Nitrogen fertilizers - what is it? Which nitrogen fertilizer is more abundant in nitrogen than others?

Fertilizers are the most important weapon of the gardener. It is through enriching the soil with various compounds that we can count on getting a good annual harvest from the same plot of land. However, garden plants require a full set of mineral and organic additives, and the gardener has to navigate quite well in this diversity. Today we are interested in nitrogen fertilizers. What groups are they, what they represent and what impact they have on the growth and development of plants, we will consider all this in detail.

What is nitrogen?

First of all, it is important for you to know that this is one of the most common elements on our planet. Without it, no living organism can exist, and this also extends to plants. Nitrogen is an important constituent of proteins and amino acids, nucleic acids. That is why the first commandment of the gardener is that it must regularly make nitrogen fertilizers. What are they? This we will discuss below, but for now - a little more theory. The presence of a sufficient amount of nitrogen in the soil increases the yield, and its shortage sharply reduces it. That is why garden plots, which are used every year, need constant application of these substances. However, it must also be remembered that, despite the obvious utility, it should be applied very moderately. The fact is that an overabundance of this substance in the soil leads to an intensified growth of the vegetative system and almost complete cessation of fruiting.

What is nitrogen for plants?

We already know that a good crop can not be obtained using only the natural resources of the soil. Therefore it is extremely important to constantly replenish the supply of nutrients. Why is it so important to introduce nitrogen fertilizers? What kind of substances - organic or mineral - will be decided by each gardener depending on the season and previous feedings, below we will consider the optimal schedule for supplementation. But while it's not about that. Nitrogen is part of chlorophyll, necessary for the assimilation of solar energy. Also rich in nitrogen are lipids, alkaloids and many other important substances for plant life.

Especially rich in nitrogen are young stems and leaves in spring, in the active growth phase of the plant itself. As necessary, when new buds, leaves and stems appear, the nitrogen substances rush to them. And after pollination they pass to the reproductive organs, where they accumulate in the form of proteins. That is, it is extremely important to timely introduce nitrogen fertilizers into the soil. What are these substances, we will tell you in detail, but for now, we note that if this rule is observed, the volume and quality of the crop is significantly increased. In particular, the protein in fruits becomes more valuable, and the garden crops themselves grow much faster.

Types of fertilizers

We gradually switch to classification, and therefore, we will tell you more about nitrogen fertilizers. "This is what?" - you ask? In the first place, the experienced gardener, of course, will remember the mineral, and this is not surprising. After all, we usually meet them in specialized stores, under an appropriate signboard. However, the list does not end here. There are also organic nitrogen fertilizers. It is primarily nutrients of vegetable and animal origin. Perhaps for you it will be a discovery, but manure contains about 1% nitrogen. There are other nitrogen fertilizers. This is what, for example? Yes, at least compost, where 1.5% concentration of the substance under consideration is achieved when spilling rubbish and peat, and if green foliage is placed in the compost pit, then the above-mentioned indicator will grow to 2.5%. This is a lot, but there are other organic top-dressing that easily overlaps these figures. It is a bird droppings containing at least 3% nitrogen. However, we must not forget that such fertilizing is quite toxic, which means that one should not get involved with them.

Liquid kinds of nitrogen fertilizers (ammonia group)

We continue to consider nitrogen fertilizers. The name of the chemical element - "nitrogen" - is translated as "life", from which it can be concluded that without such substances, the growth and development of green plantings are simply impossible. Let's first talk about the liquid forms of this fertilizer. Their production is much cheaper than the production of solid analogs, which means that you can save a lot when buying. And there are only three types that are available to any summer resident: anhydrous ammonia, ammonia water and ammonia. They all have different concentrations, so it is important to specify in advance which of the nitrogen fertilizers is the most nitrogen rich. This is indisputably anhydrous ammonia. The additive is produced by liquefying ammonia under the influence of high pressure and contains not less than 82% of the basic substance.

Features of introducing into the soil of liquid nitrogen fertilizer

There are some nuances that need to be considered. It is easy and simple to make such fertilizing in the ground, but there may be nitrogen losses for a number of reasons. First of all, it is evaporation of free, anhydrous ammonia. In addition, soil colloids instantly absorb nitrogen, and part of the fertilizer reacts with water and turns into ammonium hydroxide. It is best to apply this fertilizer to the soil in the autumn, first saturating it with humus, which will many times reduce the losses.

Nitrate group

The liquid form is often used by small horticultural farms. If to speak about industrial scales, then here it is necessary to think further about which nitrogen fertilizers are best used. One of the most popular products is ammonium nitrate. It is a universal product that provides a quick effect. The fertilizer is realized in the form of white-pink granules. The nitrogen content in it reaches 35%, which is quite enough, given the high conservation of the active substance in the soil. Many truck farmers say: it is enough to buy saltpeter, and your site will no longer experience shortages in this element. They bring it into the soil in the early spring, because it is necessary for a quick start and a good development of plants. The approximate flow rate is from 25 to 30 g / 1 m ² . And you can independently prepare a liquid solution - for this you need to dilute 20 grams per 10 liters of water.

And what kind of nitrogen fertilizers are there?

