powder sulphur in Agriculture

Sulfur is necessary for the growth and development of plant life. The majority of all sulfur in the U.S. is used to make sulfuric acid, and about three quarters of it is used in fertilizers, according to Chemistry Explained. Plants are dusted with sulfur powder as an insecticide. Agricultural sulfur is produced in the form of flowable sulfur for use on vine crops. Wettable powders are applied by dusting or spraying plants. Dusting sulfur is also a fungicide.

Many people today are looking for more organic gardening methods. Sulfur is a perfect solution for organic gardeners. Fine dusting sulfur is used to control mites and folia fungi without the use of harsh chemicals. Interestingly, mites have largely grown resistant to chemical pesticides. Yet no such resistance exists to sulfur. 

Powdered sulfur, a more coarse option, can be used to help gardeners create the right soil conditions for their plants. Powdered sulfur is sprinkled into the soil to make it slightly acidic. In fact, you can buy soil pre-fortified with sulfur.

Sulphur is one of the oldest garden remedies and it is as good today as when people first started using it. It's got multiple uses in the garden and it's organic.

It's available in two grades - the dusting grade and the powdered grade. Of the two, it's the dusting sulphur which is a finer quality. Use it to control folia fungi on things like pumpkin. It's been warm, wet and humid and nothing grows better in these conditions than powdery mildew. Simply apply over the leaves when they are dry. The great thing about powdered sulphur is that it's perfectly safe to use and has a long-lasting effect. Reapply after heavy rain. If the temperature is 30 degrees or more, it can burn the leaves, so don't use it on really hot days. Another great use for dusting sulphur is controlling mites. Unlike chemical products, mites have not developed a resistance to it, so sulphur is as effective now as it's always been.

Powdered sulphur is the coarser grade and is useful for making soil slightly acidic. Apply it at the usual gardener's rate, one handful per square metre and sprinkle over the soil and rake in. It will last for about a year and is good for acid loving plants like heaths and heathers, grevilleas, rhododendrons and gardenias.

Sulphur is also useful when taking cuttings of fleshy plants such as cacti and succulents as well as begonias. The wounds readily rot, but sulphur has the ability to prevent the rot fungi from germinating, so you have a better chance of success. Take the damp ends of the wounds and dab them in sulphur before inserting them in propagating mix. Another old-fashioned way of using powdered sulphur is on bulbs and rhizomes. Things like dahlias and gladiolas.

So sulphur is a great natural product that is useful for a variety of purposes in the garden.