. They're getting plenty of water and afternoon sun. Is the discoloration from too much water, sunlight or something else?

The Expert: I doubt the problem is too much water or sun.

Add nitrogen around the base of the tree out to about four feet. A cup of urea nitrogen should be sufficient. It may take a couple of weeks to see an effect.

Hope this helps.

Q: I have a soysia lawn. When is the best time to fertilize? What type of fertilizer should I use?

The Expert: Usually three times a year is adequate: green-up, mid-season and mid-late season are excellent times to fertilize your lawn.

Grass will have its greatest response to nitrogen. How much phosphorus and potassium you need depends on your soil. If you pick up lawn clippings, then you definitely want to use a fertilizer containing all three nutrients. If you are not picking up lawn clippings, you won't need much phosphorus or potassium.

Usually, commercial fertilizers you find at big box stores have spring, summer and fall formulas, and these do a good job of supplying lawn needs. Unless you want to go through the trouble of soil testing, I suggest you use these.

Good luck.

Q: Please explain to what extent your products are appropriate for certified organic farming and give reasons for your conclusions.

The Expert: This is a complicated subject, but I will try to explain.

First, PotashCorp does not produce or sell any fertilizer materials approved for use in certified organic production. Even though our nitrogen products are derived from air, our phosphate fertilizers from ancient deposits of marine organisms, and potash from prehistoric evaporated seas, we do not utilize processes that are approved by the organic farming community. Some of these processes may include using catalytic metals, natural gas, flotation agents, acid, anti caking reagents, and de-dusting chemicals.

Although all of our fertilizers are considered safe to plants, humans, other animals and insects, they do not meet requirements to be certified as organic. For a fertilizer to be considered organic, both it's origin and production processes must meet established criteria. For most commercial fertilizers, it is the production processes that prohibit them from being classified as organic.

Hope this explanation helps.