types of fertilizer is urea ok for a source of nitrogen
stu span SF bay area 9b
8 years ago
Featured Answer
Sort by:Oldest
Comments (16)
jasonindallas
8 years ago
PROthe_first_kms2
8 years agoRelated Discussions
Urea Nitrogen Al's 5-1-1?
Comments (5)Lol - you're gonna make me THINK! ;-) Urea is soluble in water, and MG fertilizers are a good choice for use on containerized plants, as long as the NPK formulation is appropriate. Dissolved in water, urea itself is neither acidic or basic, but it does produce an acid forming reaction as it is taken up by plants. I'll explain: There are three types of nitrogen used in water-soluble fertilizers: ammoniacal nitrogen (NH4-N), nitrate-nitrogen (NO3-N) and urea. Ammoniacal nitrogen is acidic (file a mental reminder that that both words begin with "A" - acidic and ammoniacal). When ammoniacal nitrogen is taken up by roots, roots secrete acidic H+ into the soil. The more H+ in the media, the lower the media pH. Urea is easily converted into ammonium in the soil and should therefore be thought of as an acidic source of N. In contrast, uptake of N from nitrate (NO3) sources increases substrate pH because basic OH- or HCO3- are secreted by plant roots into the root media when NO3 is taken up. Since OH- and HCO3- are bases, NO3 uptake tends to cause the media-pH to increase. MG gets all of it's N from urea, while FP utilizes ammoniacal forms of N for a little less than 1/3 of its N, the rest comes from NO3 sources. This is an advantage in low light situations because NO3 forms of N tend to produce plants with shorter internodes and thicker stems/branches - bushier plants. FP also contains Ca(lcium) and Mg (magnesium) in soluble form, elements usually missing from most soluble synthetic fertilizers. This CAN be an advantage when growing in certain soils (like the gritty mix), but isn't much of a consideration when growing in soils pH adjusted with and getting Ca/Mg supplied with dolomitic lime - the most common source of Ca/Mg. Al...See MoreNitrogen in fertilizers and the truth about Urea
Comments (33)No worries John, I feel no hostilities from you or frostiness. Just inquiring minds want to know. I will repeat though "The source of nitrogen I think is not of great importance compared to making sure the fertilizer you use has all the micronutrients plus calcium and magnesium. The purpose of my original post was that someone should not worry about whether the fertilizer they use has urea or not." I think people look at fertilizer as a quick and easy thing that they can change and feel like they are doing something to help their plants. Things like adding more light throughout the year, increase humidity, better control of temperature, regulating ph take more effort and/or cost more. Jane is on to something when she says "The biggest change I've seen in my growing conditions would be increased light over winter. I'm getting blooms on plants I've had for years without blooms." and Jan when she says "Now to figure out how to get my city water with a pH of 9.0 to a level to make better use of all those delicious trace elements!" One thing everyone can do that is not expensive is get a water quality report from their municipal water district. This should be free. Some cities require them to be given to customers. San Francisco customers get a water report twice a year. The reports maybe online. The report will tell you things like ph, hardness, and about minerals and pollutants in the water. These can vary from spring to fall. I suspect with Jans tap water ph of 9 that her municipal water source comes from a river that flows through limestone, maybe like the Colorado. She may find she gets plenty of calcium and magnesium in her water and doesn't need it in her fertilizer. As far as nitrogen forms in fertilizers, it maybe good to cover your bet with all three as they have varying times of utilization, but I think over time it doesn't mater. I think the different nitrogen forms are present in the potting mix after each fertilizing and get used the next time, washed out, or help break down your potting medium. John to help you search for a holy grail in fertilizer you may look at these: 1 Simple sugars after all that is a big part of what the plants are making. Jerry Grow- no longer made as far as I know - exploited this. Works better in highlight and warm to hot weather. Needs more scientific study. 2. Nickel as a trace element. It is use by plants as a catalyst in urease enzyme so it is never used up, but plants grow. I have only seen one fertilizer that had nickel in it made by Hydrofarm. I have no idea if they still make it or not. I do think you can grow orchids fine with urea free fertilizer relying on ammonical nitrogen and nitrate. I will mention two things that havent been mentioned so far and are needed in the break down of nitrate to ammonia to be use by plants. Two enzymes are required. Nitrate reductase involving two electron reduction of nitrate to nitrite. The other enzyme nitrite reductase involving a six electron reduction to transform nitrite to ammonia. As you can see there are a lot more steps to get from nitrate to ammonia then with urea. Cheers, Mark Sullivan...See MoreSearch for urea-free fertilizer
