To provide plants with nutrients in the required quantities, different methods are used:
1. alternating plants in the garden bed to maintain soil fertility;
2. applying basic fertilizer in the fall;
3. treatment of seeds with microfertilizers;
4. fertilizer soil mixture in pots and seedling boxes;
5. application of starter fertilizer before sowing or planting;
6. planned fertilizing during the growing season, including the seedling period;
7. corrective fertilizing when signs of plant deficiency in nutrients occur.
8. regular feeding during the growing season through a fertigation system.
This article provides a description of planned and corrective fertilizing during the growing season.
Planned fertilizing is carried out - against the background of the main fertilizer applied in the fall during digging, and pre-sowing application of fertilizers into the soil for seedlings and into the beds - for greater efficiency of the applied fertilizers.
Mineral or natural organic fertilizers?
To obtain an environmentally friendly harvest, it is not recommended to use mineral fertilizers, worsening the ecology of plants and soil. But to increase the yield, it is still necessary to fertilize, especially when the plants are stunted in growth or the leaves become pale or unnaturally dark green, or the internodes are elongated.
In the same time optimally selected ratio of macro- and microelements in mineral fertilizers can completely replace the nutrients of manure, which contains them in the optimal ratio. And dead plant roots, which always remain in the soil, create an accumulation of humus with an increase in beneficial microflora.
Nitrogen is an element of growth; in pursuit of the harvest, fields are sprinkled with saltpeter, based on the fact that the more of it, the better. Hence nitrate problem, as well as more dangerous nitrites in human plant foods. By the way, when entering fresh manure containing a relatively high amount of nitrogen, in the second half of summer, there will be no less nitrates in vegetables than from saltpeter. Semi-rotted manure, left for six months to a year, is an ideal fertilizer for spring planting. Manure that has lain for 2-3 years or more is already rotted manure. It is low in nitrogen, and nitrogen fertilizers must be added when applying in the spring.
Can fertilizing replace basic fertilizer?
No, they can't. Only a combination of fertilizing with the main fertilizer can give best result. At the same time, if large doses of fertilizing are given, the doses of the main fertilizer should be reduced and, conversely, if the basic fertilizer is good, the doses in the fertilizing should be reduced.
Which fertilizers are more effective - liquid or dry?
Liquid fertilizers are more effective. That is, when fertilizers are dissolved in water, they act faster. Dry fertilizers can only be used during heavy rainfall.
Liquid organic fertilizers- quickly digestible environmentally friendly fertilizer. It significantly increases the yield and improves the soil structure.
Feeding best done with herbal infusion which is one of the best natural fertilizers After all, the most valuable manure is also obtained from grass, after it is digested in the stomachs of cows. At the same time, the infusion from grass is more valuable than manure, since the cows keep a considerable part of the beneficial substances of the grass entering the manure for themselves. In addition, when mowing, more herbs get into the green mass, including all the weeds that contain various microelements.
Preparation of liquid organic fertilizers
Read how to properly prepare and apply liquid organic fertilizers.
The use of liquid mineral fertilizers
As was said, if possible, it is better to carry out not mineral, but liquid organic fertilizers. However, to add magnesium and microelements to the soil without mineral fertilizing not enough.
What mineral fertilizers are suitable for liquid fertilizing?
All mineral fertilizers that are easily soluble in water are suitable.
Nitrogen fertilizers all dissolve easily in water, but if possible it is better to use saltpeter, since nitrogen is in them in the form of nitrates.
Potash fertilizers They also dissolve well in water, but faster in hot water. It is better to use potassium sulfate rather than chloride.
Of the phosphorus fertilizers, superphosphates are soluble in water. Soluble fertilizers also include ammophos, fruit and berry and other ready-made mixtures.
Of course, all commercially available liquid fertilizers are well suited for liquid fertilizing.
The table below gives an example of the solubility of some fertilizers at different water temperatures, in g/liter. For example, according to the table, the solubility of potassium sulfate at a temperature of 20°C is 80 g/l. If you try to dissolve 100 g in 1 liter, 20 g will settle.
| Fertilizer / Water temperature, °C | 5°C | 10° | 20° | 25° | 30° | 40° |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ammonium nitrate | 1183 g | 1510 g | 1920 | |||
| Ammonium sulfate | 710 | 730 | 750 | |||
| Urea | 780 | 850 | 1060 | 1200 | ||
| Potassium nitrate | 133 | 170 | 209 | 316 | 370 | 458 |
| Calcium nitrate | 1020 | 1130 | 1290 | |||
| Magnesium nitrate | 680 | 690 | 710 | 720 | ||
| MAP (Mono ammonium phosphate) | 250 | 295 | 374 | 410 | 464 | 567 |
| MKP (Mono potassium phosphate) | 110 | 180 | 230 | 250 | 300 | 340 |
| Potassium sulfate | 80 | 90 | 111 | 120 | ||
| Potassium chloride | 229 | 238 | 255 | 264 | 275 |
How to prepare liquid fertilizers from mineral fertilizers?