Ammonium nitrate group (ammonium sulfate)

This is another popular tool that looks like a crystallized salt. The nitrogen content in it is somewhat lower, about 21%. It can be applied to the soil both in the spring and in the autumn, depending on the intensity of the crop, vary one-time or two-fold enrichment of the earth for the year. From the soil fertilizer is not washed out, which means it provides a lasting effect. Many gardeners noted a slight acidification of the soil with its regular use. It is necessary to add 40-50 g of the substance to the ground in 1 m ² .

Amid fertilizers

The brightest representative is carbamide. This is one of the main nitrogen-containing fertilizers (nitrogen concentration is 46%). As a rule, it is used in the spring, but in the heaviest soils it can be applied in the fall. To do this, take 20 grams per 1 m ² . But if you want to make a solution for spraying, you can dilute from 30 to 40 grams per 10 liters of water.

However, these are not all nitrogen fertilizers that exist to date. The list is continued with urea and calcium cyanamide. It should be noted that urea is the most valuable, inexpensive and affordable means. This is a highly concentrated fertilizer that can cause burns in plants, so you have to be extremely careful when introducing it into the soil.

Application

Now you have sorted out which fertilizers are related to nitrogen, and we can talk a little more about how to use them in your dacha section. Do not forget that the time and amount of complementary food directly depends on the type of soil and the lack of nitrogen in it. It should be borne in mind that when using a large amount of nitrogen fertilizer, flowering occurs much later, and fruiting may not occur at all. Which plants need to be fed with nitrogen? Absolutely everything except alfalfa and clover. However, each culture needs its own requirements for fertilizing, and this must be taken into account.

Plants with high requirements for nitrogen fertilizers

This is a culture that everyone knows and is widely distributed in our garden areas: cabbage and potatoes, pumpkin and zucchini, pepper and eggplant, as well as delicious rhubarb. When growing them, it is necessary to introduce nitrogen both before planting and during the growing season. It is recommended to use at least 25 grams of ammonium nitrate per 1 m ² . Necessarily need to know what nitrogen fertilizers are, if you are going to grow fruit and berry crops, such as raspberries and blackberries, strawberries, cherries and plums. It is very important to use these supplements in full if you are going to plant decorative dahlias and phloxes, peonies and cinnamon, violets and lilacs.

Second group: average nitrogen demand

These are tomatoes and cucumbers, beets and carrots, garlic, corn and parsley. Among the fruit and berry plants you can note currants and gooseberries, as well as apple trees. To the same group can be attributed and most of the annual flowers.

When growing these crops, it is enough to make nitrogen once a year - in early spring. This is enough to make the plants feel comfortable. It is recommended to make no more than 20 g of saltpeter per 1 m ² .

Third group

These are plants with moderate requirements for nitrogen content. The recommended dose is 15 grams of ammonium nitrate per 1 m ² . This includes all leafy vegetables, onions and radishes, early potatoes. Bright bulbs of this group are all bulbous ornamental plants. Finally, the most undemanding are legumes (only 7 g of fertilizer per 1 m ^{2 is} sufficient ⁾ . It is not only peas and beans, but also ornamental plants, for example, azalea, heather and many others.

Methods of applying fertilizers

In order for these substances to act in time, they need to be correct, and most importantly - on time to make. Different methods are used for this. The first is spreading. It can be performed either manually or using automatic dispensers. Apply this method before inoculation, as fertilizer takes a long time to dissolve. The second is the belt method, in which ammonium nitrate or other mineral nitrogen fertilizer is introduced by a narrow band of plants near the surface of the soil or at shallow depths. With a strong deficit, as an emergency measure, spraying is used. Finally, fertilizers are released in liquid form, that is, you can use drip irrigation.

How to diagnose a deficiency of nitrogen

We hope, now you will not be confused by the question "nitrogen fertilizers - this is what." The photos presented on the page will demonstrate with greater clarity the whole variety of such additional dressings. However, it is very important to understand when it was time to introduce them into the soil, and when the cause of poor growth lies in another. With a lack of nitrogen, growth inhibition and yellowing of the whole plant, especially its leaves, are observed first. You should also worry if the color of the plant becomes pale yellow. The very first sign that should alert you is the yellowing of the edges of the old leaves. Then they wither and fall off.

Signs of excess nitrogen

Sometimes it is difficult to distinguish one from another, that is, a lack and an excess of nutrients. Therefore, you need to build on what and in what quantities you have contributed to the soil, as well as from your observations of the plants. First of all, the excess of nitrogen is manifested in the fact that the green part of the plant becomes soft and lush, accelerates its growth, but the flowering and ovaries usually lag behind in time. If excess nitrogen is more significant, then there are burns to the leaves, and then their complete withering away. After this, the root system also perishes.

Let's sum up the results

Thus, to optimize the nutrition of their plants, you can use organic (manure or bird droppings) or mineral fertilizers, which is usually more convenient. This can be ammonium nitrate (34% nitrogen content) or ammonium sulfate (21%). You can also use calcium (15%) and sodium nitrate (16%). If plants are experiencing a severe nitrogen deficit or you plan to plant the crops that are most demanding, then it is best to take urea (46%). Use fertilizers in the right proportion and exactly when they are most needed.