Aged pine bark fines... Potassium source?

15 years ago

Considering using aged pine bark fines as a top dressing on my lawn. My soil is deficient in potassium and I'm reading that aged pine bark fines are a source or potassium (maybe wood products in general are.... including wood ashes).

Anyway, my soil is acid (ph5.9) and I'm wondering if the pines acidity will impact my soil in a bad way.

Also wondering how much to apply to get potassium levels back up to high on soil report.

Anyone use this stuff on an acid lawn deficient in potassium with good results?

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Comments (2)

skoot_cat
15 years ago
Pine bark fines are very acidic and my guess, it would not be a good choice for your already acidic soil. You are correct, wood ash does contain potassium, but its main advantage in the soil is that it increases soil alkalinity. Adding large amounts can do more harm than good so be careful if you decide to apply some.

If your looking for something Organic/Natural to increase potassium levels a good choice would be either Greensand or Sulfate of Potash.

What type of grass do you have?
emyers
Original Author
15 years ago
Yeah, I've looked at greensand (Not at sulfate of potash) but unfortunately it's cost prohibitive. My "lawn" is 25000 sqft and applying at 10lbs per 100ft2 is going to require, er, 2500 lbs/40lbs = 62 bags. I don't remember how much it is a bag but I know for a fact it's more than I want to spend on my yard.

Is sulfate of potash a less expensive alternative?

You're right about the pine bark fines being acidic. The aged ones that I'm looking at have a ph of 4.5 before applying lime. The ph of my soil is 6.9 (already acid).

However, I can get aged pine bark fines in bulk for 15.28 yd3, which works out to 57 cents a cubic ft. If I put down 1/4" over my entire yard (25,000 sqft)it would only require 20 yd3 or around 300.00.

Well, oops. That's more than I want to spend too....
So what now? I think I'm going to post a what if question regarding this.... thanks for making me sit down and do the math. Please respond to my "what if" question in the lawn care forum.
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Justaguy- Thanks again. The primary reason for thinking I'd use the pine bark fines was that I have a readily available, readily inexpensive source AND, it's something that I have to go get anyway for other "projects". Currently have some lying around also. However, the fact that it takes longer to break down as you've indicated, probably makes my reasoning unjustified/invalid. Only prob is, the only other "readily available" known good source of brown material I have is leaves. And as you indicated, it also takes a long time to break down (at least to manufacture true compost). So, now I have another delimma. At any rate, regardless, If I set out to make true leaf compost with shredded leaves, based on what you're saying, it certainly should break down faster than the pine bark fines. Sounds like I'm moving towards your original statement of use the fines for a soil ammendment and mulch, and use other materials (in this case shredded leaves and household waste) for composted materials. Pine bark fines soil ammendment, Composted shredded leaves, green manure cover crops, sounds like one heck of a start to me. In your opinion, if I go to these efforts, is it still somehow important that I work in straw and some form of animal manure into my "program"? In other words am I missing any desirable components that you can get me considering? What next (already looking into chickens for the spring....).
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Aged pine bark fines... Potassium source?

Comments (2)

skoot_cat

emyers
Original Author

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Aged pine bark fines... Potassium source?

Comments (2)

skoot_cat

emyersOriginal Author

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emyers
Original Author