Fertilizers are first dissolved in small quantity water, then add the required amount of water to this solution.
Superphosphate is more difficult to dissolve. Usually it is prepared at 3-5%. To do this, pour half a bucket of water, add 300-500 g of superphosphate (powder or granules) and mix well. When the solution has settled, it is drained from the sediment. Then another quarter of a bucket of water is poured into the sediment, mixed thoroughly and drained from the sediment. Last operation repeat again. After this, almost all of the superphosphate will go into solution, but a precipitate will still remain. But this is already gypsum, which is an admixture of superphosphate. However, double superphosphate is better suited for liquid fertilizers; it does not contain gypsum, so it dissolves almost completely in water.
This sediment contains what plants need sulfur and gypsum (lime fertilizer), so it must be used.
When fruit, berry and vegetable mixtures are dissolved, a residue usually remains, since the mixtures contain superphosphate.
Water-soluble magnesium fertilizers: epsomite (magnesium sulfate), kieserite, kainite, carnallite, calimagnesia.
How to apply dry mineral fertilizers?
It is better to apply fertilizer along the perimeter of the tree or bush near the trunk, since that is where the suction roots are located. Closer to the center of the circle there are predominantly conductive roots that do not accept feeding. Dry nitrogen fertilizers can be spread on the soil surface. They easily penetrate to the roots. The rest of the fertilizers, containing phosphorus, potassium and other substances, must be embedded in the soil to a depth of 5 to 20 cm - depending on the depth of the roots and the age of the plant.
Is it possible to mix mineral fertilizers?
Yes, to reduce labor costs, fertilizers can be mixed before applying fertilizers to the soil. But at the same time it is necessary to follow the rules given.
How much fertilizing should be applied per season?
This depends on a number of reasons. If the basic fertilizer is good, phosphorus and potassium fertilizers are often not applied in fertilizing. Nitrogen fertilizers, being more soluble, are washed out of the soil faster, especially with heavy rains or watering. Therefore, nitrogen fertilizing is applied more often, taking into account the color of the leaves and the vigor of growth. When the leaves are not green enough or dark green, apply nitrogen fertilizers - one or two. However, if there is no rain in the summer and the garden is not watered, then the plants grow poorly, since they suffer from a lack of water, and not from a lack of nitrogen. This means that you need to water regularly and then you can do without extra nitrogen fertilizing.
On the other hand, you cannot overfeed plants with nitrogen, especially in the second half of summer, as this can lead to a deterioration in the quality of fruits, their keeping quality, and also to a decrease in the resistance of plants to unfavorable conditions.
On sandy and peaty soils, plants need fertilizing with both nitrogen and potassium. In the fall, after harvesting, fruit and berry crops need potassium and phosphorus fertilizers. Nitrogen fertilizing do not do this at this time, since nitrogen causes rapid growth green mass, which is why plants tolerate overwintering worse.
What is fertigation?
This is a method of fertilization where fertilizer is supplied along with irrigation water. The fertilizer solution is prepared in containers and then dosed introduced into irrigation water. Fertigation has a number of advantages:
Fertilizer application is more precise and uniform.
Nutrients are easily available to plants.
Costs for fertilizers are reduced.
Labor saving.
There are quantitative and proportional methods of fertigation. The quantitative method is used in open ground. Required amount fertilizers must be applied to the field (for example kg/ha), then this amount of fertilizer is supplied with irrigation water.
The proportional method is the most effective; it is used mainly on light sandy soils and in greenhouses. In this case, a certain dose of fertilizer is introduced into every unit of volume of water flowing during irrigation.
Setting up a fertigation system requires special knowledge and equipment.
Do plants need foliar feeding?
At foliar feeding Plants absorb nutrients using the above-ground parts - leaves, stems.
Foliar feeding of plants is carried out using the method of fine spraying - spraying. The fertilizer is diluted in water and the plant is sprayed with this solution. This method is effective when you need to quickly feed a sick or weakened plant. The advantage of foliar feeding is the speed of absorption by plants.
