Sulfur is as necessary as phosphorus and is considered an essential mineral.

What Does Sulfur Do for Plants?

Sulfur in plants helps form important enzymes and assists in the formation of plant proteins. It is needed in very low amounts, but deficiencies can cause serious plant health problems and loss of vitality.

Plants only need 10 to 30 pounds of sulfur per acre . Sulfur also acts as a soil conditioner and helps reduce the sodium content of soils. Sulfur in plants is a component of some vitamins and is important in helping give flavor to mustard, onions and garlic. Sulfur born in fertilizer assists in seed oil production, but the mineral can accumulate in sandy or overworked soil layers. The role of sulfur as a soil conditioner to reduce sodium requires 1,000 to 2,000 pounds (450-900 kg.) per acre (4,000 square meters).

Sulfur deficiencies in soil are rare, but do tend to occur where fertilizer applications are routine and soils do not percolate adequately.

Sulfur Sources for Plants

One of the best natural sources of sulfur is in the addition of calcium sulfate in the form of anhydrite gypsum or dihydrate gypsum which consists of the elements calcium and sulfur.

Sulfur is mobile in soil and is primarily borne through fertilizers and pesticides. Another main sulfur source for plants is manure. The ratio of sulfur in plants is 10:1 and carried in the tissues of the plant. Much of this is brought up from natural soil decay and previous plant matter.