Useful properties for tomatoes
Feeding tomatoes with calcium nitrate allows you to satisfy the crop's need for nitrogen and calcium. If other fertilizers can serve as a source of nitrates, which are responsible for the formation of vegetative organs and the growth of green mass, then the situation with Ca is different.
Almost all fertilizers, except calcium nitrate, contain the element in a form that is difficult for plants to reach. When applied in the fall, it begins to “work” only in the spring, and the peak of absorption occurs in the 2-3rd season.
But tomatoes without Ca will develop poorly, develop blossom end rot, will not be able to grow roots, absorb other nutrients, or absorb water, and if there is a critical shortage of the element, they will die. If the necessary fertilizers were not applied in one of the previous seasons, calcium nitrate for tomatoes will be a salvation. A drug:
- In the vegetative phase, it allows tomatoes to simultaneously grow green mass and root system.
- After the ovaries appear, it satisfies the need for nitrogen. Due to the low content of the element (13-15%), when used correctly, it does not lead to fattening.
- Strengthens the root and allows it to develop normally.
- Calcium increases the resistance of tomatoes to negative factors: temperature changes, waterlogging, drought.
- It prevents the crop from contracting blossom end rot, and if a problem appears, it quickly eliminates it.
- The use of calcium nitrate increases the sugar content, improves the taste, increases the yield and shelf life of tomatoes.
- Deoxidizes the soil a little.
Effect of the substance on plants
Calcium nitrate is a unique fertilizer because it contains calcium in a water-soluble form. It allows the second fat mineral – nitrogen – to be easily and quickly absorbed. It is this combination of calcium and nitrogen that allows tomatoes to grow lush and healthy.
It is worth noting that nitrogen is responsible for the growth and development of plants, but calcium itself plays an equally important role in the process of plant vegetation. With its help, roots absorb nutrients and moisture from the soil. In the absence of calcium, tomato roots simply cease to perform their function and rot. In the process of reducing the concentration of calcium in the soil, the transport of substances from the root to the leaves is disrupted, as a result of which one can observe the withering of old and drying out of young leaves. With a lack of calcium, dry edges and brown spots appear on tomato leaf blades.
A sufficient amount of calcium nitrate in the soil has a number of positive effects:
- accelerates seed germination;
- makes plants more resistant to diseases and pests;
- gives tomatoes resistance to low temperatures;
- improves the taste of vegetables and increases yield.
Thus, it is possible to restore the lack of calcium in the soil and activate the growth of tomatoes, making the harvest tasty and plentiful with the help of calcium nitrate.
Advantages and disadvantages of fertilizing
The main advantage of calcium nitrate is that there is no alternative to it among ready-made fertilizers. Ca can be made readily available using vinegar or other methods, but this requires additional labor and time.
Advantages of feeding:
- contains little nitrogen, which makes it possible to use it at all stages of development;
- easily dissolves in water;
- suitable for foliar feeding, fertilizing tomatoes in the soil;
- alkalizes acidic soils;
- eliminates or softens the effects of toxic elements;
- when spraying on a leaf it works very quickly;
- You can fertilize tomatoes in beds and greenhouses.
Flaws:
- high hygroscopicity - the packaging cannot be left open even for a short time;
- You can apply the drug only during the growing season; if you fertilize the area in the fall, you will have to repeat the treatment in the spring;
- potassium, phosphorus and sulfur must be given to tomatoes separately - they block each other’s action;
- if there is an imbalance of Ca and K, the first element is not absorbed;
- if the dosage is exceeded, the fruits will accumulate nitrates, and the bushes will begin to fatten.
All the disadvantages of calcium nitrate are associated with its improper use. If you follow the instructions and agricultural practices of the crop, problems should not arise.
Recommendations for use
Calcium nitrate for tomatoes will only provide benefits if no mistakes are made when applying fertilizer. The instructions cannot contain all the recommendations. Tips on how to use the drug correctly will be useful even to experienced gardeners:
- Calcium nitrate is highly hygroscopic. It is recommended to use the package with crystals immediately. For small areas it is better to choose a granular form.
- On alkaline soils, calcium preparations should be used carefully.
- To prevent nitrates from accumulating, the norm specified in the instructions cannot be exceeded.
- An overdose can cause fattening of tomatoes.
- The drug is used in spring or summer. It is useless to apply it in the fall - the nitrogen is washed out.
- As a fire prevention measure, spraying is carried out on the leaf.
- At the beginning of the growing season, nitrogen in Ca(NO3)2 may not be enough for tomatoes. The crop needs to be additionally fed with other fertilizers containing saltpeter.
- It is recommended to use the drug dissolved in water.
- Potassium blocks the effect of calcium fertilizers. For normal digestibility, the Ca:K ratio must be 0.7:1.
In order not to spray plants repeatedly, it is recommended to use tank mixtures, for which different preparations are combined in one container. But they may turn out to be incompatible.
Fertilizers that can be used simultaneously with calcium nitrate:
- ammonium nitrate;
- magnesium nitrate;
- All fertilizers are in chelated form.
Do not mix Ca(NO3)2 with the following drugs:
- sulfates, not only with fertilizers, but also with copper or iron sulfate;
- any fertilizers containing phosphorus and potassium.
But if tomatoes need sulfur in microscopic doses, the last two elements are vital for the culture. They are applied 1-3 days after each potassium-nitrogen fertilizing. First, the bush will receive the nutrients necessary for growing roots and green mass, then - elements that transfer plastic substances from leaves to fruits.
