A substance such as ammonia is used as a nitrogen fertilizer on private farms. This is an accessible, cheap and effective remedy. Let's consider the benefits of ordinary ammonia for the garden and how to use fertilizer for vegetable, berry and fruit crops when it cannot be used. What mistakes do gardeners make, storage rules and substitute drugs.
Ammonia - what is it?
Ammonia is a liquid that has a sharp, characteristic and persistent odor. The substance is a 10% solution of ammonia in water.
Alcohol, as a source of nitrogen, can be used for all garden crops and indoor flowers. Nitrogen from the fertilizer is absorbed quickly; plants at any stage of their development respond well to it. Ammonia can replace the usual nitrogen fertilizers - saltpeter, urea and others, when they are not available or are in small quantities.
In what cases is it used?
Ammonia can be used systematically as a nitrogen fertilizer, and can also be applied at any time as an emergency aid to plants if they need an immediate supply of nitrogen. The product can also protect plants from pests: aphids, flies, wireworms, midges.
How is fertilizer used?
Ammonia is an excellent fast-acting fertilizer for all garden crops. Let's look at how to fertilize vegetables, trees, shrubs, strawberries, onions and garlic with it.
For tomatoes
The solution is prepared from 1 tbsp. l. alcohol per 10 liters of water, this is the standard concentration. Bushes with ripening fruits are watered with liquid with a concentration of 3 tbsp. l. for 10 l. Plants are treated frequently - once a week, that is, with almost every watering.
For cucumbers
For this culture you need to dilute 2 tbsp. l. in 10 liters of water, fertilizing frequency – once a week and a half. If necessary, as well as on poor soils with insufficient nutrients, the dosage can be slightly increased (3 tbsp per 10 l). Do not exceed the dosage of 1 tsp. per 1 liter of water, with an overdose of nitrogen, cucumbers will begin to grow stems and leaves, but not fruits.
For cabbage
Nitrogen is extremely important for this plant; due to lack of nutrition, the heads of cabbage grow small and the leaves become pale. For 10 liters of water you need to take 3 tbsp. l. alcohol
In the 1st half of the season, you need to perform 2-3 feedings at intervals of a week. Usually this treatment is sufficient to eliminate nitrogen deficiency. Fertilize on soil previously watered with clean water. Carry out the treatment in dry weather in the morning or evening.
In addition to watering at the root, you can spray with a solution of 1 tsp. for 1 l. Foliar feeding eliminates nitrogen deficiency even faster, since the element goes directly to the cells.
In the garden
Any garden tree or shrub can be fed with ammonia. The dosage is the same as for vegetables. The solution can also be used to protect plants from insects. Ammonia acts as an insecticide against aphids, soil pests - mole crickets and wireworms.
How to prepare an insecticidal agent against aphids: dissolve 50 g of ammonia in 10 liters, add 100 g of laundry soap shavings, which is necessary for the solution to adhere to the surface of the leaves. Stir the liquid and spray the plants so that the solution completely wets the leaves on both sides.
For soil pests, an alcohol solution (3-4 tbsp per 10 l) must be applied when planting. They need to water the beds and repeat the treatment after 1-1.5 weeks. Pure alcohol helps against mole crickets and moles: you need to soak cotton wool in it and put it in the pests' tunnels. The smell will drive them away.
A solution of ammonia can also be used against the onion secretive proboscis. Dosage – 3-4 tbsp. l. for 10 liters of water. Water onions from spring until the 2nd half of summer every 1-1.5 weeks. For carrot and onion flies, use a solution of 1 tbsp. l.per bucket, water the beds once every 1.5-2 weeks.
If you make the solution concentrated, you can use it against ants. You should water anthills and paths along which insects move. Cabbage can be protected from whiteweed by watering the heads of cabbage with a solution of 100 ml per 10 liters.
For raspberries
Ammonia should be diluted in a concentration of 3 tbsp. l. per 10 liters and water the bushes at the beginning of spring, when the air temperature rises to 10 °C. This feeding is carried out before flowering. This is not only nutrition, but also treatment against wintering pests. Watering with ammonia will destroy most of the insects hiding in the soil.
For onions and garlic
Alcohol is beneficial for the growth and green color of these crops. If the feathers grow slowly and the tips turn yellow, then this is a sign of nitrogen deficiency. You need to water the beds with a solution of 1 tsp. for 1 liter of water. Repeat every week until growth returns to normal and the leaves turn green. When the heads are already forming, you should reduce the concentration and water the onions with liquid from 2 tbsp. l. for 10 l.
For strawberries
Plants are treated three times: in the spring - to prevent the appearance of pests and diseases in the beds and to feed the bushes. Dilute 40 ml per 10 liters, water at the root. The second treatment is done after flowering. This time the concentration is greater: 3 tbsp. l. for 10 l. The third time, fertilizing is done after harvesting the berries, to restore the plants. The dosage for the 3rd feeding is the same as for the 1st.
Security measures
Ammonia is dangerous because the caustic fumes can irritate the eyes and respiratory system. You need to work with it carefully, wear a respirator and goggles with side protection. Prepare the solution outdoors or in a ventilated area.Wear gloves on your hands, as ammonia can cause burns to the skin and mucous membranes. This substance should not be mixed with preparations containing chlorine.
When should you not use ammonia?
It is not recommended to fertilize plants when the fruits have already set and are forming. During this period, they need more potassium and phosphorus, so you need to apply fertilizers that contain these elements. Do not use on acidic soils - the fertilizer acidifies them even more.
Common mistakes
Trying to feed the plants for sure, gardeners may exceed the concentration, which is not allowed. A concentrated solution can burn both leaves and roots of plants. Another mistake is frequent use. The minimum break between treatments should be 1 week. If you water more often, you can overfeed the plants with nitrogen.
Ammonia quickly evaporates from the solution, so it must be used immediately after preparation. There is no point in feeding with liquid prepared several days in advance. Its effectiveness is significantly lost.
Storage periods and rules
Ammonia in bottles is stored for 2 years. The liquid should be kept in glass bottles with a tightly closed lid so that the composition does not evaporate. Storage conditions: dark, dry, well-ventilated area. The substance must not come into contact with pesticides, fertilizers, especially food and household products. They need to be folded separately. Do not use ammonia that has expired as a top dressing.
Analogs
You can replace ammonia with ammonia fertilizers: ammonium nitrate, ammonium sulfate and chloride, ammonium carbonate, ammonia water, liquid ammonia. You can also use nitrogen-phosphorus fertilizers: ammophos and diammophos. All fertilizers containing nitrogen in ammonia form are perfectly soluble in water, nitrogen is well absorbed by all groups of plants.
Ammonia, if available in sufficient quantity, can be used in the garden as a fertilizer and insecticide. It is dosed easily, the product consumption is small, and the substance is inexpensive. Ammonia contains nitrogen in the form of ammonia, therefore it is used as an ammonium fertilizer or its substitute. When used correctly, it can become an excellent nitrogen fertilizer that nourishes plants in the first half of their growing season. Its use is especially recommended on crops that are grown for their green mass, such as greens or cabbage.