Foliar feeding is usually carried out twice. The first time is when leaves are forming. The second time is during flowering and fruit formation.
Foliar corrective feeding is usually carried out when there are signs of nutrient deficiency in a plant to quickly eliminate this deficiency. It is also used to support the plant during drought or cold weather.
Foliar feeding is carried out in small doses in the evening or in cloudy weather. It is important to spray the solution in small drops and evenly.
According to research, the removal of nutrients, for example phosphorus, from the corn harvest is 80 kg/ha, the maximum permissible concentration for 1 foliar feeding is 4 kg/ha. Hence, the required amount of foliar feeding will be 59 times! That is, it is simply impractical to carry them out instead of root ones.
It is also important to remember that exceeding the permissible solution concentration when foliar feeding can lead to leaf burns and yield losses.
Some gardeners and gardeners are interested in the issue of solubility of mineral fertilizers, since they are often applied to the soil in liquid form. This way they are quickly absorbed by plants. In addition, the application of mineral fertilizers, depending on their type, leads to acidification or, conversely, alkalization of the soil. Owners of gardens and vegetable gardens should also know about this. Let's do it short review fertilizers used in household plots and recall the rules for their application.NITROGEN FERTILIZERS
These include ammonium nitrate, ammonium sulfate (ammonium sulfate) and urea or urea. Dissolving them in water is not a problem. At the same time, nitrogen fertilizers, after they are applied to the soil, are quite quickly washed out of it. In addition, they acidify the soil.
PHOSPHORUS FERTILIZERS
Standing and double superphosphate dissolve well in water. Precipitate is a little worse. When these fertilizers are mixed with water, the liquid turns out to be a suspension, that is, cloudy. Bone and phosphate meal are poorly soluble fertilizers. As a result, after being introduced into the soil, they are washed out of it and are slowly absorbed by plants. Superphosphates can increase the acidity of the soil, while phosphate rock and bone meal can reduce it.
POTASH FERTILIZERS
COMPLEX MINERAL FERTILIZERS
- Nitrogen and complex mineral fertilizers must be applied to the soil in the spring in order to ensure active plant growth. In the spring and summer, only fertilizing is done.
- Potassium and phosphorus fertilizers should be applied in the fall or in early spring. Well, in the summer, in the form of plant nutrition. They promote the formation of flower buds and the ripening of fruits, as well as increasing the resistance of plants to various infections and adverse weather conditions.
Good day everyone!
Today, on the topic of gardening, we’ll talk about such a difficult topic as feeding plants. Every gardener or even indoor gardener knows that grown plants need not only watering, but also fertilizers. You can, of course, do without them completely. The plants will not wither from this, but they may get sick or stop growing and bearing fruit.
All applied fertilizers can be divided into mineral and organic. In addition to them, the so-called folk remedies, which have proven themselves well.
Among the mineral fertilizers that are used to feed plants, there are single-component fertilizers. They contain only one of the components important for the plant: nitrogen, phosphorus or potassium. Hence the name fertilizers. If the fertilizer contains all these elements and, in addition to them, various biostimulants, macro- and microelements, etc., then these are already complex fertilizers.
Each of these fertilizers is applied not only at a certain time, but also under certain conditions. Not only must they not be introduced, but, what is especially important, they must not be introduced more than required. All of these types of fertilizers are sold in gardening stores and the doses and methods of application are prescribed on the packaging. So there shouldn't be any problems with this.
But, be that as it may, below we will look at methods of applying mineral and organic fertilizers.
Fertilizing plants with mineral fertilizers
Mineral fertilizers play an important role in plant nutrition. Nitrogen, for example, is necessary for the development of the above-ground parts of plants. If this element is missing, then the foliage withers and the plants dry out.
Phosphorus is necessary for the root system. A lack or excess of this element leads to disturbances in the nutrition and respiration of plants.
As for potassium, it affects the development of buds, flowers, as well as the root system of the plant. Due to the lack of this element, foliage may fall. In addition, the plant becomes less resistant to fungal diseases.
The rules for applying fertilizers are written on the packaging.
Therefore, before applying, you must carefully read the instructions and strictly follow the description. Then the plant will receive the necessary fertilizer rate.
These fertilizers are available in both dry and liquid form. In addition, granules are often diluted with water before application, and only after that the plants are sprayed with the resulting liquid.
The main thing is to ensure that there is no excess fertilizer. As they say experienced gardeners, it’s better to slightly underreport than to shift. A dose slightly higher than normal is good only on sandy soils. If your soil is clay, then you need to apply slightly less than the dose indicated on the package. Usually the volume is indicated per 1 sq.m. After applying fertilizers, the soil must be well watered.
