Features of the use of urea for different types of fertilizers and different plants

The chemical compound urea (urea) was first obtained in 1773 by the French chemist I.M. Ruel, who isolated it from a human waste product - urine (hence the name). In 1818, an unknown substance was identified by W. Prout as the first organic compound synthesized from inorganics, and this moment is considered fundamental in the history of the new science of organic chemistry. The range of uses of urea is very wide: it is used in the oil and medical industries, in construction, and added to baked goods and chewing gum (food additive E927b). However, first of all, urea is an effective nitrogen fertilizer, indispensable for growing vegetable and fruit crops.

Description and properties of the drug

Urea fertilizer is a scattering of white or yellowish granules that quickly dissolve in water without leaving sediment. Urea is used as a fertilizer at the stage of pre-sowing soil cultivation and for feeding cultivated plants during the active growing season. Under the influence of bacteria, urea releases ammonium carbonate, enriching the soil with nitrogen and thereby significantly increasing its fertility.

Note : 131 g of dry urea granules are placed in a standard faceted glass (200 ml), 13-15 g in a matchbox, 10 g in a tablespoon, 5 g in a teaspoon.

To prepare the nutrient solution, use only warm water , since during the endothermic reaction, urea lowers the temperature of the liquid by several degrees.

General information

Urea (carbamide) is a fertilizer that consists of 46% nitrogen. Externally, they are rounded small granules. Their color can be white or transparent. Urea is highly soluble in water. Therefore, urea is used in dry and soluble form.

The purpose of using this fertilizer is to enrich plants and soil with nitrogen. The amount of nitrogen affects the quality of crop growth and takes part in the formation of chlorophyll.

Effect of low nitrogen on plants:

1. Reduced plant growth and productivity.
2. The shoots are weakened and thin, and the flower buds are underdeveloped.
3. Turgor without a pronounced color, faded.
4. The leaves fall quickly and prematurely.

Effect of high nitrogen content on plants:

1. Low germination of plants.
2. Rapid growth of green mass in adult plants.
3. Unnatural green color and large leaf size.
4. Fruiting later.

Indications for use

Root and foliar feeding of seedlings with urea is carried out to obtain an early harvest or when there is a lack of nitrogen. Signs of nitrogen starvation are weak growth of vegetative mass, shredding of leaf blades, yellowing and falling of the lower leaves. It is allowed to feed fruit and berry trees and shrubs, vegetables and ornamental crops with urea. Seedlings of tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, beets, cabbage, strawberries, annual and perennial flowers respond very gratefully to the application of fertilizer.

Instructions on how to dilute urea for irrigation

The popularity of urea among summer residents is explained not only by the effectiveness and availability of this fertilizer, but also by the ease of its use. Urea dissolves well in water, and there is no need to heat it or add any components.

Compliance with proportions is an important condition. The expression that “you can’t spoil porridge with butter” does not fit here at all. Therefore, when preparing liquid fertilizer based on water and granules, precision must be observed: take 50 grams of fertilizer per bucket of water.

Application rates are also observed, which for root feeding amount to 25-30 ml per adult plant. It is better to fertilize not at the root, but by pouring the solution into specially prepared grooves around the plant.

The proportion of the composition for feeding leaves will be the same, but the norm per plant needs to be reduced - no more than 10-15 ml.

How to use urea

It has already been said above that with any feeding, dosages must be observed. It is also necessary to take into account the final effect of the fertilizer, in our case it is the stimulation of the development of vegetative mass. Therefore, it is necessary to apply exactly on time, observing the amount of fertilizer and not exceeding the recommended norms.

ON A NOTE! Improper application of urea (for example, at the stage of plant bud formation) can lead to a decrease in crop yield.

Dosage when using

Urea is convenient because it can be used on a wide variety of crops:

• vegetable;
• fruit and berry;
• decorative.

The application rate of dry granules is from 50 to 100 grams per 10 square meters of plot area. It is advisable to apply the granules into moist soil and be sure to embed them to a depth of at least 10 cm. After applying and embedding the fertilizers, the beds can be watered.

The dosage for applying a solution containing urea is up to 200 grams per 10 m2 (for all types of crops). If you intend to spray, then take into account that for fruit trees and shrubs the composition of the solution will be different (more saturated) than for vegetables:

• per bucket of water - 50 grams of urea (for vegetables);
• 100 grams of urea per bucket of water (for trees and shrubs).

You can apply urea when planting plants (in holes), while the fertilizer is first thoroughly mixed with the soil, buried, and only then the plant is planted. This avoids direct contact of the substance with the root system of the seedlings and eliminates possible burns. The norm is approximately 4-5 grams of urea granules per well.

For root feeding of plants, use a solution of 30 grams per bucket of water. Up to 1 liter of the composition is added to each adult plant.