Comments (4)Since nobody has answered this, I'll open a can of worms and suggest that organic fertilizer can be urea free, if you get the stuff with no urea in it. Most of it has no urea because truly organic urea is very expensive and they are already overcharging for the ingredients as it is. With organic fertilizers you don't have to worry about pH because the microbial organisms in the soil that decompose the organic fertilizer will naturally adjust the pH toward 7.0 from where ever it starts out. Organic fertilizers come from natural sources of protein. Animal protein is very powerful and usually not appropriate except when highly diluted. Other sources include any ground up nut, seed, or bean. The easy ones to get include used coffee grounds and flour made from wheat, corn, oats, flax, soy, or anything else you have handy. All these grains have some protein, some more than others, but they all work to feed the soil microbes. The application rate for the grains would be 1/4 teaspoon per 4-inch pot, per watering. You can use more, but you don't need to. Other easy to get sources of protein are eggs and milk. Eggs can be powdered, but I'm not sure what the application rate would be. Milk can be diluted 1 tablespoon of milk per gallon of water and applied like water. I fertilize with chocolate milk every time I water. Any milk will do (because it all has protein, vitamins, minerals, enzymes, and bacteria). There's one thing to caution you about if you try using organic fertilizer with African violets: after your first two or three waterings, your soil will retain more moisture and retain it for much longer than you might have gotten used to. The soil is not soggy, but it just stays moist longer - like twice as long. The caution is to try and keep you from over watering. If you let the soil get soggy, you will have problems. If anyone would like to discuss the pros and cons of organic fertilizer on African violets, please reply to this and I'll start a new thread. I'm not sure there's any interest, so I'm not going to put it out there to collect slings and arrows....See Moreis fertilizer with urea in it OK
Comments (0)I have sea grow 16 16 16 with urea and as I am wondering if this is a good source of nitrogen for my plumeria it is just starting to grow its new leaves and they are about 2 inches long and I heard a general all purpose fertilizer is good for this time of grouth but I was wondering if the urea is OK I've read different things...See Morejasonindallas
8 years agoron0710
8 years agojasonindallas
8 years agoGood! I know a lot of folks are against it ....but it works! BTW here is a pic of that nearly dead tree fed only with Super Bloom every two weeks during Spring and Summer. I never fertilize after August. Also, I do not use epsom salt like some people recommend. Never saw any results. Seems like overkill to me. This tree is approximately 6'x6' now. She blooms so heavily that after a rain storm the ground is covered in flowers.....with hundreds more still intact.
If you are still around in a few weeks I will post some pics of her in full bloom. Looks like one you would see in Miami :)
plumejunkie
8 years agoron0710
8 years agojasonindallas
8 years agoAlas.....she is a NOID. I call her Common White. Huge inflos producing massive clusters of shocking white flowers with bright yellow centers and a heavenly fragipani frangrance. I love her!! I have 32 named varieties ranging from very common to very rare and she is still my all time favorite.
In addition.....Jack Morgan can say all he wants but the proof is in the pudding. My trees and plants never experience any of those issues listed. You just have to be diligent in your fertilization routine. I do it EVERYONE other Monday
morning. Without fail. I am not trying to sound like a jerk, but I live in Dallas and my plants look better in person than ANY container grown specimens I have ever seen. And I have seen many over the years.
Oops....that pic posted in an awkward spot. Anyway, this epiphyllum would not bloom at all and was really frustrating me. The grower told me to never use Super Bloom on it. Ever. Well.....I finally stopped listening to him and used it at half strength about 3 weeks ago. This is the first open flower.....with about 30 more starting to form! Super Bloom rocks!!!
jasonindallas
8 years agoron0710
8 years agojasonindallas
8 years agoron0710
8 years agojasonindallas
8 years agoMediterranean_Zon10b
8 years agojasonindallas
8 years ago
Related Stories
GARDENING GUIDESGet on a Composting Kick (Hello, Free Fertilizer!)
Quit shelling out for pricey substitutes that aren’t even as good. Here’s how to give your soil the best while lightening your trash load
Full Story
GARDENING GUIDESHow to Keep Your Citrus Trees Well Fed and Healthy
Ripe for some citrus fertilizer know-how? This mini guide will help your lemon, orange and grapefruit trees flourish
Full Story
REGIONAL GARDEN GUIDESSoutheast Gardener's September Checklist
Fertilize strawberries, plant a tree or two and beckon hummingbirds to your Southern garden this month
Full Story
GARDENING GUIDESHow to Switch to an Organic Landscape Plan
Ditch the chemicals for a naturally beautiful lawn and garden, using living fertilizers and other nontoxic treatments
Full Story
GARDENING GUIDESHow to Pick a Mulch — and Why Your Soil Wants It
There's more to topdressing than shredded wood. Learn about mulch types, costs and design considerations here
Full Story
GREEN BUILDING5 Things LEED Interior Designers Want You to Know
LEED means healthier homes — OK, maybe you got that. But some of these facts about the accredited designers may surprise you
Full Story
EARTH DAYHow to Build a Greener Driveway
Install a permeable driveway to keep pollutants out of water sources and groundwater levels balanced
Full Story
LANDSCAPE DESIGNHow to Site and Size a Rain Garden for Your Landscape
Installing a rain garden is an excellent way to reduce runoff and return water to its source
Full Story
REMODELING GUIDESCool Your House (and Costs) With the Right Insulation
Insulation offers one of the best paybacks on your investment in your house. Here are some types to discuss with your contractor
Full Story
GARDENING GUIDESThe Poop Scoop: Enrich Your Soil With Good Old Manure
Get over the ick factor already — this natural super-ingredient for soil has so many benefits, you'll wonder why you ever went chemical
Full StorySponsored
More Discussions
ron0710