Is Sulphur Good for Your Yard?

Nutrition

• Washington State University notes that sulphur does not count among the three primary elements necessary for plant growth -- nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. However, it does claim importance as one of three secondary elements, alongside magnesium and calcium, that also contribute to healthy growth. Growers may find the need to add these secondary elements in occasional applications known as soil amendments. Sulphur converts to sulphate, a raw material needed by plants. Sulphur also helps some types of grassland make better use of nitrogen and maintain healthier protein levels for thicker growth, according to Farmer Guardian.

pH Balance

• In addition to providing supplemental nutrition for a healthy yard, sulphur can also correct an overly alkaline pH level in the soil, according to the Smart Homeowner website. Grasses, trees and other plants generally grow best within a fairly narrow balance of acidity to alkalinity. Just as growers can add lime to change acidic soil into a more neutral growth medium, they can also apply sulphur to extremely alkaline soil as an acidic element to make the soil more grass-friendly. People who want to maintain a healthy lawn should check their soil's pH balance and adjust it with sulphur, lime or other corrective agents as needed.

Forms

• Sulphur products that enhance yard and garden growth take a variety of forms. Growers can add elemental sulphur, the most basic form, directly to soil, either as a powder or mixed into a type of clay called bentonite. Since this form of sulphur may take months to transform into sulphate, most yards and gardens will respond more quickly to a compound called ammonium sulphate, a common fertilizing compound, according to North Dakota State University. Gypsum, or calcium sulphate, also contains some sulphur, though this form does not dissolve readily in water for use by plants. Other forms of fertilizing sulphur include ammonium thiosulphate and ammonium polysulphide.

Application

• The method for applying sulphur to yards, crops or gardens depends on the type of sulphur used and the specific problem the grower wishes to solve. Elemental sulphur, ammonium sulphate and gypsum can all sit directly on the soil without harming the soil's pH balance, while ammonium thiosulphate gets mixed into water for irrigation and ammonium polysulphide can make use of either delivery method.