Nitrogen is a key player in producing chlorophyll; this pigment absorbs sunlight for basic photosynthesis needs. Gardeners must make sure that nitrogen, one of the three macronutrients in soil, is available for root uptake by choosing the right fertilizer. Saturating a garden with high nitrogen levels, however, does not improve plant growth. In fact, it can actually harm a garden more than leaving it to its natural elemental state. Too much nitrogen in plants is apparent both above and below the topsoil.
Excess foliage growth
One of the main actions of nitrogen is increasing chlorophyll production; this process is done by creating bigger leaf structures with larger surface areas for the photosynthesizing pigment. Excess nitrogen fuels fast foliage growth so that your garden has an appearance of a jungle gone wild, but other plant growth suffers as a consequence. Energy for flower growth is redirected to foliage proliferation, so plants may not even produce their necessary reproductive organs during the growing season.
Burning and salt concentration
If you use a high-nitrogen fertilizer mixture, you also increase the soil's mineral salts; excessive elemental nitrogen takes water away from the plant while leaving the salts behind. As a result, the leaves take on a burnt look from dehydration. Leaf edges become yellow or brown and wilt. Flushing the area with water to remove the excess nitrogen is the best course of action to revive the plant. Although the nitrogen produces desired large foliage, you may find that the rapid growth becomes decimated with leaf burn if nitrogen stays at high levels.
Root growth stunting
Energy used for large leaf growth stifles the root system below with high nitrogen soil levels. Roots slow their naturally spreading habit since they do not have the necessary nutrients to use as energy as the elements are redirected upward. As a result, the plant may be destabilized in its soil position; if it is tall enough, it may blow over in heavy winds. Additionally, stressed roots invite disease through soil pathogens as well. In the end, both leaves and roots succumb to nitrogen-induced stresses that damage the plant throughout its length.
Groundwater pollution
Plants cannot absorb all the excess nitrogen in the soil. Those extra nitrogen levels slowly leach out of the soil through water runoff; the nitrogen is effectively in the form of nitrates due to microbial conversion when it leaches from the soil. As a result, groundwater and drinking water become contaminated from the nitrate levels. Between harming the plants and the surrounding water supplies, high nitrogen levels around plants need to be closely monitored and amended for natural harmony.
Excess nitrogen
Excessive nitrogen may burn plants, which causes a condition called nitrate toxicity. When plants take up too much nitrogen too quickly, stems and leaves become scorched. In turf grass, nitrogen causes lush growth; however, when you exceed recommended amounts, it can promote the fungal disease that is commonly called brown patch (Rhizoctonia solani). By attempting to correct what you incorrectly perceive as brown grass that needs more nitrogen, you can exacerbate the problem by applying more fertilizer.
Since tomatoes hate imbalances in soil nutrients, they are prime indicators in the garden when any deficiencies or excesses exist. Adding an overabundance of nitrogen fertilizer can cause abiotic disorders in your tomato crop. These problems, such as low fruit set, result from environmental factors rather than disease or insect pests. Even with all the advancements made in the development of disease-resistant varieties, tomato production can fail because of improper feeding or watering.
Absence of fruit
Perhaps the best indication that a tomato bed contains too much nitrogen occurs when the plants produce lush foliage but little or no fruit. Sometimes blossoms also fall off in the presence of excess nitrogen. Early fertilization of tomato seedlings may simply delay flowering and fruiting until some of the nitrogen is washed away. Besides fostering heavy leaf coverage, extra nitrogen causes vines to grow to great lengths with few tomatoes to support.
Problems with fruit
When fruit does form on tomato plants, too much nitrogen in the surrounding soil may contribute to some physiological disorders in the tomatoes. Excess nitrogen has been named as a possible secondary factor in the development of blossom end rot. An imbalance of calcium and other soil nutrients leads to this common problem, characterized by a sunken, leathery, dark spot at the blossom end of the fruit. More rarely, a tomato may puff up like a green pepper, with a hollow inside. This can result from applying too much nitrogen fertilizer.
Other effects of overfertilizing
Feeding healthy tomato transplants before flowering and fruit set are well underway can lead to serious consequences. According to the University of California, the full vegetative growth and low fruit set stemming from fertilizer with high-nitrogen content makes tomato plants more attractive to garden pests, like aphids and hornworms. Another hazard of overfertilization is excess nitrogen leaching past the plants' root zone and causing contamination of the groundwater supply far below the surface.
