Nitrogen fertilizers for tomatoes

Content

1 Use of nitrogen fertilizers
2 When to use nitrogen-containing fertilizers
3 Organic and mineral sources of nitrogen
4 Organic nitrogen fertilizers
5 How much fertilizer to apply for tomatoes?
6 Signs of improper feeding of tomatoes
7 Fertilizing methods
8 Conclusion

Plants need nitrogen fertilizers for tomatoes throughout the growing season. As soon as the seedlings took root and went to height, you can begin adding nitrogen-containing mixtures. It is on this element that the growth and development of bushes, as well as the formation of ovaries, depends. This article contains the basic rules for fertilizing tomatoes with nitrogen, and will also talk about the importance of this procedure for seedlings at different stages of growth.

Use of nitrogen fertilizers

A wide variety of crops are fed with nitrogen fertilizers. They have a very good effect on the growth and fruiting of cucumbers and tomatoes, potatoes and strawberries, beets and various fruit trees. In addition, nitrogen has a very positive effect on flowers such as tulips and roses. They often fertilize lawns and seedlings. Leguminous plants need the least amount of nitrogen.

All existing nitrogen fertilizers are usually divided into 3 types:

Ammonia. Contains nitrogen in large quantities. It is not recommended to use in acidic soils. This includes ammonium sulfate and other substances containing ammonium.
Amide. These substances contain nitrogen in the amide form.The most popular representative of this group is urea or urea.
Nitrate. Contain nitrogen in nitrate form. They perform best in acidic soddy-podzolic soils. Used to prepare the soil for planting. Sodium and calcium nitrate are considered the most effective fertilizers in this group.

Attention! The well-known ammonium nitrate does not belong to any of these groups, since the nitrogen in it has both ammonium and nitrate forms.

When to use nitrogen-containing fertilizers

First feeding of tomatoes nitrogen is carried out a week after planting seedlings in open ground. This will help the bushes to grow and begin to actively form green mass. After this, during the formation of ovaries, a second application of nitrogen fertilizers is carried out. This will extend the time of formation of ovaries and accordingly increase the yield.

Important! Care should be taken that the amount of nitrogen is not too large. Otherwise, green mass will actively grow on the bush, but almost no ovaries and fruits will appear.

Not only tomatoes planted in open ground need nitrogen-containing fertilizers, but also those growing in a greenhouse. It is important to remember that you cannot enter complex fertilizers, which contain phosphorus in soil not heated to a temperature of +15°C. This substance is poorly absorbed by plants and may simply remain in the soil in excess quantities.

Because nitrogen fertilizers often contain other nutrients, it is important to know how and when to use them. For example, tomato seedlings, in addition to nitrogen, simply need potassium. This substance is responsible for the formation of fruits.It is important to ensure that the fertilizer contains potassium, and in considerable quantities. It also has a direct effect on the immunity of tomatoes. Potassium helps seedlings cope with temperature changes at night and makes them more resistant to tomato diseases.

Also, a complex nitrogen-containing fertilizer may contain magnesium, boron, manganese and copper. All these and other minerals have an excellent effect on plants when growing and help them become strong and healthy. They can be applied directly to the soil or during watering.

Organic and mineral sources of nitrogen

Nitrogen is included in many fertilizers. Among the most popular and effective are the following:

Nitroammofoska. This includes potassium, nitrogen and phosphorus in large quantities. These substances are the main source of strength for tomatoes. Most gardeners use this fertilizer, as it is considered one of the best.
Superphosphate. This fertilizer is also one of the most common and effective. It contains a large number of nutritional components that have a positive effect on the growth of tomatoes. For example, superphosphate contains nitrogen, magnesium, phosphorus, sulfur and calcium. It does not increase soil acidity.
Ammonium nitrate. It simply contains a huge amount of nitrogen, from 25 to 35%. This is the most affordable fertilizer for tomatoes today. However, it should be used in parallel with other substances, for example, urea. You also need to be careful with the dosage.
Urea. Another name for this fertilizer is urea. This substance consists of 46% nitrogen. Can significantly increase the yield of vegetable crops. Suitable for all soil types.The nitrogen in it is better absorbed by plants and is not washed out of the soil so quickly.
Ammonium sulfate. Used to feed tomatoes at the very first stages of growth. Contains large amounts of nitrogen (21%) and sulfur (24%). The substance easily dissolves in liquid. It is easily absorbed by plants.
Calcium nitrate. It contains only 15% nitrogen. Compared to other nitrogen fertilizers, this is not very much. However, it does not have such a strong effect on the composition of the soil. The fertilizer is suitable for non-chernozem soils and can improve the composition of acidic soils. It has a very short shelf life, after which almost all beneficial properties are lost.

Important! Fertilizers containing nitrogen can acidify the soil. Therefore, after using them, it is customary to lim the soil.

You can also find many sources of nitrogen among organic materials. For example, this may include:

humus;
peat;
manure;
mullein infusion;
chicken droppings;
ash;
herbal infusion.

To prepare an herbal infusion, you need to take a large container and place mowed green grass there. Nettle or dandelion are suitable for this. Then the greens are filled with water and covered with film. In this form, the container should stand in the sun for a week. After this, the infusion must be filtered. The liquid is stored well in a cool, dark place.

Organic nitrogen fertilizers

We said above what kind of organic substances contain nitrogen, and now we’ll look at how to use them in practice. For example, you can mulch the soil using humus or compost. Thus, you can “kill 2 birds with one stone” and feed the tomatoes and mulch the soil.