Application into the soil

When digging the site, dry urea granules are embedded in the soil to a depth of 6-9 cm in early spring at the rate of 130-200 g per m² for nightshades, garlic, strawberries, ornamental plants, fruit trees and shrubs. The nitrogen requirement of cucumbers and peas is much lower - 5-8 g of urea are added to them for the same unit of area. In dry weather, the area must be watered after treatment, since urea “works” only in moist soil.

It is pointless to add urea before winter : soil microorganisms immediately begin processing the fertilizer, as a result of which part of the released nitrogen is washed away by autumn rains and spring meltwater, and the rest goes into the deep layers of the soil.

also take into account the quality of the soil on the site : in sandstones, nutrients do not stay for a long time, that is, in order to maintain the fertility of the upper soil layer, fertilizer should be applied several times a season in small portions. In dense clay soils, the required amount of urea is added at a time.

Advantages and disadvantages of using urea

Fertilizing with urea is as effective as using saltpeter and other fertilizers containing nitrogen. It can be used for all vegetable and garden crops, for soil preparation and for seasonal applications.

Due to the high nitrogen content of urea, you will need 3 times less than nitrate, so purchasing it is economically profitable. Plants that cannot tolerate chlorine will not suffer from the use of urea; it does not contain this element. It lingers in the ground for a long time, so it is recommended to use it on sand and sandy loam, from which other mixtures are quickly washed out.

The disadvantages of urea as a fertilizer are that when applied to the soil it does not act immediately, therefore it is not suitable for emergency fertilizing, it acidifies the soil, and if the concentration in the soil is too high, it inhibits seed germination.

Feeding tomatoes

When growing tomato seedlings, urea is added in several stages:

Dry urea granules are added to the soil when sowing seeds . Consumption – 25 g/m². In this case, the seeds should under no circumstances come into contact with the fertilizer, so the granules are first embedded in the soil, watered abundantly with warm water, and only after 10-12 hours do they begin sowing.

The second feeding of tomato seedlings is carried out 7-10 days after planting the seedlings in a garden bed or in a greenhouse . A 5% urea solution is poured strictly at the root, using 1 liter of liquid for each plant. Immediately after transplantation, seedlings cannot be fertilized, otherwise they will begin to gain green mass before their root system gets stronger.

The third feeding is carried out 15-20 days after the second . The concentration and flow rate of the solution remain the same.

The fourth feeding is prescribed if the ovaries fall off or do not form at all . In this case, several crystals of potassium permanganate are added to the urea solution.

To speed up the formation and ripening of fruits , seedlings of tomatoes, peppers and eggplants are alternately sprayed with solutions of urea, potassium monophosphate and potassium nitrate. Feeding on leaves is carried out at intervals of 7-10 days. 3 weeks after planting the seedlings in open or closed ground, the bushes are watered with a urea solution at the root (10 g of fertilizer per 10 liters of water). It is useful to feed seedlings of cucumbers, beets, and cabbage planted in the garden bed with a solution of the same concentration after a week or a week and a half.

Urea for seedlings

Fertilizing is most often applied under the roots. However, some use prepared solutions to spray weakened foliage. In dissolved form, it does not harm deciduous plates. Standard dosage is 15-20 g. on a bucket of water. For the rest, other “prices” apply (per 10 liters):

1. For herbaceous crops, a less concentrated suspension of up to 10 g is prepared.
2. Trees need richer compounds. For large-fruited varieties that are more than 4-5 years old, take a proportion of 200 g, and for small-fruited varieties - 120 g.
3. For bushes such as strawberries, raspberries, and also for strawberries, you will need to prepare 50 grams. Spray the plants at the end of summer. Some agronomists carry out the procedure during the ovary period.

Urea perfectly fights scab, rust and spotting. Thus, urea is used for seedlings both as a fungicide and as a nitrogen-containing fertilizer. The chemical reduces the possibility of pathogens multiplying.

Before use, it is important to make sure that the crop lacks nitrogen and not iron. This is evidenced by weak growth, thin stems and yellow leaves. The kidneys develop sparingly and also slowly.

Among other things, if you add it in early spring, the powerful components will delay flowering for one and a half weeks, which is important in unstable climates. Before treating the bed with a nutrient solution, you should thoroughly water the area. It is better to dilute the mineral in warm water.

Hidden flaws

In case of overdose, seed germination drops significantly. It is worth remembering that the lethal dose is 300 g/10 l. Mix snow-white granules with phosphorus complexes only in dry form. Store the material in proper conditions. Due to high humidity, it turns into clumps. Regular use of mineral fertilizer acidifies the soil. The problem is solved by adding limestone (800 grams of chalk per 1 kg of fertilizer).

Urea is successfully used in the cultivation of all vegetable crops, fruit and berry bushes and fruit trees. Urea is especially useful for seedlings.

