Nitrophoska: fertilizer composition and instructions for use, precautions

In order to grow he althy plants and subsequently harvest a rich harvest from them, you will have to use organic and mineral fertilizers. Often, gardeners prefer complex preparations, which include a set of substances necessary for crops. Nitrophoska has several varieties, therefore, before purchasing a chemical, they are determined for the purpose of use. The instructions indicate the dosage and rules for using the drug.

What is nitrophoska

Nitrophoska, or NPK-complex is a complex mineral fertilizer, which contains three main plant nutrients (nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium).As a rule, a preparation for feeding crops goes on sale in the form of easily soluble granules, which, falling into the ground, rather quickly decompose into ions and are absorbed by seedlings.

The main components of nitrophoska are necessary for cultivated and ornamental plants throughout the growing season - seedling development, flowering, fruit formation, however, the percentage of nutrients at each stage will be different.

Thus, at the beginning of the growing process, nitrogen is considered the main component needed by crops, during the formation of inflorescences and flowering, more potassium will be needed, and at the time of fruit set - phosphorus. Therefore, when purchasing nitrophoska preparations, it is necessary to focus on the needs of plants. In the composition of the fertilizer, in addition to the main elements, there are other equally important substances, but in a lower concentration.

Composition and formula

The basis of a complex mineral fertilizer is an NPK complex consisting of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. The percentage of the main components in the total amount does not exceed 60%, and the amount of each of these substances may vary. More often on sale there is an option where nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium are in equal proportions, however, there are also varieties with a high content of one of the components.

In addition, the composition of the mineral fertilizer includes substances such as precipitate, ammonium nitrate, ammonium chloride and calcium, potassium nitrate. Also in nitrophoska there is a small amount of gypsum flour.

The chemical formula of complex mineral nutrition is NH4NO3CaHPO4(NH4)2HPO4Ca+CaSO42H2OKCl. Nitrates, which are contained in nitrophoska, can harm human he alth, however, subject to the dosage of the drug and instructions for use, they are safe to use.The use of fertilizer is allowed for all cultivated and ornamental plants in any region where agriculture is practiced. Nitrophoska is inexpensive, so it is often preferred by both farmers who grow crops for sale and owners of small household plots.

Types of fertilizer

On the shelves of retail outlets there are several varieties of nitrophoska, which differ in the method of production and purpose:

Sulfate. This type of mineral fertilizer is recommended to be purchased if the gardener plans to plant the plot with legumes, as well as tomatoes and cucumbers. This is due to the fact that, thanks to nitrophoska sulfate, an increased amount of proteins is formed. It also has a good effect on the introduction of this drug into the soil on which cabbage will be grown.
Phosphorite.This type of mineral dressing contains an increased amount of phosphorus, which has a beneficial effect on planting tomatoes. Thanks to the action of this component, ripe vegetables become more dense and fleshy, are characterized by a pleasant taste and retain their presentation even when transported over long distances.
Sulfate. An additional component in the composition of this nitrophoska is calcium, which is absent in other types of fertilizer. Sulfate-type top dressing is recommended for ornamental crops, since due to its effect, the color of leaf plates and flower petals is saturated. Nitrophoska is used both for flowers in a flower bed, and for shrubs and trees in the garden.

Also, sulfur or magnesium is present in some drugs, as a rule, the manufacturer indicates the detailed composition on the package or in the instructions.

Advantages and disadvantages

Farmers and owners of summer cottages, who have been using mineral fertilizer on their plots for many years, noted the advantages and disadvantages of the chemical.

The advantages of nitrophoska include:

versatility - top dressing with minerals is used for all plants, without exception, both fruit and ornamental;
no harm to the future harvest, subject to the dosage and instructions for use;
low cost of fertilizer, thanks to this, any gardener can purchase the drug;
good solubility of the mineral agent in water, so the chemical is used not only in dry form, but also as a working fluid;
possibility of use by both farmers and summer residents who do not have much experience in working with chemicals;
get quick results after using fertilizer;
complete absorption of all fertilizer components by plant roots;
possibility of using mineral fertilizer on any type of soil without the risk of negative impact on their composition.

Among the shortcomings of mineral fertilizer, it is worth noting the need to use personal protective equipment when working with a chemical and strictly observe the recommended dosage.