Throughout the growing season, you can water the bushes with mixtures of organic matter and minerals. For the first solution, combine the following components in one container:

20 liters of water;
1 liter mullein;
2 tablespoons of nitrophoska.

It is necessary to water the plants with this solution in the amount of half a liter of liquid per bush.

For the second mixture we will need:

20 liters of water;
1 liter of bird droppings;
2 tablespoons of superphosphate;
2 teaspoons of potassium sulfate.

All components are mixed in a large container until smooth. Then half a liter of this mixture is poured under each bush.

However, remember that using only organic matter will not meet the nitrogen needs of tomatoes. The same chicken manure contains only 0.5–1% nitrogen, and compost made from household waste contains about 1.5%. This amount is not enough to feed plants. In addition, organic matter has the ability to acidify the soil. Therefore, experienced gardeners advise not to limit themselves only to organic matter, but to alternate it with mineral complexes.

How much fertilizer to apply for tomatoes?

Nitrogen-containing substances must be used carefully. Firstly, in excess they can negatively affect the formation of ovaries and fruits. And secondly, a large amount of such substances can change the acidity level of the soil. Therefore, nitrogen-containing fertilizers are applied in parallel with other minerals. This is done as follows:

The first feeding is necessary for tomatoes approximately 1–2 weeks after planting the seedlings. At this time, complex nitrogen-containing solutions are added to the soil in the proportion of half a teaspoon per liter of water.
After 10 days, you should water the tomatoes with a weak solution of manganese.This procedure is repeated every 10–14 days. Additionally, you can add a solution of bird droppings to the soil. To prepare the nutritional mixture, you need to mix 1 liter of chicken and 15 liters of water in one container. In addition, the soil around the bushes is sprinkled with wood ash. It kills fungi and prevents tomatoes from getting sick.
After 10 days, ammonium nitrate is added to the soil. It is diluted in liquid in an amount of 16–20 g of substance per 10 liters.
To speed up the process of fruit ripening, you need to mix potassium sulfate, urea and superphosphate in the proportion of 15/10/15 grams per ten-liter bucket of water.
During the flowering period, you can fertilize the plants with an azophosphate solution.
Further, fertilizing is carried out no more than 2 times a month. Organic substances can be used for this. Mullein and bird droppings are excellent. It is best to use them for watering in the form of a solution.

Signs of improper feeding of tomatoes

You can overdo it with the dosage of fertilizers not only when using mineral mixtures. Organic substances in large quantities can also negatively affect tomato seedlings. The condition of the plant immediately shows that it is overfed. For example, a large amount of nitrogen will be visible in a large, spreading bush. Such a plant devotes all its energy to the formation of stems and leaves, so there is no energy left for the ovaries and fruits. And since we want to grow good tomatoes, and not a beautiful bush, we should use nitrogen fertilizers carefully.

Plants simply need nitrogen until flowers appear. Then fertilizing tomatoes with nitrogen should be stopped. In the future, plants will need nitrogen-containing mixtures only after the first fruits appear on the first cluster.

Nitrogen deficiency can be manifested by changes in leaf color. They will turn light green or even yellowish. Then they can gradually curl, and the old leaves begin to die off. The surface of the sheet will become matte. The situation must be corrected immediately after the first signs appear. Organic lovers can feed tomatoes with herbal infusion. And as a mineral fertilizer you can use urea or ammonium nitrate.

Phosphorus is often present in nitrogen fertilizers. This substance helps tomatoes develop resistance to cold. A lack of phosphorus immediately affects the appearance of the leaves. They turn purple. Remember that tomatoes do not grow well in oily soils.

Important! Also, the cause of poor development of tomatoes may be an excess of minerals in the soil.

Urea is a very useful fertilizer for tomatoes. Many gardeners successfully use this substance. However, it should be remembered that urea can only be applied in the form of a solution. The soil is sprayed or watered with it. Under no circumstances should this fertilizer be applied in granular form directly into the hole.

Organic substances have always been considered safer and healthier for plants. But still, their number should not be excessive either. For example, use mullein for feeding tomatoes no more than 3 times per season.

Fertilizing methods

There are 2 ways to apply nitrogen fertilizers:

root;
foliar.

The root method involves watering tomatoes with nutrient solutions. This method is very popular because it is very simple and effective. Most gardeners fertilize tomatoes in their plots this way.

The foliar method of adding nutrients is to spray the leaves and stems with prepared solutions. This method is less popular, however, it is also very effective. The plant absorbs nutrients much faster from the leaves. When watering tomatoes at the roots, only some of the minerals will be absorbed by the root system. In this case, nutrients will be quickly washed away by rain.

Important! When foliar feeding tomatoes, the nutrient solution should be much weaker than for watering.

A solution that is too concentrated can burn the leaves. Under no circumstances should substances containing chlorine be used for spraying. The best time for foliar feeding is morning or evening. In the scorching sun, even a weak solution can cause burns. Of course, it is necessary to carry out both root and foliar feeding. Experienced gardeners alternate them, using the most suitable fertilizers.

Conclusion

As we have seen, nitrogen fertilizers are extremely important for growing tomatoes. Nitrogen is responsible for the growth processes of the bush itself, as well as the formation of flowers and ovaries. Agree, without this, tomatoes simply will not be able to develop and bear fruit. The most important thing is to learn how to properly organize fertilizing. It is important to consider the amount of substances added to the soil. A lack of minerals, as well as an excess, can negatively affect the growth of bushes and the composition of the soil. Do not be afraid to use both organic and mineral fertilizers. All this together will make your tomatoes strong and healthy. Observe your plants and you can see exactly what they need.