What plants are fertilized with saltpeter - rules for using fertilizer

How to store ammonium nitrate at home?

To preserve the original physical and mechanical properties of ammonium nitrate

it must
be stored
in special closed, dry and clean warehouses in bitumenized paper and plastic bags in stacks no more than 2 m high.
Ammonium nitrate
is highly soluble in water. This process occurs with the absorption of heat.

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Characteristics and benefits

Ammonium nitrate has many other names, including ammonium nitrate, ammonium nitrate or ammonium salt of nitric acid, from which it immediately becomes clear that the main active ingredient in the drug is nitrogen (from 26 to 34%). The complex also includes accompanying elements, for example, sulfur (3-14%), which promotes the effective absorption of nitrogen.

Nitrogenous bases are involved in the formation of chlorophyll, providing foliage and shoots with a characteristic emerald green color, and also contribute to the active vegetation of any plants.

A deficiency of the element in the soil instantly affects the appearance of all botanical species: the foliage turns pale, turns yellow and curls, and the growth of shoots slows down greatly. On the contrary, an excess of substance in the soil is evidenced by lush, dense thickets of young branches with large, rich green leaves, delayed flowering and ripening of fruits.

Nitrate differs from other nitrogen-containing preparations, in particular from urea, not only in the lower concentration of the active substance, but also in the production method, which in turn affects the efficiency of fertilizer absorption. Ammonium nitrate, unlike urea, has an almost instantaneous effect and a plant experiencing nitrogen deficiency receives emergency help through root feeding. At the same time, such a powerful effect that saltpeter has excludes its use in the form of foliar sprays in order to prevent burns on the leaf.

Deadlines for depositing

The optimal time for applying fertilizers is early spring, when plant roots have not yet entered the active growth phase, and autumn, since in winter plant roots continue to grow slowly in non-freezing layers of soil. But for each type of fertilizer there are optimal timing for application, when the plant completely absorbs it and is not subject to the harmful effects of fertilizing.

For example, it is not recommended to apply nitrogen fertilizers to fruit trees at the end of June, as this prolongs the growth phase and young shoots will not be able to prepare for winter in time and will freeze.

Feeding cucumbers in a greenhouse: 6 useful tips to avoid spoiling the plant

Ammonium nitrate begins to be used in early spring, when there is still snow on the ground. But the best option for using fertilizer is April-May, or when the snow begins to melt and the average air temperature remains within +5ºС.

The timing of applying ammonium nitrate depends on a number of conditions: on chernozem soils, the fertilizer is applied before sowing and planting seedlings, on heavy and clay soils - in the spring and autumn; in areas with high levels of humidity, it is recommended to apply saltpeter only in the fall; in other regions, most of the fertilizer is applied in the spring, then in small portions throughout the entire growth of the plant.

Security measures

Before using potassium nitrate, you should read the instructions. Since concentrated saltpeter vapors are unsafe for human health, safety precautions must be observed. You can only work with fertilizer wearing rubber gloves, and use special goggles to protect your eyes. You need to use saltpeter in thick clothing and a respirator.

If the solution gets on your skin, you should immediately wash it off with plenty of running water and treat the affected area with an antiseptic.

Since potassium nitrate is an oxidizing agent that interacts with flammable substances, it is stored in a closed container or tight bag. Under no circumstances should saltpeter be left dangerously close to combustible and flammable substances. Smoking is prohibited in areas where potassium fertilizers are stored, and children are not allowed there.

When fertilizing plants with potassium nitrate, you need to take care of their safety. In order for the solution to be better absorbed and replenish the lack of moisture, fertilizing should be combined with watering. It is not recommended to overuse saltpeter on acidic soils, since the fertilizer oxidizes the soil. Potassium nitrate can burn plants, so fertilize carefully, avoiding getting it on the stems and leaves (if the solution is highly concentrated).

What can you feed?

Ammonium nitrate is used extremely rarely to feed young seedlings, as it can simply burn the sprouts. Therefore, its use for seedlings should be accompanied by abundant watering. Note that it is better not to feed zucchini, pumpkin and squash with saltpeter, as these crops are prone to the accumulation of nitrates. But use for berry bushes, lawns, indoor plants, and various flowers is welcome.

