Ever wonder how much Nitrogen to add?

[Jitterbugdude]

Tobacco likes sulfur.... if your soil is low in it, hence the need for a soil test. The Potassium Nitrate might be a good call for a sucker crop. I added it to a few of mine thinking the 2 most important nutrients to a tobacco plant are Potassium and Nitrogen.. hence Potassium Nitrate. it's water soluble so it should give an immediate (within hours) boost to the plants. I'm not sure about adding a 20-20 20 this late in the season. Your plants use so very little Phosphorus, to add more might not be wise. A straight Calcium Nitrate or straight Potassium Nitrate would probably work best, but then again who knows?

 

[Jack in NB]

Chicken -

Most of the N in ordinary fertilizers is water soluble, so does wash away with excess water.

So there's a good chance you can give your plants a boost with some added N. If it's in liquid form, it's picked up faster by the roots.

After my initial charge of 6.5-26-26 at planting time (lots of P and K; the N is pretty well gone in 30 days, so a heavy dose of N up front is largely wasted), I feed my plants with a 500 parts per million (ppm) N solution - about a cupful every 3 to 5 days, with apparent good results. I shut off as the buds appear, to give the leaves time to ripen. 500 ppm hasn't given me any problems with leaf burn this year, but I try to get it onto the soil at the base of the plant.

I dissolve Urea - 46-0-0 - for my solution; ammonium nitrate (34-0-0) would also work. An ounce of that dissolved in 5 1/4 US gallons of water will give you about 100 cupsful of a 500 ppm solution. As you can see, a little N goes a long way when it's applied right where it's needed!

I'd put it on in the rain - the roots will grab at least some of it.

Jack

 

[Chicken]

^^^^

very good reply.

and yes i applied it yesterday, during a dry phase,

so the next rain, is going to give it a shot in the arm,

 

[BigBonner]

I want to add this about high nitrate . If you use alot of nitrate on tobacco fields , Liming will be needed . It changes the soil PH more than any of the other fertilizers.

 

[Jack in NB]

Right on, BB!

A pound of N in almost any form eats (or requires the neutralizing value of) about 2 pounds of lime. I think blood and feather N sources are exceptions.

Rule of thumb: In acid or neutral pH soils add a bag of lime for every bag of 20% or higher N you apply. Less than 20% N, add a half bag of lime. In small quantities, use the 2:1 figure - add 2 pounds of lime for every pound of actual N you apply. That is a bit more than the 2 pounds that the N actually eats, but the extra helps raise pH a bit in acid soils.

If you are in a high pH soil area, disregard the above, and let the N help drop your pH.

 

[Jitterbugdude]

I have to somewhat disagree. You should only add lime if you are deficient in calcium. If you need to raise or lower your pH find out what minerals you are deficient in and add them. I agree though that oftentimes the only way to raise pH is with lime but then again if you want to raise pH it is much more efficient to add Magnesium than it is Calcium. If you are low in Magnesium but not Calcium it would not make sense to add lime. Furthermore the ability of Nitrogen to lower pH is dependent on what type of Nitrogen you add. Ammonium Sulfate will lower it a lot more than Ammonium Nitrate, and Calcium Nitrate (I'm pretty sure) will not lower it at all.

 

[BarG]

I have to somewhat disagree. You should only add lime if you are deficient in calcium. If you need to raise or lower your pH find out what minerals you are deficient in and add them. I agree though that oftentimes the only way to raise pH is with lime but then again if you want to raise pH it is much more efficient to add Magnesium than it is Calcium. If you are low in Magnesium but not Calcium it would not make sense to add lime. Furthermore the ability of Nitrogen to lower pH is dependent on what type of Nitrogen you add. Ammonium Sulfate will lower it a lot more than Ammonium Nitrate, and Calcium Nitrate (I'm pretty sure) will not lower it at all.

I bet avid tobacco growers study and learn more about fertilizers than the average horticulturist. I am amazed at how well versed a large number of members are on the subject.
More than the average joe thats for sure.

 

[Knucklehead]

I can't stress this enough. While this will be my first year growing tobacco I was raised on a farm by a long line of farmers. Get a soil test. Tell them the test is for tobacco and get their recommendations on what to use and how much. It will save you money and increase your yield. Get a soil test.