Fertilizer application is carried out practically all year round– which is typical for greenhouses. For plants open ground everything starts in spring.
During this period, it is better to use bulk fertilizers. In summer, liquid fertilizers are mainly used and should be applied no later than mid-July.
Plays a special place in plant nutrition autumn period application of fertilizers.
Feeding plants with mineral fertilizers in the fall in dry or liquid form
Autumn feeding is mainly typical for trees and shrubs. They will have to survive the winter, and therefore the soil must be ready for spring, when the plants simply need nutrients.
In addition, liming is also carried out at this time. This procedure consists of spreading fertilizer evenly throughout the garden, after which the soil is dug up. Two weeks after liming, it will be good if you add some organic fertilizers, for example, manure or compost.
In autumn it is better to apply fertilizers in dry form. They are more suitable for open ground. Liquid fertilizers are most suitable for indoor plants.
In addition, in the fall only potassium, phosphorus and fertilizers containing magnesium are applied.
The most common fertilizer containing phosphorus is superphosphate. Concentrated substances are most often used. This fertilizer is used both in granular and powder form.
A hole is made around the tree into which fertilizer is poured. After this, the holes are filled. Most the best option– use of complex fertilizers. They contain everything at once necessary for the plant elements.
Inorganic fertilizers are, of course, good, but not a single plant can do without organic matter.
The most common fertilizer, which in any case is present in the arsenal of every gardener, is manure.
Fertilizing plants with organic fertilizers
Manure is a good thing, but its application requires certain conditions. It is not recommended to apply manure directly to trees, as it burns the roots. It is best to use rotted manure. You can also mix manure with ash. In this embodiment, it is also used for spring planting of potatoes. After the manure and ash are spread over the area, the earth is dug up.
Manure comes from different animals. Moreover, each animal produces manure with different properties. In addition, manure can be either fresh or rotted, or humus.
The table below shows chemical composition fresh manure based on straw or peat.
Compost is very popular. It has to do with what to cook compost heap It’s quite simple and can be used throughout the season.
Compost is a special nutrient mixture that is formed as a result of the decomposition of organic matter, which is affected by heat and moisture.
Making compost is very easy; everyone has plenty of food and other scraps that are ideal for this purpose. These include vegetable peelings and eggshell, mown grass, branches, leaves, tea leaves and even paper.
Making a place for compost is also not difficult. In the most common version, it is a pit. You can also put together your own box or buy a ready-made special box in the store.
The application of manure depends on its “origin”. For example, in beds with light soil, cow manure is used. If the soils are heavy, then would be better suited manure from sheep, goats and horses. In the fall, rotted manure is usually added to the soil, and humus is added to the soil in the spring. If you use manure when planting trees, it is recommended to place about 10 kg of humus under each tree
If manure is waste from cattle and non-horned livestock, then there is also such fertilizer as bird droppings. Mostly chicken is popular.
Chicken manure is used to feed not only domestic plants, but also vegetables, trees, and ornamental shrubs and flowers. Bird droppings are prepared before application by filling them with water at the rate of one part of droppings per bucket of water. Then the liquid is infused for about three days, after which the infusion is again diluted in a ratio of 1 to 10 (1 part infusion and 10 parts water).
Table for feeding plants with organic fertilizers
To more clearly imagine the possibility of using certain fertilizers in plant nutrition, fertilizer tables are given below. But first, I would like to pay attention to miscibility various types fertilizers The table below shows which fertilizers can be mixed with each other and which cannot be mixed.
The following table shows the most common vegetable crops among gardeners and the order of their feeding depending on the stage of plant development.
Well, another table that shows the use of mineral fertilizers.
Fertilizing plants with folk and improvised means
It turns out that you can feed plants not only with well-known minerals and organic fertilizers. For this purpose, you can use some unusual drugs, which many did not even suspect.
Feeding plants with aspirin
It turns out that aspirin can not only treat yourself, but also feed plants.
The use of these tablets improves plant immunity and increases their resistance to various fungal diseases. Sick and weak plants are restored.
To use aspirin as a fertilizer, you need to prepare a solution for irrigation from it at the rate of a quarter of a tablet per 2 liters of water.
Fertilizing plants with ammonia
Another medicine that brings a person to his senses. But, as it turns out, not only humans. Because the ammonia- This is ammonia, it helps plants absorb nitrogen. Use ammonia when the plant begins to wilt.
