Pepper and Herb Fertilizer 11-11-40 | Chelated Micronutrients | Hydroponics, Soil & Foliar Application

Product facts & composition

Percentages are by weight. One pound supplies 181 g (0.40 lb) of potash (K₂O), 50 g (0.11 lb) of available phosphate (P₂O₅), and 50 g (0.11 lb) of nitrogen, about 95% of it nitrate. Labels state phosphorus and potassium as oxides; the solution figures convert them to elements (P = P₂O₅ × 0.436, K = K₂O × 0.830), because hydroponic recipes use elemental ppm. The potassium and ammonium sulfate also supply some sulfur, which the label does not guarantee. Weigh the product: this page assumes no weight for a spoonful.

Application rates & directions

Use one of three bases for feeding the roots: the per-plant amounts by growth stage, a soil test’s potash recommendation for a bed or field, or a potassium target for a nutrient solution. The label also gives a foliar direction. Weigh the product. The pepper amounts by growth stage update the single per-plant rate on packages printed with the April 2025 label; contact us with any questions.

Per plant, by growth stage

Peppers need more potash as they move from transplanting into flowering and fruiting, so Greenway’s amounts per plant rise with each stage: 1.5 g at transplanting, 3 g at first flowers, and 4 g every 4 to 6 weeks from fruit set through harvest. Keep feedings at least 4 weeks apart, even if your transplants were already flowering when you set them out. The weeks below follow the stages in the Mid-Atlantic pepper drip schedule and are approximate; Clemson Extension expects peppers to be ready for harvest about 70 to 85 days after transplanting. Weigh each dose on a pocket scale that reads to 0.1 g.

What each dose supplies. 1.5 g supplies 0.6 g of potash (K₂O), 0.17 g of phosphate (P₂O₅), and 0.17 g of nitrogen; 3 g supplies 1.2, 0.33, and 0.33 g; and 4 g supplies 1.6, 0.44, and 0.44 g. For 12 pepper plants that is 18 g at transplanting, 36 g at first flowers, and 48 g at each feeding from fruit set on.

Seedlings. Utah State University Extension gives 100 ppm of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium as suitable for most vegetable transplants, feeds pepper-family transplants two to three times a week, and halves the feed while hardening them off. Dosed to that 100 ppm of potassium, this product adds only 33 ppm nitrogen and about 15 ppm phosphorus, so add the calcium nitrate (it brings nitrogen to 100 ppm and adds 82 ppm calcium) unless your seed-starting mix already contains fertilizer. Dissolve each product separately into the water, and halve both while hardening off.

How Greenway set the pepper amounts. The Mid-Atlantic pepper drip schedule, which is for daily injection rather than single plants, raises potash after a preplant application from 0.5 lb per acre per day in early vegetative growth to 1.8 lb at harvest on coarse soils testing low to medium in potassium. Converted to one plant at Clemson Extension’s spacing (12 inches apart in rows 3 feet apart, about 14,500 plants per acre), that is about 1.3 g of product for the first 4 weeks, 2.7 g for weeks 5 to 8, and 3.9 g for each 4 weeks after, rounded to 1.5, 3, and 4 g. Four feedings total 12.5 g per plant, about 160 lb of potash per acre. For a season the Mid-Atlantic recommendations call for 200 lb of potash per acre for peppers on soil testing low in potassium, 150 on medium, 100 on high, and none on very high: on high-testing soil skip the later feedings, on very high soil do not use this product, and count any potash fertilizer worked in before planting. Packages printed with the April 2025 label give 3 g (1/2 teaspoon) per pepper plant every 4 to 6 weeks; these amounts update it and supply about the same potash over a season.

Herbs. The label gives 1.5 g (¼ teaspoon) per herb plant every 4 to 6 weeks through the growing season. Herbs have no fruiting stage, and University of Minnesota Extension advises feeding them lightly. Herbs a foot apart receive about 58 lb of potash per acre from each application; four would supply about 230 lb, more than the Mid-Atlantic recommendations give parsley even on low-potassium soil, so on soil testing medium or higher use fewer applications or size the bed by a soil test. Do the same for celery and parsnip, whose per-plant rate the label does not give, and for cilantro, dill, parsley, and other herbs sown thickly from seed.

No rate is given for plants growing on in containers of potting mix, other than the seedling feed above; email us before using it there. The weight of a teaspoon of this product has not been measured, so weigh every dose.