Safety precautions when working with the product
Calcium nitrate is not a toxic drug. It is absolutely safe for human health and life. The fertilizer does not cause allergic reactions. According to the classification, it belongs to group 4 of low-hazardous substances.
When working with calcium nitrate, it is recommended to use generally accepted safety precautions . In this case, rubber gloves will be quite sufficient to protect the skin. Although touching the granules of the drug with bare hands will not cause any particular harm. But it’s better to be on the safe side and use gloves when handling the granules.
Calcium nitrate should be stored in sealed packaging away from flammable materials, alkaline agents, and heating systems.
How to use calcium nitrate for tomatoes
For different manufacturers, the doses of nitrate and potassium fertilizers in the preparation may differ. When preparing a solution, you should always read the instructions and pay attention to the percentage composition of the active ingredients.
For seedlings
Before picking, tomato seedlings planted in prepared soil are not fed. But if the gardener made the substrate himself and could not formulate it correctly, for example, it turned out to be too acidic or poor, he will have to fertilize. It is recommended to dilute the saltpeter with water 2 times more than recommended in the instructions, and treat the seedlings with a spray bottle.
In other cases, tomato seedlings are sprayed in the phase of 2-3 true leaves every 10 days. Treated seedlings simultaneously receive saltpeter and calcium fertilizer, and grow roots and vegetative mass well. After 1-3 days, spray with potassium monophosphate. If the room is cold, the drug is replaced with Pekacid. It has a similar composition, but works even at low temperatures.
Calcium nitrate should always be used in conjunction with monopotassium phosphate or Pekacid to prevent nutrient imbalance. If the tomatoes have stretched out or become fatty, calcium nitrate is excluded. If necessary, Ca is given in the form of a vinegar extract.
The substrate can be watered with the preparation only in case of souring. Or if it was prepared on the basis of sod-podzolic soil without alkalization.
For mature plants
According to gardeners, tomatoes will be sweeter, tastier, ripen faster and are stored better, and the yield increases by 10-15% when the bushes are sprayed with calcium nitrate once every 2 weeks. When using fertilizer, you need to remember to treat it after 1-3 days with potassium and phosphorus, as well as the Ca:K ratio.
Foliar feeding can be given to tomatoes every 14 days in the absence of fattening, observing the dosage. The fertilizer applied to the leaf is immediately absorbed and quickly removed.
A drug applied under the root will not work as an “ambulance”. It is absorbed within 5-7 days, its effect is prolonged, and nitrates are eliminated longer. Tomatoes are watered:
- before fruit coloring begins;
- when the apples have formed - with normal development of the bush, or if signs of nitrogen starvation appear.
Calcium nitrate after transplanting tomatoes into the ground is given with the second and subsequent fertilizing:
- Water the garden bed the day before.
- Dilute 20 g of the drug in 10 liters of water.
- Apply 1 liter of solution under each bush.
- Fed tomatoes are watered with 2 liters of clean water on top for better absorption.
- After a few days, the tomatoes are given potassium and phosphorus in an easily accessible form.
Paired fertilizing - calcium and phosphorus-potassium fertilizers should be applied equally. You cannot water with one preparation and spray with another.
How to feed tomatoes with calcium nitrate for better fruiting is described in the video below.
Prevention and treatment of blossom end rot
Tomato blossom end rot is caused by a lack of calcium supplements, or an imbalance of nutrients. Ca(NO3)2 can be used for treatment only if the bushes are not fattening.
Fertilizer is given at the root, as with conventional fertilizing, for long-term action. At the same time, spraying is carried out to provide first aid to the tomatoes.
Read how to use a remedy for the “top” of tomatoes here.
Why use calcium nitrate fertilizer?
Plants extract nutrients from the soil, but when that soil lacks certain nutrients, the plants become deficient. These deficiencies can have very negative consequences for cucumbers.
Feeding cucumbers with saltpeter acts as a remedy for deficiency and disease. Here are some of its most common uses:
How to replace calcium nitrate for tomatoes
The drug consists of two components – easily digestible nitrogen and calcium. Ammonium nitrate can replace the first element. Calcium, readily available for tomatoes, is obtained as follows:
- A tablespoon of dolomite flour or chalk is carefully poured into 0.5 liters of vinegar.
- When the foaming reaction is completed, the substances will turn into calcium acetate. It is added to 10-12 liters of water and used for watering or spraying.
Calcium nitrate is an easily digestible fertilizer for tomatoes and other crops, supplying plants with vital elements. It must be used correctly, supplemented with potassium-phosphorus fertilizers, and not used on fattening tomatoes. Then the bushes will become strong, and the fruits will be sweet, and will not suffer from blossom end rot.
Causes of blossom end rot
Rotting of tomatoes occurs due to calcium deficiency. This microelement is necessary for plants to participate in the formation of cell elements: membranes, walls. A lack of calcium leads to softening of the fruit and the appearance of signs of rotting (brown spot on the top). The rot spreads inward, and the spot on the peel dries out and forms a depression. Typically, blossom end rot occurs during sharp fluctuations in air temperature and humidity.
Greenhouse and ground plants can be affected by the disease. The main reasons for the appearance of rot are:
- sudden changes in weather: heat / cold, drought / rain;
- soil acidification and calcium deficiency;
- moisture deficiency in hot weather;
- excess nitrogen.