Usually in the country house and in the garden there is always something to fertilize. For example, roses, beloved by a huge number of gardeners. In this case, the algorithm of actions is as follows:

• in early May, dilute one tablespoon of the drug in 10 liters of water;
• under each bush we add about 6 liters of solution;
• after 3 weeks we repeat feeding to stimulate the development of buds;
• After the first flowers appear, we do not add any more saltpeter.

As for indoor plants, they are fertilized with ammonium nitrate to speed up growth. One pinch of granules is diluted in a 1.5 liter watering can. Most often, such fertilizing is carried out in the spring, when plants need nitrogen most and are actively growing. It is not recommended to spray plants with a solution of nitrate, since the flower can simply be burned.

Fertilizing with ammonium nitrate affects barley and winter wheat . Barley is a very responsive crop to fertilizing. During the tillering period, it is most in need of nitrogen, which compensates for the addition of ammonium nitrate. Winter wheat needs nutrients, a whole complex of them. In particular, it is fed in early spring during the flowering period and during the formation of grains.

Usually the soil is fertilized with ammonium nitrate before sowing. Apply at the rate of 30 kg per 1 hectare of soil. Nitrogen increases wheat yield and affects the height and density of wheat bushes. When working with fertilizer, it is worth remembering that it is explosive.

Other crops have their own characteristics of applying fertilizer granules.

Tomatoes

To feed tomatoes, ammonium nitrate is applied in combination with superphosphate and potassium salt. When tomatoes are planted in a permanent place, saltpeter is added at the rate of 1 tablespoon per planting hole. When the seedlings begin to bloom, apply 5 g of fertilizer per square meter of soil. Nitrogen saturation helps tomatoes grow green mass and strengthen the stems.

cucumbers

Many experts inform gardeners that cucumbers accumulate nitrates very quickly. This means that fertilizers should be applied with great care, without exceeding the recommended dosages . Ammonium nitrate is most often applied before planting cucumber seeds in the soil. You can simply scatter the granules on the snow while it is actively melting. Water the cucumbers with the solution during the period of active growth of vines, before flowering begins. The application rate is 15-20 g of the drug per 10 liters of water.

Strawberry

Initially, compost or humus is added to the strawberry beds. This is done before planting the berries in a permanent place. In the first year after planting this crop, it is not recommended to apply nitrogen-containing fertilizers. Their presence can cause bushes to rot.

Nitrogen-containing organic fertilizers

Organic fertilizers, characterized by a high nitrogen content, successfully combine high efficiency and availability. Among other things, organic matter is easily and almost completely absorbed by different types of plants, including ornamental crops, fruit and berry plantings, as well as vegetable crops. The result of proper use of organic matter is the activation of growth and development of green mass, the formation of a powerful root system, and an increase in productivity indicators and quality characteristics of the crop. The most common nitrogen-containing organic fertilizers include:

• manure with nitrogen content in the range of 0.5-1.0%. Manures containing significant amounts of nitrogen are obtained from animals consuming concentrated food;
• bird droppings with a nitrogen content in the range of 2.5-3.0%, and pigeon, chicken and duck droppings are especially highly valued;
• composts, which include plant debris and peat, with a nitrogen content of up to one and a half percent. Herbal composts contain 0.5-0.7%. Composts made from green leaves and sludge contain about 2.5% nitrogen.

Before planting and during the active growth stage, the recommended application dose is 25 g per square meter of planting area. Waste from meat processing plants in the form of blood meal, horn meal, and cakes contains a sufficient amount of nitrogen, but in home gardening conditions they are practically not used as fertilizers.

Methods of application

Ammonium nitrate is a universal fertilizer and can be applied in any way:

• The main application - fertilizer is added to the soil to prepare beds in autumn and spring. Here it is necessary to remember that if nitrogen is in the fertilizer in nitrate form, then it is better to apply it in the spring so that it is not washed out by precipitation. If nitrogen is in ammonium form, then the time of year does not matter, since this form is not susceptible to leaching from the soil.
• Pre-sowing application - applying fertilizer to holes or rows when sowing seeds or planting seedlings, mixing granules with soil.
• Root and foliar feeding - applying fertilizer before flowering and fruiting begins, approximately from April to July. You need to be careful with foliar feeding. After fertilizing, burns may appear on the leaves, which will lead to the plant drying out and wilting.