Beds and fields: size it by a soil test

Formula. Pounds of product = pounds of potash (K₂O) your soil test recommends ÷ 0.40. Multiply by 453.6 for grams. The Mid-Atlantic recommendations broadcast and disk in the season’s potash for peppers before planting, or supply it through a drip fertigation schedule.

Mid-Atlantic figures are from the 2026/2027 Mid-Atlantic Commercial Vegetable Production Recommendations; UF/IFAS figures are from its Florida fertilizer-management chapter (CV296, Mehlich-3 soil test: low 35 ppm or less, medium 36 to 60, high above 60). Soil-test labs define low, medium, and high differently, so use the recommendation printed on your own report, and apply no more potash than it calls for. Each pound of potash from this product also brings 0.28 lb of phosphate and 0.28 lb of nitrogen; on soils high in phosphorus, a potash-only source avoids adding phosphate the soil does not need.

Through drip irrigation, by crop stage. Pounds of product = pounds of K₂O to inject ÷ 0.40. The Mid-Atlantic recommendations apply 25 to 50% of the season’s nitrogen and potash under the plastic mulch before planting, then inject the rest stage by stage:

The schedule assumes 7,260 feet of bed per acre (beds 6 feet apart), so 1 lb of product per acre per day is about 6.2 g per 100 feet of bed per day: about 7.8 g in early vegetative growth and 28 g at harvest on the coarse, lower-potassium soil. The Mid-Atlantic recommendations say to base the overall rate on a soil test and to adjust it for other bed widths. UF/IFAS, for Florida peppers on soil testing low in potassium with no potash before planting, injects 1.5 lb of K₂O per acre per day in weeks 1 and 2 after transplanting, 2.0 in weeks 3 and 4, 2.5 in weeks 5 to 11, 2.0 in week 12, and 1.5 in week 13, or 3.75 to 6.25 lb of this product. Use one schedule, not both. This product supplies only 0.28 lb of nitrogen per pound of potash, so inject most of the nitrogen from another tank, such as calcium nitrate.

Nitrogen and calcium come from other fertilizers

Even at 4 g per plant, this product supplies only 0.44 g of nitrogen per pepper plant, while university recommendations call for 100 to 180 lb of nitrogen per acre for peppers (Mid-Atlantic) or 200 lb (UF/IFAS). In soil without drip, the Mid-Atlantic recommendations put the potash down before planting and split the nitrogen by stage: 50 lb per acre before planting, 50 lb after first fruit set, and 25 to 30 lb later if needed. For home-garden peppers, Clemson Extension sidedresses calcium nitrate at ½ lb per 100 sq ft or per 30 ft of row, 3 to 4 weeks after planting and again 3 to 4 weeks later, as the Calcium Nitrate page does, and notes that lots of foliage with few blooms and fruit shows too much nitrogen. Clemson also advises against over-fertilizing basil, because rapid growth reduces its flavor. For calcium in soil, lime to the pH your soil test calls for, or use gypsum where calcium is low and pH is on target; Clemson ties blossom-end rot in peppers to a calcium deficiency within the plant and advises keeping the soil uniformly moist, but not saturated.

Hydroponic solutions

Formula. Grams of product = (potassium target in ppm − potassium already in your water in ppm) × liters of final solution ÷ 332. Multiply US gallons by 3.785 to get liters. Dose it to the potassium target; calcium, magnesium, and most of the nitrogen come from other ingredients in a separate stock.

UF/IFAS grew bell peppers in composted pine bark under shade structures (HS368) on a solution that changes at first flower: 80 ppm nitrogen, 50 ppm phosphorus, 120 ppm potassium, 150 ppm calcium, and 40 ppm magnesium from transplant to first flower, and 130 ppm nitrogen, 50 ppm phosphorus, 200 ppm potassium, 150 ppm calcium, and 50 ppm magnesium after first flower. Dose this product to the potassium target for your plants’ stage, and switch at first flower.

After first flower, at 0.60 g per liter, this product supplies the following:

Calcium and nitrogen. Calcium nitrate 15.5-0-0 adds 190 ppm calcium and 155 ppm nitrogen per gram per liter. Raising calcium to 150 ppm from water with 30 ppm takes 0.63 g per liter and brings total nitrogen to about 164 ppm after first flower, above the solution’s 130; from water with no calcium, 0.79 g per liter brings it to about 189 ppm. Before first flower, with potassium at 120 ppm, the same calcium brings nitrogen to about 138 ppm against 80. Calcium nitrate cannot add calcium without nitrogen; email us if you want to hold both targets. UF/IFAS keeps magnesium sulfate in the same stock as the premix, away from calcium nitrate; as Epsom salt (about 10% magnesium), 0.5 g per liter adds about 50 ppm.

