Tony – veggie market gardener – used to apply sulphate trace elements to the soil but switched to High K as the trace elements he required did not produce results in the timeframe. The result? He rang to say he could see an improvement in his veggie crops the next day. This matters in a 30-day crop.
Angelo – wine grower – applies High K via his fertigation system when leaf buds are coming out. Then 2 weeks later, sprays High K on the half-grown leaves. He alternates foliar spray with fertigation in 2-week intervals. The result? He gets darker grapes that are picked a month earlier than untreated because the vines transport more sugar to the fruit. Angelo is happy as he has beaten the frosts and wins gold medals.
Angelo also grows olives. He gives a foliar spray of High K 2 weeks after blooming then 2-weekly. The result? He is picking his olives a month earlier than other growers, before frosts, with higher oil yield. Prize winning olive oil with very cost-effective production.
Kendon High K, a high potassium fertiliser with chelated Trace Elements (TEs), goes to work immediately with visible results within 2 days.
Benefits of High K Foliar Fertiliser:
- Quickly raises Brix sugar levels in the leaves.
- Cost effective – lower application amounts needed.
- Quick absorption – availability and mobility of nutrients increased.
- High availability – no insoluble ingredients.
- Liquid – just add to water in tank and spray or irrigate. No dust to cope with.
- Overspray remains in the soil – leaching of nutrient prevented.
- Toxicity to plants of some metal ions reduced.
- Improves the general biochemical health of your plants.
How does Kendon High K work so fast?
When Kendon High K is sprayed onto foliage, it delivers nutrients (Trace Elements or TEs) directly to the plant’s arterial system which the plant can instantly start to utilise. You will see results within 1 day.
For simplicity, Kendon uses the EDTA method to drop metal TEs directly into the small stomata/pores of the leaves. The TEs can go straight to work.
EDTA (Ethylene Diamine Tetra Acetic acid) is a chemical molecule called a chelating agent that chelates (binds and holds on to) minerals. The EDTA has a claw-like structure that can grab and stick to positively charged metal atoms. Trace elements such as, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese are wrapped in the EDTAs.
While there are other chelates available, Kendon believes that EDTA is the simplest and best all round chelate.
Now a few words about results of foliar application from research by Dr Dugold Close on cherry production in Tasmania:
- Higher levels of Nitrogen lead to decreased firmness.
- Timing of Nitrogen application is really important.
- Foliar applied Zinc and Manganese were more effective than fertigation leading to increased nutrient content.
- Foliar applied potassium had a strong influence on fruit quality – firmness, nutrient density and colour.
Kendon High K with chelated TEs is not like other common potassium or general fertilisers which can have their TEs based on sulphates. These are cheaper but it will take weeks to get the TEs into the plant’s system. A metal sulphate is a molecule that has a strong bond between the metal atom or element and the sulphate molecule.
This bond must be broken down in the soil before the plant can take the TE up. This is carried out by bacteria in the soil. Once broken away from the sulphate the TEs are then absorbed into the plants root system via a parasite within the root system. This parasite is a mycorrhizal fungus which sends long hairs out of the roots and into the soil.
It is important to note that not all of the TE in sulphate form is available when needed, as they can be bound up in the soil. Chelated TEs on the other hand are not bound up and are therefore very cost effective.
In addition, on short rotation crops for horticulture, some trace element minerals in the soil may be unavailable because of the different pH balances in soil and different soil components.
This gives Kendon High K a major advantage with chelated TEs. The TEs are instantly available to the plant through foliage or root system and are not bound up by these various soil conditions.
Chelated TEs also release more available metals per litre or kilogram – making them more cost effective than sulphate forms.
Some people have the mistaken view that EDTAs are too big to enter the leaf and are therefore ineffective. This may be due to a lack of understanding as to how EDTAs work. EDTAs are the transporter to deliver the trace elements directly to the plant surface or the roots where they are taken up by the pores or hairs without the intermediate step. That’s why Kendon High K and Kendon Liquid Manure foliar fertiliser with chelated TEs work – the TEs go straight into the plant’s arterial system.
When foliar or fertigating a 30-day crop, we suggest you use Kendon Liquid Manure, high in nitrogen, for the first 2 weeks. Nitrogen is needed for growth and energy at the start of the growing cycle. Kendon Liquid Manure has the full complement of chelated TEs. Then switch to Kendon High K to deliver the potassium for colour and size of fruit and blooms as well as the TEs to keep your plants healthy.
Advantages of Kendon High K and Kendon Liquid Manure with chelated TEs.
Kendon High K and Kendon Liquid Manure with chelated TEs formula is very cost effective due to the 2 methods of delivery (through the leaves and the root system) meaning no waste of product.
The Kendon High K and the Kendon Liquid Manure that falls on the ground during spraying is able to be taken up straight away by the parasitic mycorrhizal fungi in the roots, without modification. Remember, the sulphate trace elements need soil bacteria to modify them before they can be taken up into the root system.
Kendon High K has a low biuret grade of urea as a source of nitrogen, so it’s not going to burn the leaves. The German urea Kendon uses is purer than many other sources.
Our customer’s results:
In these times of unreliable shipping and a worldwide fertiliser shortage it’s even more important now to give us your forecasts to allow you to supply your customers.
Remember: No product = No sales
No sales = No profit
No profit = No business
Further reading:
Sekhon B: Chelates for Micronutrient Nutrition Among Crops
Liu G, Hanlon E & Yuncong L: Understanding and Applying Chelated Fertilizers Effectively Based on Soil pH