Either from soil testing or a lifetime of experience, you know that your field or commercial lawn needs a little extra boost of nutrition from time to time. All fertilizer comes with an NPK ratio, or a nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium ratio, that tells you how much of each nutrient is being fed to your crops.
That first element, nitrogen, is probably the most important one. It’s vital in the early growing stages for nearly everything from corn you eat to the grass on your golf course.
What Nitrogen Rich Fertilizers Do for Your Plants
What does nitrogen fertilizer do, and why is nitrogen so important? First of all, it makes plants look healthy and green. Nitrogen is the reason plants not only grow tall and strong, but why the foliage is so deep in color and voluminous. It’s essentially the backbone of healthy plant growth.
How Nitrogen Causes Healthy Growth
Nitrogen is essential in the formation of amino acids. Amino acids from proteins, which make up the physical structure of plants. The use of high nitrogen fertilizers can lead to more robust plants with more healthy leaves, flowers, and stalks.
Another important piece to the puzzle is chlorophyll, or the pigment that makes plants green. Nitrogen is a significant component in the makeup of chlorophyll. In the process of photosynthesis, chlorophyll captures the light of the sun so that it can be turned into energy. Without sufficient amounts of chlorophyll, the plant will starve.
When to Apply High Nitrogen Fertilizers
While proper soil nutrition is important in all stages of growth, applying a high nitrogen fertilizer shouldn’t be done too early in the season.
A natural waste product of soil organisms is ammonia. Ammonia is a valuable compound made up of nitrogen and hydrogen. It sticks to the roots of the plants and dissolves in water to deliver a high concentration of nitrogen into those roots. It can be used up fairly quickly. However, if there is too much of it to be completely dissolved in water, the excess ammonia can “burn” the roots and kill the plant. Young plants in early growing stages are particularly at risk for this. This is why applying too much too early isn’t recommended.
Most plants need the most nitrogen during the early reproductive stages when the plant is growing quickly. This is the point in the season where application of nitrogen rich fertilizers is highly recommended.
Different Applications Have Different Benefits
Liquid
Applying the high nitrogen fertilizer in liquid form allows it to be absorbed more efficiently. By being absorbed into the soil, the microorganisms and roots can use it right away. Liquid fertilizers that are high in nitrogen are perfect for applying during those rapid growth portions of the plant’s development.
Dry
Dry or pelleted fertilizers are generally good for a slower release of nutrients. The pellet has to break down or be consumed by the microorganisms. In this way, you can control how much your plants get and are at less of a risk of burning your roots with too much ammonia.
The disadvantage of dry fertilizers that are high in nitrogen is that they may sit on the surface level, which increases the risk for the volatile compounds to be evaporated into the air. The University of Nebraska - Lincoln recommends irrigation at the same time as application to prevent some of this loss.
Nitrogen in Organic Fertilizers
The same process of nitrogen uptake happens when using organic or synthetic fertilizers. Organic fertilizers, especially dry pelleted organic fertilizers, help with a controlled release of nitrogen since they aren’t in a pure chemical form.
When made from organic materials, the microorganisms need to consume those materials in order to extract the nutrients that they, and the plants, love.
Once again, these controlled releases usually mean that the roots have less of a risk of being burned by ammonia. These controlled release fertilizers also mean that plants have plenty of nitrogen when their need for it is greatest, but also get a small amount during those stages of growth when only a little is needed.
Let’s Get Growing!
From grass to soybeans to hay, everything that grows needs nitrogen. Some things need more than others, and they may need it at different points in the growing season.
Soil tests are the best way to determine the nutritional needs at any given time so everything you grow gets just the right amount to grow quickly and thrive.
Nature Safe Fertilizers creates all types of high nitrogen products best used for commercial agriculture, golf courses, and lawns. Once you know the needs of your plants, give us a shout to confirm which product is the right one for you. Together we can make good growing better.Call us at 800-743-7413.
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