Micronutrients and phosphorus. At this dose the product supplies about as much iron and boron as the UF/IFAS solution, about 1.5 times the manganese and copper, 6 times the zinc, one-eighth of the molybdenum, and three-fifths of the phosphorus. Do not add a micronutrient mix; add a micronutrient only if a water or tissue test calls for it. In a recirculating system, replace the solution on schedule rather than topping it up with this product, and email us if leaves show damage.

Potassium and calcium balance. UF/IFAS cautions that high potassium can interfere with a plant’s ability to absorb calcium and magnesium, and in its tomato work links excess potassium with blossom-end rot. Dose to your recipe’s potassium target rather than above it, and supply the calcium.

Separate stocks. Penn State Extension advises keeping calcium in a different stock tank from phosphates and sulfates, and UF/IFAS describes one tank of calcium nitrate and another of a premix without calcium. This product carries both phosphate and sulfate, so keep its concentrate apart from calcium nitrate or Cal-Mag.

Stock strength. The UF/IFAS tomato recipe dissolves 16 lb of premix plus 10 to 12 lb of magnesium sulfate in a 30-gallon tank for injection at 1:100: about 64 g of premix per liter, or 112 g per liter in all. A 1:100 stock of this product for 200 ppm potassium, from potassium-free water, is about 60 g per liter, or 110 g per liter with magnesium sulfate for 50 ppm magnesium. Dissolve it in warm water and check that nothing settles out; if it does, use a lower injector ratio, which makes a weaker stock (for example, 1:100 instead of 1:200).

pH, EC, and solution changes. UF/IFAS targets pH 5.8 to 6.2 in its hydroponic tomato guide, which it calls a suitable base for pepper solutions. Oklahoma State lists pH 5.5 to 6.0 and an EC of 0.8 to 1.8 mS/cm for hydroponic peppers, advises checking pH and EC daily, and replacing the solution every two weeks. For herbs it lists EC and pH of 1.0 to 1.6 and 5.5 to 6.0 for basil, 1.0 to 1.6 and 5.5 to 6.5 for sage, 1.8 to 2.2 and 6.0 to 6.5 for parsley, and 1.8 to 2.4 and 6.5 for celery. The UF/IFAS pepper table gives no EC, so track your own solution’s EC. Dose herbs to your own recipe’s potassium target; for basil, Cornell’s Neil Mattson recommends 40 to 60 ppm magnesium, as reported by the e-GRO program. These are guide figures, not the only correct values for every system.

Foliar sprays: the label direction

The label says to dissolve 575 mg per pepper plant or 375 mg per herb plant in water, and that you could use as little as 1 cup of water. This page reads that as at least 1 cup for each plant’s dose, the strongest mix the label describes. For 12 pepper plants, that is 6.9 g in at least 12 cups (0.75 gallon) of water. Use more water, never less, and try the spray on a few plants before a whole planting. Keep calcium concentrates out of the spray tank.

Extension sources treat foliar feeding as a supplement. University of Minnesota Extension notes that most nutrients are taken up through the roots, and the Mid-Atlantic recommendations say it is generally difficult to supply ample major and secondary nutrients through the leaves. Keep the soil or solution program as the main source.

Calculator & choosing a size

Formulas. Per plant: grams of product = number of pepper plants × 1.5 at transplanting, × 3 at first flowers, or × 4 from fruit set; or number of herb plants × 1.5. Seedlings: 0.3 g per liter of feeding solution. Beds by soil test: pounds of product = pounds of potash (K₂O) recommended for the area ÷ 0.40. Solutions: grams of product = (potassium target − potassium in your water, in ppm) × liters of final solution ÷ 332. Foliar: 0.575 g per pepper plant or 0.375 g per herb plant, each in at least 1 cup of water. Multiply pounds by 453.6 for grams.

