Ca-S-Mg: Plant macronutrients
This is the second in a series on plant nutrients and fertilizers.
(Part 1 is here.)
Continuing on with our macronutrients. Today we’re featuring the secondary macronutrients: Calcium, Sulfur and Magnesium.
Calcium
Calcium keeps plants strong by keeping the cell walls strong. It’s also essential for cell division.
Generally farmers use dolomitic lime or gypsum to bump up the calcium.
Lime contains calcium carbonate which is very water soluble and easily leeches off.
Gypsum contains calcium sulfate which tends to have a low uptake.
And then there’s…
egg shells! Egg shells are 93% calcium carbonate. Sit them in the oven with the pilot light on for 10-20 minutes and they’ll dry. Then you can crush them into a powder form. If you want to be fancy, use a coffee grinder. If you want to be manual use whatever works to roll over them.
Spread the powder around the plants and water will take it into the soil. You can also soak the powdered egg shells in water and create a foliar spray
If you have a snail issue, crunch the egg shells up into small bits rather than powder. and spread them around your plants. Snails don’t seem to like crossing them.
Sulfur
Sulfur is important in chlorophyll formation which is responsible for vitamins, enzymes, amino acids and protein… critical to plant growth.
Sulfur is generally sufficient in reasonably good soil. Deficient plants will be a lighter green, more so in the upper part of the plant as sulfur doesn’t pull up the plant well.
Animal manures are a good organic source of sulfur.
Magnesium
Magnesium is central to the chlorophyll molecule. It’s an enzyme activator needed for photosynthesis, and hense, plant growth. It’s also a phosphorus carrier.
Deficient plants are lighter green and yellow between the leaf veins.
Dolomitic lime and Sul-Po-Mag are sources of magnesium. As is Epsom Salt. Epsom salt is more water soluble and works better as a foliar spray.
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