Every person who takes care of plants, be it house plants, garden fruits, and veggies or crops, knows that they must get adequate nutrition if they’re going to grow properly and thrive.
And even if you make sure your plants get enough nutrients directly, amending the soil after repeated plantings for future plantings is paramount.
Accordingly, you’ll need to know a thing or two about fertilizers. And not all fertilizers are created equal! Knowing precisely what kind to use, and how much of it to use, is important to getting the results you want.
Below is a guide for 0-0-60 fertilizer, a pure potassium formula. Keep reading and I will tell you everything you need to know.
What Does 0-0-60 Fertilizer Mean?
0-0-60 is shorthand that lets you know precisely what sort of nutrients are in the fertilizer, and in this case it’s telling you that it is 60% potassium.
That’s because those numbers are a code, a code which reads in order: nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. It is commonly referred to as NPK, with each letter standing for the atomic symbol of each element.
Simply enough for 0-0-60, you get no nitrogen and no phosphorus, but lots of potassium, making this a special-purpose fertilizer which has lots of one element and none of the other two.
0-0-60 Fertilizer Benefits
If you were paying attention to the previous section, you know that 0-0-60 has only one element in it but it is one element in a huge abundance, and that is potassium.
Potassium is one of the critical nutrients for plants because it helps them take up both water and other nutrients, and distribute all three along with carbohydrates throughout the body of the plant.
It’s absolutely essential to start and sustain photosynthesis, without which plants will start to suffer and then die back.
And no matter what kind of plant you’re taking care of, potassium is important, but it’s especially critical for big pretty flowers and large, healthy fruits and vegetables because it helps plants produce both.
And no matter how good your soil is, if it isn’t low on potassium, your plants aren’t going to turn out as good as they could, because without the potassium they won’t be able to properly make use of nitrogen and phosphorus.
So if you have potassium-deficient soils, or plants that are very hungry for the stuff, 0-0-60 is a supercharged shot of it!
What Are the Ingredients in 0-0-60 Fertilizer?
So we know 0-0-60 contains pretty much only potassium, but where does that potassium come from?
And at most fertilizers of this type it comes from muriate of potash, which is nothing more than a super concentrated potassium source.
And as with most fertilizers, it’s not uncommon for various other trace minerals and elements to be included.
Depending on the manufacturer and the blend of fertilizer, they might include soil conditioners, various other micronutrients, chelated iron, and more.
How Should You Apply 0-0-60 Fertilizer?
No matter what sort of plants you are taking care of, 0-0-60 is most commonly available in a coarse blend that is sand-like in texture.
Lots of folks compared to wet beach sand, and I think that is a pretty good analogy. You can deploy your 0-0-60 using a spreader or broadcaster, or by scattering it and raking it into your soil.
What Plants Benefit From 0-0-60 Fertilizer?
Any plant that needs potassium can benefit from 0-0-60, but only if the soil is significantly depleted or if the plant is extremely hungry for potassium in the first place.
Even though all plants need potassium, 0-0-60 is overkill for many applications.
For starters, if you know that your soil is badly depleted, you can amend it with 0-0-60 and then retest at the prescribed interval to see if your levels are back to normal.
This is often a good policy if you’re between plantings of particularly potassium-hungry vegetables.
Speaking of those, some classic plants that are known to gobble up potassium include all kinds of beans, all tomatoes and many kinds of potatoes.
Is 0-0-60 Good for Gardens?
Yes, it is. 0-0-60 is a great fertilizer for gardens full of the aforementioned hungry vegetables or fruit trees, and it’s also a great way to restore potassium levels in the soil between seasons.
It should go without saying, but 0-0-60 is not a general-purpose fertilizer, and you should never use it as such when your plants need a little help.
Is 0-0-60 Good for Trees?
Yes, it can be. Trees need plenty of potassium too, and although most fruit trees don’t need as much as you might think, 0-0-60 is still a fine choice for preparing your soil for planting or forgetting lots of potassium to your trees if you think they are lacking.
But, as always, make sure you assess and test your soil before you apply!
Is 0-0-60 Fertilizer Good for Your Lawn?
Yes, but with reservations. 0-0-60 can be just the thing to help your lawn deal with stress and make use of other nutrients but only if you know that the soil is extremely low on potassium in the first place.
Otherwise, 0-0-60 won’t do much to help your lawn grow.
Is 0-0-60 Good for Your Houseplants?
Generally not. 0-0-60 is way too concentrated and imbalanced for most general-purpose use for houseplants, although I suppose you could use it to prepare your own potting soil from scratch if you know what you’re doing.
How And When Should You Use 0-0-60 Fertilizer?
Generally speaking, 0-0-60 is okay to use anytime you know your plants are suffering from a lack of potassium, or if you’re already working with seriously depleted soils.
If you’re in doubt, there is rarely any harm in applying 0-0-60 during the season if you suspect that your plants aren’t quite getting enough potassium.
Also, 0-0-60 is a wonderful choice to use at the beginning of any season, particularly in early spring once the soil has thawed for the last time.
This will help recharge potassium levels in the soil ahead of planting when your plants will need maximum use of all nutrients in order to get established and grow healthy.
And do keep in mind that your plants won’t thrive on 0-0-60 alone, so be prepared to use it with other fertilizer types.
What’s the Best Time of Day to Apply 0-0-60?
You should apply your 0-0-60 late in the afternoon or early in the morning. Unlike other fertilizers with ingredients that can potentially harm your plants in conjunction with direct sunlight, 0-0-60 is relatively benign.
Still, you’re always at best served by fertilizing before the heat of the day really kicks in.
How Much 0-0-60 Fertilizer Do You Need per Acre?
The amount of 0-0-60 you use per acre depends on your purpose and also on the concentration of your product. Read the guidelines on the packaging or consult the manufacturer’s data sheet if you have it.
But generally speaking, you’ll need anywhere from 1 to 1½ pounds of fertilizer for every thousand square feet, and that breaks down to anywhere from 45 to 70 pounds of 0-0-60 per acre.
Who Makes the Best 0-0-60 Fertilizer?
There are many makers of 0-0-60 out there, and I’ve found that most of them work adequately. But my very favorite brand is Easy Peasy.
They make their 0-0-60 with all-natural muriate of potash and it is very easy to broadcast or dissolve as needed.
Where Can You Find 0-0-60 Fertilizer?
Any decently equipped garden center, hardware store or farm store should have 0-0-60 on hand from one maker or another, and it’s also readily available online.
Tim is a farm boy with vast experience on homesteads, and with survival and prepping. He lives a self-reliant lifestyle along with his aging mother in a quiet and very conservative little town in Ohio. He teaches folks about security, prepping and self-sufficiency not just through his witty writing, but also in person.
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