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Is it possible, how and when to fertilize indoor flowers with saltpeter
How to fertilize plants with nitrate is a popular question among gardeners. But what should lovers of home flowers do?
Indoor plants need tremendous support, because they have nowhere to take those trace elements that are available for crops in fields and gardens. The only way to help a potted plant is to provide it with the optimal amount of light, moisture and mineral fertilizers.
Can I fertilize with nitrate?
Under the name “saltpeter” there are 4 types of nitrogen substances. Among them there are trace elements useful for plants, as well as food substances, ingredients for exploding, which are used by pyrotechnics.
Features of nitrogen fertilizers:
- They have a positive effect on the growth of the stem part of crops, but inhibit flowering and fruit formation.
- Nitrogen fertilizers dry the soil, so the flowers need additional watering during the period of such feeding.
- Saltpeter oxidizes the soil, so it is better to study the composition of the soil in advance.
How to fertilize indoor plants with nitrate?
And don’t forget about security measures. Nitrogen fertilizers cannot be combined with straw, peat, dry leaves, otherwise the plant cannot avoid burns. Also, when watering with these microelements or laying out dry granules, fertilize the soil with care. They must not fall on the stem or leaves.
During the period of transplanting or planting plants, in the spring, when their ground part grows and needs nitrogen, they are fertilized with saltpeter. It is important that garden crops, like cucumbers, carrots, pumpkin, accumulate trace elements in fruits, and nitrates are toxic.
In the case of planting seedlings or seeds, such soil is fertilized once. If it has been treated with nitrate for a year, it is better to refuse the next stage of adding nitrates.
Can indoor flowers be fertilized with saltpeter?
Not every flower needs nitrogen fertilizers, some may not be suitable. It is better to find out the features of a home plant in advance, read about it on the Internet in specialized forums.
Features of feeding indoor flowers:
- Dilute 1-2 tablespoons of saltpeter per 10 liters of water, pour under the stem. If the fertilizer is dry, take 15 granules per liter.
- Sometimes you need to use several substances, then they buy ready-made combined fertilizers.
- Some breeders advise using wood ash instead of nitrate, per 1 sq. m use up to 0,5 kg.
When purchasing cherished micro- or macroelements for indoor flowers, they remember about safety. Saltpeter is highly flammable, quickly absorbs moisture and becomes unusable.
It is also better to keep it out of the reach of children. Only using it, taking into account the seasonal development of plants and their individual tolerance, it is easy to achieve a good result – strong green shoots and large bright leaves.