Of course, they do not water it with alcohol itself, but make a solution at the rate of 1 teaspoon per liter of water. To avoid an excess of nitrogen, it is recommended to water twice a month - no more.
Feeding plants with yeast
Yeast has long and rightfully gained popularity not only as a means for baking, but also as a fertilizer.
Yeast contains nitrogen, which is why it promotes root formation and plant growth. Both dry and live yeast are used. To prepare yeast infusion, you can use the following recipe.
Take a three-liter jar and pour it into warm water. 100 grams of yeast are diluted in a separate glass and poured into a jar.
After this, five tablespoons of sugar are added to the jar and mixed. Now put the jar in a warm place. Soon the fermentation process begins. When it runs out, dilute the resulting infusion further. A glass of this infusion is added to a bucket of water. For each plant, it is enough to add one liter of this fertilizer.
Fertilizing plants with hydrogen peroxide
Hydrogen peroxide is very beneficial for plants. With its help, harmful bacteria are eliminated that interfere with the development and flowering of plants, helps speed up flowering and protect roots from rotting.
To water with hydrogen peroxide, you must first dilute 2 tablespoons of peroxide per liter of water. Plants are watered with this mixture once every five days.
Fertilizing plants with boric acid
Boric acid protects plants from various pathogenic bacteria. In addition, with its help you can slightly increase the yield. And if you treat the seeds with it, you can increase their germination. During processing boric acid seedlings, its rooting improves.
To treat seeds, they are wrapped in gauze and soaked in a solution of boric acid (0.2 g per 1 liter hot water) within two days. In addition, you can prepare a special solution consisting of 5 g baking soda, 1 g of potassium permanganate, 0.2 g of boric acid. All this is diluted in 1 liter of warm water.
It is very good to spray strawberries with a boric acid solution to get sweet berries. Strawberries are usually sprayed before the buds open and during the fruiting period.
Fertilizing plants with succinic acid
Succinic acid is a good growth stimulator. It also increases plant resistance to drought.
Plants are both sprayed and watered with succinic acid. The packages tell you how to use this substance. But it is very difficult to overfeed a plant with it, since it will absorb only what it needs.
To prepare a solution for feeding, take 2 g of acid and dilute it in 1.5-2 liters of water.
First of all, the leaves, stems and roots of the plant are sprayed with the prepared solution. If the plant is sick, then such treatment helps it recover faster.
A solution helps a lot to stimulate root development in cuttings. To do this, they are immersed in an acid solution for a couple of hours.
Just like boric acid, succinic acid is also used to treat seeds before sowing.
Feeding plants with banana peels
Strange as it may sound, plants love bananas. Using banana peels helps replenish plants' deficiencies in magnesium, potassium, sodium and phosphorus.
There are many ways to use banana peels. The simplest of them is to bury the peel in the ground.
IN next option Banana peels need to be toasted in the oven. After the peel is fried and darkened, take it out, cool and chop. Place in a jar or bag and use as needed.
You can also steep the peel in water. We put several banana peels in a jar, fill it with water and let it sit for two days. After which the infusion is drained and diluted with warm water in a 1:1 ratio. The watering solution is ready.
To see how to prepare banana fertilizer, watch the video below.
Complete nutrition of the plant, which provides it with good growth, is impossible without phosphorus and its components. The soil does not have the amount of phosphorus required for planting, so to grow healthy, tasty, juicy fruits, vegetables and berries, it is important to add phosphate supplements.
Superphosphate has undeniable advantages - it is a universal in composition, long-acting, economical and inexpensive fertilizer. To get the maximum effect from using fertilizer, it is important to know how to quickly dissolve superphosphate in water. With its help, every gardener and gardener will be able to grow a rich harvest on their plot.
How to quickly dissolve superphosphate in water?
Superphosphate is obtained through numerous chemical reactions. The drug is produced granulated or in powder form. It is more convenient to add powdered superphosphate to the soil, which instantly dissolves in it and, by interacting with the root systems of plants, nourishes them and enriches them with minerals.
When bookmarking compost pit It is better to use granulated superphosphate.
Simple (powdered) superphosphate - slightly white powder gray shade, containing about 20% phosphorus oxide. Humidity causes it to clump and cake, so it is advisable to store it in a dry place.
Compared to new products, this type of additive has a narrower application, although superphosphate is quite inexpensive and is still indispensable for small personal plots and agricultural land.
Simple superphosphate in granular form is obtained by granulating monophosphate. It contains a higher percentage of phosphorus oxide (about 50%) and calcium sulfate (30%). Granules are convenient for storage and use.