What is the difference between nitrophoska and nitroammofoska?

Both mineral fertilizers belong to the same class of drugs, but there are differences between them. Both in nitrophoska and in nitroammofoska the main components are nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, their percentage may vary.

The difference between fertilizers is as follows:

color: nitrophoska has a white or blue tint, and nitroammofoska is pink;
the form of finding the main substances in the composition;
how to get top dressing;
lack of magnesium nitroammophoska.

When using fertilizers on the site, it must be remembered that the dosage of nitroammophoska is two times lower than that of nitrophoska.

How to tell if plants need fertilizer?

It is possible to determine that a plant needs one or more nutrients that are part of a complex fertilizer by the appearance of the crop

Main deficiency symptoms:

Nitrogen. Deficiency of the element affects the growth of crops, including side shoots. The plant lags behind in development, and the leaf plates lose their luster and acquire a pale green tint. If you do not take action in time, the leaves turn yellow, and then dry up and fall off.
Phosphorus. In this case, a sharp stop in the growth of crops and a change in the color of the lower leaf plates occur. At first they become a greenish-gray hue, and then turn purple. Over time, the leaves curl, become sluggish and fall off as a result. The danger of a lack of phosphorus for young plants is that untimely application of fertilizer will no longer correct developmental delays.
Potassium. Potassium deficiency symptoms are primarily seen on the lower parts of crops. Leaf plates acquire the color of rust, they are covered with small specks. Due to the uneven growth of cells and tissues of the culture, the leaves become corrugated. Due to the slowdown in the process of photosynthesis, the flowering period is delayed.

Terms of application

Complex mineral fertilizer can be used both in spring and autumn, it depends on the purpose of the chemical.

Spring

In the spring, before planting, nitrophoska is recommended to be used on sandy soils. This is due to the fact that one of the fertilizer components, nitrogen, is very quickly washed out of such soils. Also in the spring they feed perennial fruit trees and shrubs, since in the fall the nitrogen in the composition will provoke an increased growth of shoots that will not have time to lignify before the onset of cold weather and die from frost.

Autumn

When digging the garden in the autumn, nitrophoska is applied if the soil in the area is peaty or clay. In such a heavy soil, the fertilizer components need time to dissolve and acquire a suitable form for plants. In this case, during spring digging, top dressing is no longer added to avoid overdosing.

Can be used against pests

To repel pests, a sulphate variety of nitrophoska is used, which, in addition to the main components, includes sulfur. It is her smell that some pests do not tolerate, ticks are especially sensitive to it.

Instructions for use

In order for the complex mineral fertilizer to fulfill its tasks and not harm the plants, you must follow the manufacturer's instructions that come with each drug.

For cucumbers

Gardeners who used fertilizer to grow cucumbers in the garden claim that the yield increased by 20%. Thanks to the nitrogen included in the composition, the growth of green mass is stimulated, potassium has a beneficial effect on the taste of vegetables, and phosphorus contributes to the acquisition of density and juiciness by cucumbers.

Use fertilizer twice a season, dry and as a solution for irrigation:

The first time they take 30 grams of granules per square meter of beds and apply top dressing during the spring digging of the soil.
For the second time prepare a working solution for root irrigation at the rate of 40 grams of chemical per 10 liters of water. 500 ml of solution is spent on one plant.

For strawberries

Use fertilizer for strawberries only in spring and summer. When transplanting bushes, it is allowed to add several granules of the chemical into each hole, however, they are pre-mixed with the soil to avoid contact of the nitrophoska with the delicate root system of garden strawberries.

Following top dressing is carried out by root irrigation, and if fertilizer was already added to each well during planting, the first procedure is skipped. The second time the chemical is used during active budding, preparing a solution of 30 grams of granules and 10 liters of water. For watering each crop, you will need 500 ml of working fluid.

For trees and shrubs

Fruit trees and shrubs are fed with nitrophoska only in spring and early summer due to the presence of nitrogen in the composition of the fertilizer. If the gardener wants to get a quick result, then it is recommended to use top dressing in the form of a liquid solution, using 45 grams of granules per 10-liter bucket of water.For one adult plant, 3 buckets of working fluid are consumed, for trees older than 5 years on a vigorous rootstock, the dosage is increased to 4 buckets.

