What Is Nitrogen Fertilizer

Nitrogen fertilizer refers to fertilizer whose main nutrient is the element nitrogen. Nitrogen is one of the three macronutrients that plants need in the largest amounts, and it is also an important component of proteins, chlorophyll and nucleic acids. When the supply of nitrogen fertilizer is sufficient, the plant's branches and leaves are lush and the leaf color is deep green; once it is lacking, plants tend to grow slowly, the leaves turn yellow, and their vigor is noticeably weakened.

Common nitrogen fertilizers can be divided by the form of nitrogen into ammonium nitrogen fertilizers, nitrate nitrogen fertilizers and amide nitrogen fertilizers. Ammonium nitrogen fertilizers such as ammonium bicarbonate and ammonium chloride take effect relatively quickly but are prone to volatilization losses; nitrate nitrogen fertilizers are highly mobile and absorbed quickly; amide nitrogen fertilizers, represented by urea, have a high nitrogen content and are very widely used in agricultural production. In addition, well-rotted human and livestock manure water, cake fertilizer water and other farmyard manures also contain a certain amount of nitrogen.

The main role of nitrogen fertilizer is to promote the growth of stems and leaves, so it is suitable for application during the seedling stage and the period of vigorous stem and leaf growth. When growing flowers at home, if the flowers show pale yellow leaves and weak growth, reasonably watering with a diluted nitrogen fertilizer solution can help the leaves regain their green color. But note that excessive nitrogen fertilizer should not be applied before flowering, otherwise it easily causes excessive vegetative growth of stems and leaves, consuming too many nutrients and resulting in fewer flowers or even no flowers at all.

When using nitrogen fertilizer, follow the principle of applying light fertilizer frequently, watering it on after dissolving in water or spraying it after dilution, to avoid burning the roots with too high a concentration. At the same time, nitrogen fertilizer should be used in combination with phosphorus fertilizer and potassium fertilizer; applying nitrogen alone cannot meet the needs of plants throughout their entire growth period. Watering appropriately after fertilizing helps the nutrients spread evenly and improves fertilizer efficiency.