Double superphosphate is a highly concentrated composition that instantly and easily dissolves in water and is economical to use. IN farms and in private plots it has found wide application. There are also compositions with sulfur and potassium sulfate, boron, molybdenum and others.
Dissolving all elements of superphosphate in water promotes rapid absorption by the roots, accelerating the process of delivery to the plant and absorption of nutrition. For this reason, late spring and summer feeding berry bushes, vegetables and flowers.
Phosphorus is difficult to dissolve in water, but in liquid form it penetrates faster to plant roots.. Gardeners have come up with an accessible and simple way to transfer this substance from one state of aggregation to another.
Dissolving superphosphate in water requires a high reaction temperature. For this purpose, the granules are poured with boiling water. Keeping your beneficial features, phosphorus is converted into a dispersed, easily digestible form.
To prepare the suspension, place the container with the solution in a warm place and mix it as often as possible. Under such conditions, complete dissolution occurs within approximately 24 hours.
The appearance of the resulting suspension resembles full-fat cow's milk. When dissolving superphosphate in water, do not be too zealous. Convert the fertilizer to a completely liquid state of aggregation It is impossible, but it is quite possible to grind phosphorus granules to the size of the smallest particles.
In order to quickly dissolve superphosphate in water, you need to:
- To boil water.
- Pour 20 tablespoons of granulated superphosphate into 3 liters of boiling water.
- Leave the resulting base solution in a warm place.
- To prepare the basic nutritional mixture, dilute 150 milliliters of the basic mixture in 10 liters of water.
- IN ready solution add 20 milliliters of nitrogen mixture and half a liter of wood ash.
- Pour the prepared mash over the vegetables.
Nitrogen is instantly taken up and absorbed by the plant crop, and phosphorus provides nutrition to the plant for several more months. This superphosphate extract serves as the most the best feeding for bushes, fruit trees, vegetables and flowers on the site.
There is another way to dissolve superphosphate in water: using living biobacteria. For this purpose, the agrochemical is composted with various solutions phytosporins or with humate.
It is recommended to dilute the resulting mixture in water after completion of the process. room temperature and let stand for 24 hours, stirring occasionally. After this, this solution can be used for foliar and root feeding of various garden and garden plants.
Instructions for use
To calculate the correct dose of superphosphate that will not cause harm to plants and soil, you need to clearly define the specific task of its use. It is recommended to start fertilizing only after carefully studying the instructions for using superphosphate.
Broad-spectrum fertilizer has a powerful effect on plant growth and development:
- helps accelerate the development of tubers and roots;
- provides positive influence for the formation of ovaries, prolongation of flowering and fruiting;
- ensures restoration of impaired metabolism;
- protects plants from many diseases;
- inhibits oxidative processes in the soil;
- helps improve the taste and increase the productivity of fruit plants.
A lack of phosphorus is indicated by certain changes that can be observed on vegetables: “rusty” or blue leaves, purple bloom with reverse side leaf.
Such signs often appear when seedlings are hardened or when there is a sudden cold snap. Roots do not absorb phosphorus well at low temperatures, and increasing it should lead to normalization of the situation when the leaves again acquire a green color.
If this does not happen, the situation must be corrected immediately by applying fertilizer.
Superphosphate is added in several ways:
- scattering on the surface;
- adding to furrows or holes before planting;
- when digging the soil;
- in the form of liquid fertilizer;
- in the compost pit.
Superphosphate is a fertilizer with a long-term nutritional process. The plant, slowly, takes the dose necessary for nutrition in small portions and gradually “digests” phosphorus.
Therefore, you should not rush to add another portion: an overdose can have a negative effect on the crop. Concentrated double superphosphate is recommended to be used in smaller quantities.
Simple superphosphate can be applied in spring and autumn by scattering it over the area. The fertilizer application rate is 50 grams per 1 square meter. For particularly poor lands, it is recommended to increase the amount of additive by 30%.
Superphosphate application rates for different types plants are:
- young seedlings of fruit trees and bushes (when planting) - 500 grams;
- adults tall trees(V trunk circle) - 40-70 grams;
- when digging greenhouses - 90 grams per square meter;
- for potatoes and tomatoes - 20 grams per square meter;
- for other vegetables - 70 grams per square meter.
Double superphosphate contains more phosphorus (50%) and nitrogen (15%). It can easily dissolve in soil and water. It is recommended to apply double superphosphate in early spring, when the ground thaws and warms up, and in the fall, when the harvest has already been harvested.