Feeding cucumbers

Nitrogen is vital for cucumbers. Treatment of cucumber seedlings with urea nourishes the seedlings, increases their cold resistance and delays flowering until the onset of warm weather:

When sowing, the soil is spilled with a fertilizer solution (4 g/l).

A week and a half after planting, the seedlings are watered with a urea solution (30 g/m²).

Before flowering, magnesium is added to the concentrated fertilizer solution (80 g/10 l) (according to the instructions).

For spraying, dissolve 50 g of urea in 10 liters of water. This fertilizer is enough for 20 m² of planting.

During the season, cucumbers are fed with urea 3-4 times.

Foliar feeding

To avoid burns, spraying plants with a urea solution is carried out in the morning or evening, as well as in cloudy weather.

For foliar feeding of vegetable seedlings, 8-14 fertilizer granules are dissolved in 10 liters of water; to treat strawberry seedlings, take 10 g of urea per 2 liters of water. If for some reason nitrogen fertilizers were not applied to the soil, the solution can be made more concentrated - approximately 100 g/10 l. If it rains after foliar feeding of plants planted in open ground, you will have to spray again.

Is it necessary to apply when planting trees, shrubs, and vegetables?

Urea is used as a fertilizer for vegetables, various shrubs and fruit trees; a different dosage is applied for each crop:

• when planting potatoes, tomatoes, beets and other similar crops, add about 10-20 grams of the substance per square meter;
• for legumes or cucumbers, use 5 to 10 grams of fertilizer per square meter;
• To get a good harvest of eggplants and zucchini, apply urea twice. Fertilizer is applied the first time when planting the crop, and the second time occurs at the beginning of the formation of ovaries. On average, 10 grams of the substance are used for every square meter of land;
• In order for trees or shrubs to produce a good harvest of berries or fruits, it is recommended to use urea. Each fruit and berry crop has its own dosage. To feed cherries and plums, dilute 120 grams of urea in 20 liters of water. To fertilize apple trees, dilute 200 grams of the substance in 10 liters of water. The diluted fertilizer is applied to the grooves that are made around the trunk along the perimeter of the crown;
• Gooseberry or currant bushes are fed while the buds are not yet swollen; urea is diluted in the amount of 10-20 grams per 10 liters of water.

Possible mistakes

Working with urea does not require special skills, but mistakes are still possible. To avoid common mistakes, take note of a few tips:

• Do not exceed the recommended dosage. In response to an excess of nitrogen, seedlings readily form a lush green mass, but at the same time they bloom weakly and subsequently bear scanty fruit.
• To feed young plants, use a liquid urea solution: a stronger one for watering, a less concentrated one for spraying on the leaves.
• Applying urea over melted snow (a very popular technique among beginners) is ineffective, since most of the substances beneficial to plants will be washed away by melt water.
• Urea acidifies the soil, so 2 weeks before or 2 weeks before nitrogen fertilizing, the soil on the site is filled with chalk (0.4 kg for every 0.5 kg of urea). Keep in mind that mixing urea with lime, dolomite flour and simple superphosphate is unacceptable.

Based on the above facts, we can conclude: urea is an effective universal fertilizer, the use of which, subject to certain rules, will help you grow strong seedlings and achieve consistently high yields.

Date: 05/06/2019.

What mistakes should be avoided when working with urea?

Tomato bushes grown using the substance in question look attractive, but lush shoots and rich green color of the leaves do not guarantee a high yield. For abundant fruiting, you need to avoid wrong actions. Possible miscalculations:

1. Exceeding the recommended dosage. Urea is an excellent fertilizer for tomatoes, but if you overfeed it during the fruiting period, it will significantly reduce the yield: the plant will gain excess green mass to the detriment of the fruits.
2. The soil where crops were grown using urea must be deacidified so that subsequently planted crops do not suffer from excessive acidity of the substrate.
3. You should not scatter fertilizer granules in the garden on unmelted snow: the nutrients will drain and will not reach their destination.
4. When root feeding, a stronger solution is used than for spraying, so you should not allow it to get on the leaves and stems (this can cause burns and the appearance of powdery mildew).
5. You cannot fertilize with urea on dry soil - the plantings are pre-watered.
6. Greenhouses must be well ventilated, otherwise the ammonia released will harm people.
7. Nitrogen fertilizers are used in the first stages of growth. As soon as tomatoes, peppers and other garden crops begin to bloom, they switch to adding mineral compounds with a predominance of phosphorus and potassium. The exception is situations when flowers and ovaries fall off due to lack of nitrogen.
8. If the granules are not buried in the soil after application, the urea, turning into ammonium carbonate, will evaporate without reaching the roots.
9. It is necessary to monitor the appearance of plants. If they look satisfactory, then only mandatory fertilizing with nitrogen is carried out (2-3 times per season).