Useful tips

1. The application of nitrate should be stopped approximately two to three weeks before harvest, so that harmful nitrates do not accumulate in the fruits.
2. The drug is applied on damp soil, providing special artificial irrigation or after heavy rain. And at the end of the procedure, abundant watering is also required.
3. Root feeding is carried out with extreme caution, avoiding contact of the drug on the foliage. Spraying with saltpeter is not allowed, since the potent agent can damage the ground parts.
4. The combined use of nitrate and lime group fertilizers (chalk, dolomite flour, wood ash, etc.) is not recommended.
5. When using organic matter (also a source of nitrogen) on the site, the amount of nitrate must be reduced.

Using saltpeter in the garden or garden will almost double the yield. As a result of the saturation of the soil with nutrients, the condition of agricultural crops noticeably improves: resistance to diseases and sharp temperature fluctuations increases, the appearance is transformed, the plants look strong, healthy and beautiful. It is important not to violate the recommended dosages and apply the preparations in a timely manner, then the harvest will delight you with colossal harvests.

What plants are fertilized with saltpeter?

Solanaceae provide for feeding seedlings three times a day with multi-mineral complexes, including: saltpeter (up to 15 g), potassium fertilizer (up to 20 g) and superphosphate up to 80 g) per standard bucket of water. The first watering is carried out immediately after diving, the second after about 1-2 weeks, the third 3-5 days before planting in the ground. The solution is applied carefully, exclusively at the root, carefully avoiding above-ground parts.

For cucumbers, complex nutrition is provided twice per season, including nitrogen (saltpeter 10 g), potassium and phosphorus. First during the period of active growth, and then in the flowering phase.

Potatoes are flavored with ammonium nitrate at the planting stage, at the rate of 15-20 g of the substance per square meter. m of beds, and also water the row spacing with a solution (20 g per 10 l) before the first hilling.

Strawberries begin to be fertilized with saltpeter from the second year of life, adding 10-15 g of substances per hundred square meters of land, pouring granules into small trenches along the berry rows.

Onions and garlic are fed twice a year with a mineral complex, including: 7-12 g of saltpeter, as well as a potassium mixture and superphosphate.

Release form

Calcium nitrate is available in two types:

granular and crystalline. The main disadvantage of crystalline calcium nitrate is its increased hygroscopicity; if you have a choice, it is better to use this fertilizer in granular form.

Granulated calcium nitrate is more convenient to handle, does not generate dust during application, and absorbs less water from the environment.

Photo of calcium nitrate

Manufacturers most often package this fertilizer in 1 kg bags, but there are small bags of calcium nitrate with a capacity of 20 and 25 g.

Regime moments

The rate of application of nitrate and the regularity of procedures depend on many factors:

• quality, structure and composition of the soil on the site (poor, depleted lands need fertilization with at least 35 g of ammonium nitrate per linear meter, more cultivated ones require less volume - 20 g);
• form of delivery of the product (dry or dissolved);
• plant variety.

On average, the optimal quantities are:

• 3-4 g per planting hole. Apply before planting tomatoes, peppers and melons.
• 5-7 g of ammonium nitrate per hundred square meters of land is applied to tubers and root crops (potatoes, beets, carrots), embedding the drug in specially dug trenches between rows to a depth of 5 cm, 21 days after emergence.
• 5-10 g per 1 sq. m. of land for all vegetable crops (eggplant, tomatoes, cabbage, peppers, etc.), except pumpkin, zucchini, zucchini, squash, since there is a risk of nitrate accumulation. The drug is applied twice per season: in May-early June (during the active growing season), at the end of June-July (during the formation of ovaries).
• 15-20 g per hundred square meters of garden are applied with ammonium nitrate into the tree trunks of fruit trees in dry form once a season in early spring during the “green cone” phase or as nutrient solutions of 25...30 g per bucket of water three times a year.
• 30-40 g of fertilizer is dissolved in 10 liters of water and used for root feeding of all garden crops.