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Ctpumpkin@optonline.net

The big oNe. The most required element by plants & yet the one most feared & perhaps least understood by growers. Nitrogen lush plants abort fruit & attract more insects & disease & are more prone to water stress. Yet Nitrogen deficient plants don't grow, take longer to recover from stress & absolutely NEVER take home ribbons.

We jack the soil organic matter to unnaturally high levels. Hence we usually agree that we can well afford to APPLY less Nitrogen (with respect to Ca, P & K) but are we really applying less?

How do you know? Ha! We often don't. Even some of the most tenured Heavy Hitters don't keep tack of every single input. Then we sit around scratching when the vine tip or (worse) best growing fruit literally explodes. I know because I'm just as guilty.

Most manures = 1-2% N
Dried Blood = 12-14% N
Cottonseed Meal + 7% N
Chelated Calcium = 4-10% N
Neptune's Fish Emulsion = 2% N
Dried Fish = 4-12% N
Most chelated Iron = 8-12% N
Even Molasses contains about .5% Nitrogen

Do we see a tend developing here? Virtually every supplemental "something spray" that we use contains at least some Nitrogen. WHY? Because most of these items would illicit no plant response at all & we wouldn't be using them if they didn't. Even the items that don't contain N naturally get some added before packaging so that the end users realize a plant benefit from it.

If we fork over the moolla-schmoola & took the time to apply something & never saw a positive response would we do it again? Not a chance. We're on top of the food chain for a reason folks.

continued

6/27/2006 10:02:02 AM

Ctpumpkin@optonline.net

The reason for this rant is to try to get folks keeping accurate seasonal records of ALL applied Nitrogen inputs. "A few handfuls of Urea in April" or "gobs of dried blood" doesn't tell us much about the seasonal application rate. Especially considering how frequently some grower make foliar feedings.

One gallon of Neptune's Fish/Seaweed weighs about 10.8 lbs (my best guess) & at 2% Nitrogen contains .22 lbs N. Applying it at the labeled rate of 1 ounce per gallon a couple times a week doesn't seem like much. But added to other inputs, these all add up to fairly big numbers by season's end.....AND THEY SHOULD!

That's why we use them.

But let's keep an excel spreadsheet or even a simple clipboard on the garden shed for accurate record keeping. The Agro-K program is successful because it has STRUCTURE. All good programs are successful if they are STRUCTURED.

Let's make sure we all have a plan to work then work the plan. Then keep accurate records of the plan so that we can gauge the performance (or lack thereof).

Grow well!

6/27/2006 10:02:09 AM

President - GPC

Thanks Tremor you make good sense as always. Since my plants got zapped I have reduced back down the Agro-K program but did hit them with fish last nite and plan on continuing doing what I was doing....except for the hail part. Havent seen a white fly either

6/27/2006 3:55:52 PM

Phoenix, AZ

You are right about N being a concern of mine. I don't generally add it because if being scared of it. My plant for sure suffered because of it by being smaller than normal.

Next year have a better strategy in mind and will probably come up with better results. N is part of that strategy.

6/29/2006 3:20:50 AM

Ctpumpkin@optonline.net

Let's not be afraid of Nitrogen. We just need to respect & understand it.

Large bloated blue/green leaves are just as bad as the small yellowish ones (maybe worse depending on the time of year). The plants will show us when we pay attention. But tracking the numbers helps many of us *believe* what we're seeing.

Remember....Calculation granular is simple.

50 lbs of a 20-10-10
<50 lbs times 20% = 10 lbs of Nitrogen>

That's enough N for 10,000 sq ft on a low organic matter soil pre-plant. But an amended patch a half acre might need less than this to get things moving early.

Well liquid is the same thing.

5 gallons of a 12-8-8 solution first needs to be converted to WEIGHT
The solution probably weighs 10.8 lbs per gallon...so.....
5 gallons times 10.8 lbs = 54 lbs
<54 times 12% = 6.48 lbs/N>

What happens if we sprayed out a quart of 12-8-8 on 4 300 square foot plants over 1 month?

6.48 lbs/N divided by 20 quarts per case = .32 lbs/N per 1200 sq ft.

This is not much Nitrogen for a low organic matter soil & might result in slow growth & chlorotic leaves for *some growers*.

But it's a pretty agressive feeding schedule for an amended soil. Add to this a little fish, a little blood & some Calcium Nitrate & we might just find that we've crossed the line into the land of aborted females, exploding fruit & bloated leaves.

It's all about open eyes, moderation & keeping records so that we know when enough is enough.

6/29/2006 2:12:35 PM

Eastern Pennsylvania

There is little doubt that I over did it with Nitrogen. What are the chances that the 12" of rain I got in only a few days time helped to solve my problem?

6/30/2006 11:45:16 AM

Ctpumpkin@optonline.net

Now comes the question that is the reason for this thread.

How much did you apply?

6/30/2006 1:36:51 PM