The main thing is considered to be the spring application of fertilizer, when the soil is still wet after the snow has melted and spring rains, so its easily soluble composition immediately begins to work. The benefits of superphosphate increase significantly when simultaneously adding a potassium mixture with it.
For different types of plants, double superphosphate is recommended to be applied in the following quantities:
- seedlings, young vegetables, leafy greens - 40 grams per square meter;
- potatoes - 4 grams of fertilizer per hole;
- root crops - 20 grams per square meter;
- vegetables in greenhouses - 80 grams per square meter.
Individual proportions for different vegetables and feeding times are indicated in the instructions. The rules for using it should be followed as written. Simple superphosphate can be used together with nitrogen fertilizers.
Granular and double are used simultaneously with potash fertilizers. Official instructions does not allow the use of this fertilizer simultaneously with urea, chalk and ammonium nitrate. There should be at least a week between applying these fertilizers.
One of the most concentrated nitrogen fertilizers is urea - carbamide, as it is also called. This is the same organic substance, which contains up to 46% amide nitrogen. Fertilizer is called urea because it can be obtained from animal or human urine. naturally. It is the end product of protein digestion in the body.
Urea is Chemical substance– carbonic acid diamide, obtained by the reaction of ammonia and carbon dioxide. The result is urea and water.
Urea formula, appearance of granules, production
By appearance Urea is a fertilizer that is similar to ammonium nitrate. Both fertilizers are granular, only urea white It is odorless, and saltpeter may have a tint of gray or pink. Urea formula is CH4N2O.
The production method makes it possible to understand what urea is and how it is made. Production begins by subjecting ammonia and carbon to pressure of 200 atmospheres. Next, the mixture of both substances enters the compartment where a liquid form of urea is obtained.
Rising up the granulation tower, drops of urea are separated by a sprayer and fall down. During the fall, they manage to turn into granules of dry fertilizer having a crystalline lattice.
Pack the substance in plastic bags. It does not absorb moisture and can be transported under any conditions. The urea composition is absolutely safe and does not require use additional funds protection.
Beneficial features
Urea fertilizer when used in the garden has a number of advantages, ranging from economic benefits to benefits for plants. Unlike other nitrogen monofertilizers, it is much cheaper. Compared to ammonium nitrate, it is required 3 times less, and the possibilities for use are greater, because saltpeter is used only for application to the soil, and urea is used in the soil and by foliar application.
In addition to increasing productivity, the solution has the following useful qualities:
- Used to control pests of agricultural crops and fruit trees. It is applied by spraying onto the leaves.
- With the foliar method, it does not cause leaf burn. Different concentrations are used for fertilizing and disease prevention.
- It is quickly absorbed by plants, which makes the solution a fertilizer of primary importance in case of nitrogen deficiency. The impact occurs within the first two days.
- It takes longer to be washed out of the soil, so it is advantageous to use urea on sandy and sandy loam soils, where other fertilizers immediately go into the lower horizons and the plants cannot reach them.
- Safe for the human body.
- It does not acidify the soil, so plants can receive other nutrients in full.
The absence of chlorine in urea makes it possible to use fertilizer in the garden for all plants.
Advantages and disadvantages of urea
Urea is a fertilizer that has found application in many branches of horticulture - ornamental, fruit and vegetable, and also as an insecticide. It has more advantages than disadvantages, because it is a mineral fertilizer with an organic base, which means that plants will absorb urea faster than any other fertilizer.
First, some precautions:
- According to the rules for the production of a high-quality composition, the content of biuret when released into the soil should not exceed 1.6%. An excess of up to 3% is allowed if it is a second-grade fertilizer.
- It is undesirable to apply large doses to the root zone of plants that have one main root, such as beets.
Its death leads to the death of the entire plant. If the instructions for using urea fertilizer say that the substance is grade 2 or 3, then you need to be careful and put it in the soil 2 weeks before planting.
- It is preferable to immediately apply the full complex - nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium composition. From experience, this leads to more active seed germination and also reduces the possibility of an overdose of nitrogen fertilizers.
Now about the advantages:
- The urea solution can be applied at any time - before sowing, during agricultural work and in the fall. When planted in the soil in autumn, the amide form of nitrogen granules is not washed out and remains in the soil until spring.
- Foliar applications are possible at any time for emergency feeding if symptoms of chlorosis appear on the leaves of crops. A solution in a concentration of less than 5% is safe for green mass, but it must be done in the morning or evening, when the sun has already gone down.
- If there is sufficient content of the enzyme urease (a waste product of microorganisms) in the soil, urea is completely broken down. Can be used with organic fertilizers to improve soil fertility.
