Nitrogen is an essential component for plant growth and plays a vital role in the development of healthy foliage. While it is possible to find a chemical fertilizer that contains high levels of nitrogen, if you want a more organic approach you can also make a nitrogen fertilizer yourself, knowing which natural products contain a high level of nitrogen that you can mix or apply to the soil.
Steps
Step 1. Use compost
Compost is nothing more than decomposed organic matter. An average pile of compost contains an infinite number of beneficial nutrients, including potassium, phosphorus and nitrogen. As for nitrogen, the bacteria present transform the matter into ammonium, which is then naturally converted by other bacteria into nitrates; these are elements that plants can absorb through their roots. A nitrogen-rich compost, which also contains moist residues of foliage, fruits, and vegetables, tends to provide the greatest nitrogen content for the soil when applied.
Step 2. Add some composted coffee grounds
They can be mixed directly into the soil or added to a compost pile. Coffee contains about 2% by volume of nitrogen, which is considered quite high in relation to all the nitrogenous elements. Also, even if someone may be concerned about the acidity level of the coffee, be aware that it is the coffee beans that contain high levels. The funds that remain after the infusion usually have a pH of 6, 5 - 6, 8, which is close to neutral.
You can add coffee grounds directly to the soil by mixing them with moist soil or spreading them over the surface and then covering them with organic mulch
Step 3. Try composted manure
Manure of ovine, bovine (meat) and swine origin contain higher concentrations of nitrogen, while that of poultry and cattle (dairy) contains less. Horse manure also contains nitrogen, but the concentration is significantly lower than other forms of fertilizer. Composted manure or manure that has had a chance to decompose is better, because the bacteria have already begun to break down nitrogen into a form that plants can absorb.
Keep in mind that there are also negative aspects to using animal manure. Manure tends to increase the salt content of the soil and can increase weed growth
Step 4. Mix a good dose of blood meal with a quick release fertilizer
Blood meal is an organic product made from dry blood that contains 13% nitrogen. This is a remarkably high percentage for fertilizers. You can use blood meal as a nitrogen fertilizer by spraying it on the surface of the soil and pouring water into it to help the soil absorb it; or you can mix the blood meal directly with water and apply it as a liquid fertilizer.
- Blood meal is a particularly rich source of nitrogen for plants that are particularly greedy, such as lettuce and corn, due to its rapid action.
- It can also be added to compost or as an accelerator for other organic materials, as it promotes the decomposition process.
Step 5. Apply cottonseed meal carefully
This fertilizer is made from ground cotton plant seeds. Some consider it the second best natural source of nitrogen, after blood meal. Unlike the first, however, cottonseed meal decomposes slowly and the release of nitrogen to the plants occurs over a prolonged period of time.
Its main drawback is that it has a negative impact on the pH of the soil. It acidifies it a lot, so if you're going to make an organic cottonseed meal fertilizer, you also need to carefully monitor the pH
Step 6. Use crab, feather, or leather meal for slow-release fertilizers
These products are made with land crabs, feathers and cowhide respectively, each containing a fair amount of nitrogen. However, these components break down at a slow rate, and do not provide adequate amounts of nitrates to plants that need a quick dose. They are best suited for fertilizer and compost mixes, as they can maintain a constant level of nitrogen throughout the growing season.
Step 7. Test the biosolids and wood
Treated biosolids, i.e. sewage sludge (which are pre-treated before being used as fertilizer) and materials derived from wood processing such as sawdust and wood chips, all contain nitrogen and can all be used in nitrogen fertilizers; just be sure that the biosolids you want to use have been treated and monitored correctly. Otherwise, the risks associated with such products are not worth the potential benefit at all. Also, because all of these materials decompose slowly and contribute minimal amounts of nitrogen, they aren't even the most effective nitrogen components available. While not the best choice for nitrogen fertilizers, biosolids add many necessary nutrients. Wood chips also help anchor plants.
Step 8. Plant nitrogen-fixing crops
Some plants, such as legumes and clover, deposit nitrogen in the nodules at their roots. These nodules release nitrogen into the soil gradually as the plant lives and, when it dies, the residual nitrogen improves the overall quality of the soil.
- It is enough to throw a few legumes on the ground. The mung bean is recommended because it does not get too big but grows fast.
- To replenish the nitrogen in the soil, put it to fallow. When your plot rests in the 7th year, plant a few mung beans. Do not collect them, however, but let the seeds fall into the ground to further fix the nitrogen. Follow this procedure especially if you plan to plant very voracious crops such as corn the following year.
