I've known those who have used it and found it to be very useful. I'd say that it certainly qualifies as 'organic'. The attached link will provide you with more information.

Here is a link that might be useful: 1st Step

That product can help the arid soils of the southwest as part of an overalll soil building program that includes adding organic matter. I have not been able to find a web site that lists the ingrediants which is the best way to tell if any product is organic or not.

Rhino, thanks for the reply...just curious why you think it would qualify as organic? It does say it is natural, but everybody makes that claim these days.
Kimmsr, I talked to a salesman at Gardeners World, asked about ingredients, but he didn't know anything more than what was written on the bag. Which is what is on their website... guess it's proprietary.

If it's 80% sulfur, as it claims, it's mostly elemental sulfur. Even a very light cation (e.g., magnesium) cannot get to 80% sulfur as a sulfide.

And if that is the case, why not just buy cheap ag sulfur? Also, it doesn't claim to be soluble.

Gonebanas,

As I understand it "cheap ag sulfur" must be incorporated in to be effective. Sprinkling it over an existing lawn or around the base of shrubs/trees will not work.

This product was recommended because it can be watered into the root zone where it is needed.

And yes, they do claim it to be soluble. This is copied from the instructions on their website (linked above):

"Apply dry and follow with a thorough DEEP and SLOW watering to dissolve the product, making certain that moisture reaches the root zone."

From their site: "a water degradable granular soil acidifier."

Sulfur is not soluble, sulfides are notoriously insoluble, and no sulfate can have 80% sulfate (and it specifically says "elemental sulfur" in any case).

My bet is that the water just breaks down the granular material into its smaller grains and that the "clays, wetting and dispersing agents" they mention help the fine disaggregated sulfur grains enter into the soil. That is exactly what wetting and dispersing agents are for.

It sounds like ag sulfur with a few additives. I'll bet it is a lot more expensive though.

How much should ag sulphur cost? I have a plot high in Ca but low in S, so I can't use gypsum.

Rhino, thanks for the reply...just curious why you think it would qualify as organic?

Why wouldn't it be organic? Because fossil fuel was used to manufacture? Are you a certified grower? If not, why such a strict standard?

Dan

Assuming soil sulfur sold here is the same as "ag sulfur" we pay about $30 for a 20lb bag. I believe 1st Step sells for about $32 per 20 lbs and they recommend 5 lb per 1000 sf.

If it is truly that close in price I'd go for the 1st Step for its several additives. It may in fact be closer to ag sulfur WP (wettable powder) normally for fungicidal use, being finer grained and with wetting agents.

Dan,
I don't have a strict standard, just curious I guess... but that brings up a point I also wondered about. If used regularly, would the sulfur leach into groundwater and affect the quality? We have some friends that live in a nearby town, who cannot even drink their well water due to the sulfur smell. Not even sure if it is because of sulfur in the water or some other phenomenon.

If used regularly, would the sulfur leach into groundwater and affect the quality

No, S is generally immobile in soil. Often the S smell in well water is from Hydrogen Sulfide that is present in certain rock at depth.

Dan

The applied sulfur is oxidized (probably microbially) to sulfate in order to release the acidity (H+) that lowers soil pH.

The hydrogen sulfide "rotten egg" smell in well water results from almost (though not exactly) the opposite process. Sulfate-reducing bacteria basically use the oxygen from dissolved sulfate (SO4--) and make sulfide (S--) which if it is in the form of hydrogen sulfide (H2S) will stink (metallic sulfides instead precipitate).

In oxygen-rich aquifers this sulfate reduction does not take place.

Sulphur as elemental S, is always insoluble in water.

Sulphur 80%WDG (water dispersible granules) contains around 80% elemental sulphur, which is very finely ground to around 1 - 3 microns particle size. They are made wettable (not soluble like sugar) in water, and have good suspensibility in water for use in agriculture spray, etc.

We manufacture high quality sulphur products in india.
For any further informations, please contact us :
rajasulphur@gmail.com

Here is a link that might be useful: RAJA SULPHUR UDYOG

Why not just dissolved epsom salts to get sulfur AND Mg into the soil?

Kevin

At the elevator 2 blocks from my house. ag S is selling for $1000/ton right now. I plan to get some, run it through my wife's hand crank burr mill to make it extremely fine and then calibrate the Scots lawn push fertilizer to put it down at the rate I want around the apple trees.

To be sure, the S has to be in contact with moist soil to start being utilized by the soil microorganisms that will essentially convert it to sulfuric acid and H+. There goes the soil pH. Sadly, I can't incorporate the S without tearing up the shallow tree roots so, I'm going the reduce it to a powder route and letting the water carry the fine particles method. Might just work in the ground right now as it is so damned dry there are 1"+ wide cracks running throughout the orchard floor.

Yes, the Great Plains are and always has been a desert, the wet years fool us into forgetting that FACT.

At the elevator 2 blocks from my house. ag S is selling for $1000/ton right now. I plan to get some, run it through my wife's hand crank burr mill to make it extremely fine and then calibrate the Scots lawn push fertilizer to put it down at the rate I want around the apple trees.

To be sure, the S has to be in contact with moist soil to start being utilized by the soil microorganisms that will essentially convert it to sulfuric acid and H+. There goes the soil pH. Sadly, I can't incorporate the S without tearing up the shallow tree roots so, I'm going the reduce it to a powder route and letting the water carry the fine particles method. Might just work in the ground right now as it is so damned dry there are 1"+ wide cracks running throughout the orchard floor.

Yes, the Great Plains are and always has been a desert, the wet years fool us into forgetting that FACT.

I just looked at your link, seems they only sell wholesale, is that a problem? Did your lab give you recommendations for the rates for your circumstances? Who is the Lab, are they in any way connected with the outfit selling the product, maybe, maybe not?