- The greatest effect is observed in regularly irrigated areas.
- It has been proven that urea is a fertilizer that does not contribute to the accumulation of harmful substances in fruits.
- Easily dissolves in water, providing a high degree of digestibility.
The important thing to know about urea is that it is a fertilizer that will not do any good if it is scattered on the snow. At low temperatures soil microorganisms are inactive, so they will not be able to break down the substance.
Video: Urea - properties and applications
Interaction with other fertilizers
It is unacceptable to combine a urea solution with the following types of fertilizers:
- dolomite flour;
- stove ash;
- lime, chalk, gypsum;
- calcium nitrate;
- superphosphate.
A common point is the alkalizing effect of the above fertilizers. They are neutralized by acid, which is in nitrogen fertilizer, so none of them will be useful. If urea is used as a nitrogen substance, the use of alkaline fertilizers must be timed.
Calcium nitrate together with urea contributes to strong acidification of the soil, so they can be added together only on alkaline soils or if lime has been added to the soil large quantities and the plants are not doing well.
Phosphate rock interacts well with acidic substances.
Urea is suitable for its breakdown, so they can be used together without damaging the plants. Ammonium sulfate interacts well with urea and brings benefits in a short time.
Under root fertilizer, urea is used in the garden with the following additives:
- potassium - sulfate, chloride and potassium nitrate;
- nitrogen - sodium and ammonium nitrate;
- can be added to manure when starting a compost heap.
Important! Monophosphate and urea help lower soil pH - not used together
Methods of feeding plants with urea
The main need of plants for nitrogen occurs in the spring, when the green mass is actively growing. Currently, it is important to use carbamide (urea) using the root method. To save money, you can add the substance directly into the hole.
If the moment was missed and signs of chlorosis appeared on the leaves during growth, the most in a fast way will spray crops foliarly.
Autumn laying in the ground can be done, but it is not so effective, because during the winter nitrogen decomposes and its main part - ammonia - evaporates into the atmosphere, without bringing any benefit.
Only a small portion goes to microorganisms for nutrition. This is good because the amount of urease, an enzyme released when soil organisms die, increases in the soil.
Signs of nitrogen starvation in plants
How to determine that plants need nitrogen:
- The aerial part develops poorly - thin shoots, light green small leaves;
- yellowing of foliage increases with lack of watering;
- the ovaries fall off.
Chlorosis also begins with iron deficiency. You can distinguish by observing the plants during the day:
- with nitrogen deficiency, leaves do not wither during the day;
- with iron deficiency, they sag in the sun.
Yellowing begins with old leaves and later moves to young shoots.
Root feeding
When adding dry urea to the soil, the soil must be well watered. If the plants have already been planted, then a depression is made between the rows or around the stem and granules are poured there - from 50 to 100 g per 10 square meters .
You can prepare a nutrient solution and water at the root - 200 g per 10 liters of water. The quantity is enough for an area of 10 square meters. m. Water into the depression around the stem. If you count for 1 plant, then you need 3 g of urea per 1 liter of water.
When planting, urea is added to the hole at the rate 4 – 5 g per plant. The fertilizer should be mixed with the soil at a depth of 10 cm.
Berry bushes are fertilized with a solution 70 g of substance per 1 plant. For fruit trees depending on age you need from 100 to 250 g of urea, brought into the tree trunk circle.
Foliar feeding
The foliar method is more suitable for the absorption of urea by plants. The period of its decomposition is from 2 to 4 days, while the active substance immediately reaches the part that most needs feeding.
Interesting! After 2 days in tissues garden plants the amount of protein increases sharply after using urea
To treat the area V 20 square meters vegetable crops take no more than 50 g of urea per 10 liters of water. For fruit trees and shrubs – 100g/10 l.
Against pests and fungus
- nematodes;
- leaf roller caterpillar;
- butterfly;
The air temperature must be at least 5 degrees.
Fungal infections that can be destroyed with urea:
- powdery mildew;
- anthractosis;
- scab.
The most best time to combat fungus - autumn. It is possible to destroy most of the spores and weaken the rest, which will be destroyed by frost.
How to use urea for vegetable crops
Cucumbers and tomatoes require feeding at the stage of planting seedlings. Urea is added to the well in 5 - 10 g along with superphosphate. The soil is watered and no further root feeding with urea is carried out. You can spray on the leaves if they change color to a lighter color.
When planting cabbage, urea is not used, but is suitable for the first feeding - 3 weeks after planting. Enough 30 g per 10 liters of water.
