Organic potash fertilizer is highly effective for improving the quality of crop yields as it helps in the regulation of water and the uptake of nutrients by plants. It can be made in different ways using various ingredients like wood ashes, potassium chloride, dried banana peels amongst other things. The different ways of making organic potash fertilizer you shall clearly see as you read on.

How to make organic potash fertilizer
So, should you find organic fertilizers out of reach or maybe you just wish to get your hands dirty by making it (organic fertilizer) yourself, the following piece of information will be very valuable. Here, I shall now discuss about three different means.

Using wood ashes
This is by far the simplest [and the most straightforward] as you might have already guessed. It involves using cool wood ashes which can be spread and worked into the soil. Wood ashes have been reported to contain about 6 – 8% potash. It should however be noted that the most potent wood ash for fertilizing plants are the ones obtained from burnt trees that have their potassium content well preserved – hardwood is particularly recommended in this regard. As a precautionary measure however, you will have to determine the pH level of your soil before applying wood ash as it could be detrimental to the health of the plant if the pH (of the soil) is beyond 7.0.

Using dried banana peels
Maybe it’s high time you started storing those banana peels in a compost pile rather than throwing them away outrightly. The banana peel is very high in potassium, and all you need to do is gather the peels [that have been dried overtime] in a blender and grind to powder. The peel is then ready to be used as fertilizer – a simple and cost-effective way of boosting plant growth.

From potassium chloride + ammonium nitrate
This is a bit more complex than the previously discussed methods. And in case you are wondering why go through the stress when you have got your dried banana peels or wood ashes? The answer lies in the fact that this method gives you with something that is more potent. So, without much ado, I shall discuss how this can be attained.
Things you need: potassium chloride, ammonium nitrate (40g), filter, measuring cup, measuring scale, airtight container and cooking pan.

Procedure

  • Measure 10cl of water into a cup and add 40g of ammonium nitrate; gently stirring until it is fully dissolved
  • Now, place the filter over the cup – ensure that the filter is securely in place – and sieve the solution into the cooking pan
  • Then add 37g of potassium chloride to the solution in the cooking pan and stir [until it dissolves] while applying heat at about 600C for 5 minutes.
  • Allow the heated solution to cool and then using another filter, sieve the solution into an airtight container.
    The solution [in the container] should then be placed in the freezer where it is expected to form crystals.
  • Once the crystals have formed, bring out the container and allow the crystals to dry out. The dried crystals are the potash fertilizer you have been rooting for.