Help !
Can someone please explain the benefits and cautions of using Urea in a vegetable garden. Particularly during the season.
Will most of it just eveporate?
What will this do to PH and our little microbe friends?
Personally, I would use compost/manure instead of a chemical fertilizer like Urea 46. I think a natural nitrogen source makes for a healthier soil, and tastier veggies.2cents wrote:...Can someone please explain the benefits and cautions of using Urea in a vegetable garden. Particularly during the season.
Will most of it just eveporate? ...
I agree with you with a few exceptions. Some pollutants have the ability to penetrate the ground and pollute the sub surface water table. That can effect you or your next door neighbor. Another exception is air pollution. Living in North Texas, near DFW; we have many people negatively effected by auto exhaust and other air pollutants.jal_ut wrote:Your garden and actions are so miniscule compared to the "plantet as a whole", as to be inconsequential.I like to be well informed about what my gardening actions do to the planet as a whole.
Everything that you said is true.rootsy wrote:The benefit of urea is that it is 46% nitrogen by weight... (100 lbs of 46-0-0 = 46 lbs of nitrogen). It is very difficult to achieve that kind of nitrogen value with compost, especially in the short term.
Nitrogen will create a lot of green matter growth. Urea is probably best left to plants that make a lot of green matter such as corn, melons, pumpkins, squash, etc.
As an example, an acre of sweet corn typically will have fertilizer applied either through broadcast, incorporation, side dressing, dry or liquid fertilizer to achieve 150 - 200 lbs of nitrogen / acre.
Whether commercially or on a smaller scale, corn of any genetic type needs a certain amount of nitrogen to achieve full maturity and seed development. If you have 1/4 acre of sweet corn them apply 50 units of nitrogen uniformly... roughly just over 100 lbs of urea...farmerlon wrote:Everything that you said is true.rootsy wrote:The benefit of urea is that it is 46% nitrogen by weight... (100 lbs of 46-0-0 = 46 lbs of nitrogen). It is very difficult to achieve that kind of nitrogen value with compost, especially in the short term.
Nitrogen will create a lot of green matter growth. Urea is probably best left to plants that make a lot of green matter such as corn, melons, pumpkins, squash, etc.
As an example, an acre of sweet corn typically will have fertilizer applied either through broadcast, incorporation, side dressing, dry or liquid fertilizer to achieve 150 - 200 lbs of nitrogen / acre.
However, should I assume that you're suggesting the Urea for a "large scale" or "commercial" crop,... since you reference applying up to 200 lbs of nitrogen per acre.
2cents asked about using the Urea in a vegetable garden. So, I guess the point I want to make [respectfully] is that it is very practical to supply the nitrogen needs of typical "garden sized" plots of Corn (etc...) through the use of compost. So, applications of Urea may not be necessary in that setting.
I wouldn't rely on one of those "cheap" home-test kits. I would suggest having the soil tested at your local County Extension office. That usually costs less than $10.00, and (I hear) is even free in some places... that County test will supply you with much more accurate information.2cents wrote: So I bought a cheap $5 soil test kit.
PH 7-7.4
High P & K
Off the chart low on Nitrogen.
If you have access to cow/horse manure, that would most certainly be my first choice for a nitrogen source.2cents wrote:... I get litttle to no complaint when I bring in cow or horse manure.
Again any advise for the immediate and long term fix.