Worked examples. 12 pepper plants through four feedings: 18 g at transplanting, 36 g at first flowers, and 48 g at each of the next two feedings, 150 g in all; a 1 lb bag covers it. A 1-gallon seedling feed: about 1.1 g. A 200 sq ft bed whose soil test recommends 3 lb of potash per 1,000 sq ft: 0.2 × 3 = 0.6 lb of K₂O, ÷ 0.40 = 1.5 lb (680 g) of product, supplying 75 g of phosphate and 75 g of nitrogen; a 2 lb bag covers it. A 50-gallon fresh batch of pepper solution at the UF/IFAS 200 ppm potassium target, from water with no potassium: 200 × 189.3 L ÷ 332 = 114 g of product, adding 66 ppm nitrogen and 29 ppm phosphorus; a 1 lb bag covers it, and calcium nitrate for 150 ppm calcium from water with 30 ppm is 119.5 g in the separate stock. A 30-gallon injector stock at 1:100 (3,000 gallons of final solution) at 200 ppm potassium, from water with 5 ppm: 14.7 lb (6,669 g) in the stock tank, 222 g per gallon of stock; a 25 lb bag covers it, and the calculator also shows any lower-price combination of smaller bags.

The calculator below asks what you are feeding and how, applies the stage amount, the label’s rate, or your test result, states the nutrients supplied, and recommends the smallest single bag that covers one application or batch, plus any lower-price combination. Prices, tax, and shipping are confirmed at checkout, and availability when you add to cart.

Compare your options

Match the product to your crop and your soil or water test. Analyses are each product’s guarantee as shown on its page.

None of these contains calcium or magnesium. Each crop formula contains boron, so follow each product’s label for the crops it names.

Handling, storage & limitations

• Label caution. Keep out of reach of children. Harmful if swallowed. Avoid contact with eyes, open cuts, or sores. Avoid breathing dust. Wash thoroughly after handling.
• Protective equipment. The Safety Data Sheet recommends chemical-resistant gloves (nitrile or natural rubber) and safety glasses with side shields, chemical splash goggles for bulk handling, and an N95 dust respirator in dusty conditions. Do not eat, drink, or smoke while handling it.
• Crop limits. The label warns that boron-containing fertilizers used on crops other than those recommended may cause serious injury, and that molybdenum can make forage toxic to ruminant animals such as cattle, sheep, and goats. Use it only on the crops the label names, and not on forage or pasture.
• Storage. Keep it in the original container, tightly sealed, in a cool, dry, well-ventilated place out of direct sunlight; the Safety Data Sheet recommends 50 to 85°F. It absorbs moisture from the air; if it clumps, break it up before use, which does not affect its nutrient content. Store it away from heat, flammable or combustible materials, organic matter, acids, alkalis, and reducing agents. It contains potassium nitrate, an oxidizer that can intensify a fire involving combustibles.
• Spills and disposal. Sweep or vacuum spills without raising dust, and keep the product out of drains and waterways, where nitrate and phosphate can feed algae. Use leftover product as fertilizer at recommended rates. Triple-rinse empty containers, use the rinse water as dilute fertilizer, and dispose of the containers as local rules require.
• Use limits. Weigh every application, and follow one root-feeding basis at a time: per plant, soil test, or solution target. It is not a complete fertilizer and not a nitrogen, calcium, or magnesium source.
• First aid. Eyes: flush with clean, lukewarm water for at least 15 minutes, holding the eyelids open, and remove contact lenses if easy to do; get medical attention if irritation, redness, or pain persists. Skin: remove contaminated clothing and wash with soap and water; get medical attention if irritation develops. Inhaled: move to fresh air; get medical attention if breathing difficulty persists. Swallowed: rinse the mouth, do not induce vomiting, give one to two glasses of water if the person is conscious, and contact Poison Control or a doctor.
• Emergency numbers from the Safety Data Sheet. CHEMTREC 1-800-424-9300 (US and Canada) or +1-703-527-3887 (international); Poison Control 1-800-222-1222.

Related guides & articles

• Calcium in Plants: Function, Deficiency & Fertilizers: why calcium moves with water, and why peppers can show blossom-end rot on the side of the fruit as well as the tip.
• What Does Potassium Do for Plants?: how potassium works in the plant, what a shortage looks like, and the main potash sources.
• Sulfate vs. Chelated Fertilizers: how chelated and sulfate forms of iron, zinc, manganese, and copper differ, and how soil pH affects them.

Articles give background. For this product, use the rates and documents on this page.

Help choosing & next step

Not sure whether to feed per plant or by soil test, or how to fit this product into a nutrient recipe? Email your crop, growing method, and soil or water test results to questions@greenwaybiotech.com, or call (562) 351-5168, Monday to Friday, 7 AM to 5 PM Pacific, and we will work through it with you.

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Greenway Biotech, Inc. is a family-owned fertilizer company based in Madera, California, blending and packaging specialty fertilizers and soil amendments in California since 1989.