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Experienced gardeners, growing tomatoes on their plots, get a rich harvest. They understand all the intricacies of plant care. But beginners have a lot of problems associated with proper watering, creating optimal conditions for planting. Novice gardeners are no less concerned about what fertilizers, at what time they can be used.
For full growth and fruiting, tomatoes require different top dressings containing a certain set of trace elements. At each stage of cultivation, the need for plants is different. Today we’ll talk about why it is necessary to fertilize tomatoes with urea, about how to properly breed and apply this fertilizer. Who doesn’t want to see such a crop of tomatoes, as in the photo, in their garden!
What trace elements do tomatoes need
Most of all, tomatoes need phosphorus, potassium and nitrogen.
Each of them does its own “work”:
- phosphorus is responsible for the resistance of plants to adverse conditions, strengthens the immunity of tomatoes;
- potassium is necessary for the plant, especially during the fruiting period, its presence improves the taste of fruits, reduces decay;
- the presence of nitrogen in the right amount contributes to the growth and development of plants, is responsible for productivity.
The lack of one or another mineral can be recognized by the appearance of plants. For example, a lack of nitrogen leads to yellowing and falling of the lower leaves.
There are several options for nitrogen-containing fertilizers, the percentage of nitrogen in them is different:
- in sodium or calcium nitrate about 17,5%;
- in ammonium, ammonia supplements, approximately 21%;
- in urea and ammonium nitrate not less than 46%.
What is urea
Fertilizing tomatoes with fertilizers is a completely natural procedure. Plants need to be fertilized at all stages, starting with seeds, ending with care in the ground. Urea as a fertilizer, nourishes the tomatoes with nitrogen. This top dressing has another name – urea. Release form – white granules. Soil bacteria process nitrogen, turning it into ammonium carbonate, which partially evaporates. Before starting work, the soil must be moistened.
Advantages
- The granules are completely soluble in water.
- The soil and fruits do not accumulate nitrates if the fertilizer is applied in accordance with the recommendations.
Disadvantages
- During the preparation of the solution, due to the endothermic reaction, the temperature of the working solution decreases. Therefore, warm water must be used. Otherwise, the cold solution can cause stress for the tomatoes.
- In the case when the plant is in great need of nitrogen, you have to add more granules. To neutralize the possibility of burns, sodium sulfate must be added.
The role of urea in the development of tomatoes
Any fertilizer, including urea, is involved in the growing season of tomatoes, strengthens the immune system, due to which the plants become strong and hardy. This fertilizer is especially important at the seedling stage, when the plants need to grow green mass and a good root system.
With a lack of nitrogen, plants slow down growth, their leaves may become deformed, yellowing and premature leaf fall are observed. And this negatively affects the formation of ovaries, fruits. Tomatoes are fed with carbamide at the seedling stage, but fertilizer must be used carefully: it is better to underfeed than to overfeed the plants.
Rules of breeding
We have already talked about the role of urea for feeding tomatoes. It remains to figure out how to properly breed it in order to achieve a positive effect of nitrogen on the development of plantings.
To dilute urea, you must first carefully study the recommendations.
Sometimes it can be difficult to determine the amount of fertilizer if you do not have a measuring spoon. We offer you a table that will help you accurately measure the most common fertilizers.
According to the recommendations for one square, 25 grams of granulated urea is enough for each square of landings. They are bred in a 10-liter bucket. This solution is enough for 10 tomatoes. Watered under the root.
Application
Since urea is a chemical, you need to know the rules for working with it:
Fertilization Rules
- Bred strictly according to the instructions.
- Watering is carried out in the evening.
- See how the plants have changed.
Root feeding
According to the rules, urea can be used no more than five times for root dressing, if the soils on the site are poor.
The first time when growing seedlings. 1 gram of fertilizer is added to the planting boxes, then the seeds are sown. Such top dressing accelerates the germination and growth of tomatoes at the initial stage.
The second feeding is carried out when planting tomatoes in a permanent place. Since urea is a fertilizer that oxidizes the soil, superphosphate, bird droppings, and wood ash are added as a neutralizer. Such top dressing should be done a week after planting seedlings.
The third time urea, as a fertilizer for a tomato, is used after another 3 weeks. This cannot be done before, otherwise the introduction of nitrogen will lead to a rapid growth of greenery. It is best to prepare a complex top dressing: 10 grams of urea is added to the mullein solution. You need to water after sunset, so as not to accidentally burn the leaves.
The fourth feeding of tomatoes with urea should be carried out only when the inflorescences are not tied, fall off. It would be ideal to dilute carbamide with micronutrient fertilizers for tomatoes.
The last time the plants are watered under the root, when the ripening of tomatoes begins. In 10 liters of water, you need to dilute 2 or 3 grams of urea, potassium magnesia, potassium sulfate. After watering, the soil is sprinkled with wood ash.
Foliar top dressing
Urea or carbamide is a nitrogen-containing fertilizer. Its use in growing tomatoes at different stages of plant development is really effective. Although caution should not be forgotten. Even a weak solution, falling on young leaves, can lead to a burn.
Urea can not only be poured under the root, but also foliar top dressing. As you know, trace elements are absorbed faster through the leaves.
Add one large spoonful of fertilizer to a 10-liter bucket of water.
Spraying tomatoes with urea has a good effect on the appearance of plants. They are getting greener and lusher. But one should not be zealous with urea at the fruiting stage, since at this time plants need not nitrogen, but phosphorus.
The use of carbamide in the garden:
To summarize
As you can see, nitrogen is essential for tomatoes. With its deficiency, seedlings grow thin, strongly stretched. The leaves are pale, the lower ones may turn yellow ahead of time. Overfeeding with urea causes a rapid growth of green mass, and few ovaries are formed. Both deficiency and excess of nitrogen adversely affect the yield.
The conclusion suggests itself: you need to observe the development of tomatoes during the period of growing seedlings and after planting in the ground. If the plants develop normally, then only mandatory top dressing is carried out.