The first time fertilizer is applied at the end of flowering crops, the second - at the stage of formation of ovaries.

For garlic

Both winter and spring garlic are fed with nitrophoska in the spring. First, urea is used, and after 2 weeks - complex fertilizer. Pour 25 grams of granules into a 10-liter bucket of water, mix until completely dissolved and water the bed at the rate of 3.5 liters of working fluid per square meter of plantings.

For seedlings

If the seedlings are weak and have a painful appearance, it is worth feeding them with nitrophoska. The first fertilization is carried out a week after picking, dissolving 15 grams of the chemical in a liter of water. This amount of solution is enough to feed 50 young seedlings.You can also use fertilizer when planting seedlings in the ground, laying 15 grams of dry granules in the hole.

Potato fertilizer

If the area allocated for planting potatoes is small, apply complex fertilizer when planting tubers in the spring. A tablespoon (without a slide) of dry granules is spent on each hole, after mixing them with the ground, and planting material is placed for top dressing.

In the event that the area is large, it is advisable to apply fertilizer in the fall, when digging the soil. 80 grams of the chemical preparation is spent per square meter of the garden.

Use for cabbage

For fertilizing cabbage, experienced gardeners recommend purchasing a sulphate variety of nitrophoska, since it contains an increased concentration of protein necessary for the culture to fully form heads. The first time the chemical is used for seedlings at the rate of 10 grams per liter of water, the procedure is carried out 10 days after picking.

If no fertilizer was applied during the spring or autumn digging of the garden, then the second time nitrophoska is used when planting seedlings in open ground. A teaspoon of chemical is spent on each hole, mixing it with the ground.

After the adaptation of the crops in a new place, after 2 weeks, root watering is carried out with a solution consisting of 60 grams of granules and 10 liters of water (provided that fertilizer was not added to the wells). The second watering is done with an interval of 15 weeks, reducing the dosage of the drug by half. The third application is necessary only for late crop varieties, use 30 grams per 10 liters of water.

Raspberry top dressing

Raspberry shoots are fed twice in the spring, using 50 grams of granules per square meter. They are brought into the aisles, combining the procedure with loosening the soil. The first time the chemical is used before the raspberries start flowering, the second time after harvesting.

Fertilizing flowers in the open field

For ornamental plants, it is recommended to use the sulfate variety of nitrophoska, since it contains calcium, which is necessary for the formation of a large number of large buds, as well as an intense color of leaf plates. The fertilizer is suitable for nutrient saturation of both annual and perennial crops.

Working liquid for watering flowers and ornamental shrubs is prepared from 30 grams of granules and 10 liters of water. The first time fertilizer is used in the spring, subsequent top dressing is carried out in the summer and after the end of flowering.

For indoor flowers and plants

Home plants are fed by watering under the root twice a season - in early spring and at the stage of bud formation. In this case, it is necessary to ensure that the prepared liquid does not get on the leaves and stems, as this leads to burns.Pour 25 grams of granules into 10 liters of water and mix thoroughly until the chemical is completely dissolved. Top dressing is recommended to be carried out in the evening, after watering the plant, using a third of the usual water rate, in this case it will be possible to avoid burning the root system.

Precautions

When working with complex mineral fertilizer, it must be remembered that this is a chemical substance, it requires careful handling. Wear work clothes and rubber gloves. To prevent the vapors of the substance from entering the respiratory tract, put on a gauze bandage or a respirator. All work with fertilizer is carried out in calm weather, at an air temperature not higher than 25 degrees.

At the end of fertilizing, be sure to wash your face and hands with soap and wash your clothes. In case of accidental contact of the working fluid with the skin or mucous membranes, wash them with plenty of water and go to a medical facility.

Common mistakes

Beginner gardeners when using mineral fertilizer often make mistakes that lead to the death of the plant:

fertilizing for fruit crops in autumn;
does not adhere to recommended dosages;
do not observe breaks between top dressing;
do not mix the granules with the ground when they are placed in the planting hole, which leads to burns of the root system.

Complex fertilizer will benefit plants only if all the manufacturer's recommendations specified in the instructions are followed.