Neutralizing excess nitrogen
If your tomato crop shows any of the aforementioned signs, add a little bonemeal or colloidal phosphate to the soil to balance the nitrogen content. With the proper care, each tomato plant should yield 10 to 15 pounds of fruit over the season. To avoid nitrogen problems from the start, wait to apply fertilizer until after fruit set. Then, following package label instructions, place nitrogen fertilizer in shallow grooves dug around the plants once every four to six weeks, and water well afterward. If you used manure in preparing the planting site, reduce the amount of the fertilizer application by half.
Tomato plants need well-drained soil, rich in nitrogen and other nutrients, to thrive. A healthy dose of compost or other organic matter is helpful along with a fertilizer with low to moderate nitrogen content. On the surface, it seems that fertilizing tomatoes makes the plants stronger and healthier. But too much nitrogen fertilizer can have undesirable consequences.
Poor Fruiting
If your tomato crop was poor this year, too much nitrogen may be to blame. Tomato plants that receive too much nitrogen are prone to lush green growth and look very healthy. The problem is that the plant grows too much greenery and produces fewer flowers and fruit. Flowers that do form sometimes drop before forming fruit. Excess nitrogen also builds up in the leaves and fruit and affects the taste of the tomatoes that are formed.
Disease and Insects
Blossom end rot is a physical problem caused by a calcium deficiency. There is evidence that excessive nitrogen encourages blossom end rot by throwing the nutrients out of balance. Excess nitrogen weakens the plant, making it more susceptible to other diseases and insect problems as well.
Nitrogen burn occurs when there is too much nitrogen in the soil, and your plants overdose on the chemical, causing problems with growth. This is often seen when liquid fertilizer or manure are applied around the tomato plant without regard to what is already in the soil. Excess nitrogen can be countered so that your tomato plants may start to produce more fruit as their nitrogen levels decrease. Symptoms of excess nitrogen include scarring on the blossom end of the tomato, large bushy plants with very little fruit and brown, dried foliage. Testing soil before planting or fertilizing can help prevent the problems caused by excess nitrogen.
Excess foliage growth
One of the main actions of nitrogen is increasing chlorophyll production; this process is done by creating bigger leaf structures with larger surface areas for the photosynthesizing pigment. Excess nitrogen fuels fast foliage growth so that your garden has an appearance of a jungle gone wild, but other plant growth suffers as a consequence. Energy for flower growth is redirected to foliage proliferation, so plants may not even produce their necessary reproductive organs during the growing season.
Burning and salt concentration
If you use a high-nitrogen fertilizer mixture, you also increase the soil's mineral salts; excessive elemental nitrogen takes water away from the plant while leaving the salts behind. As a result, the leaves take on a burnt look from dehydration. Leaf edges become yellow or brown and wilt. Flushing the area with water to remove the excess nitrogen is the best course of action to revive the plant. Although the nitrogen produces desired large foliage, you may find that the rapid growth becomes decimated with leaf burn if nitrogen stays at high levels.
Root growth stunting
Energy used for large leaf growth stifles the root system below with high nitrogen soil levels. Roots slow their naturally spreading habit since they do not have the necessary nutrients to use as energy as the elements are redirected upward. As a result, the plant may be destabilized in its soil position; if it is tall enough, it may blow over in heavy winds. Additionally, stressed roots invite disease through soil pathogens as well. In the end, both leaves and roots succumb to nitrogen-induced stresses that damage the plant throughout its length.
Groundwater pollution
Plants cannot absorb all the excess nitrogen in the soil. Those extra nitrogen levels slowly leach out of the soil through water runoff; the nitrogen is effectively in the form of nitrates due to microbial conversion when it leaches from the soil. As a result, groundwater and drinking water become contaminated from the nitrate levels. Between harming the plants and the surrounding water supplies, high nitrogen levels around plants need to be closely monitored and amended for natural harmony.
Excess nitrogen
Excessive nitrogen may burn plants, which causes a condition called nitrate toxicity. When plants take up too much nitrogen too quickly, stems and leaves become scorched. In turf grass, nitrogen causes lush growth; however, when you exceed recommended amounts, it can promote the fungal disease that is commonly called brown patch (Rhizoctonia solani). By attempting to correct what you incorrectly perceive as brown grass that needs more nitrogen, you can exacerbate the problem by applying more fertilizer.
How to fix an overfeeding of nitrogen in plants?
Since nitrogen promotes leaf growth, it constitutes the main ingredient in many fertilizers including lawn fertilizer. When eager gardeners overfeed their plants with nitrogen, the plants appear wonderfully lush, vigorous and green, but flower, fruit and vegetable production wanes. Nitrogen is far easier to apply than to remove; it will not wash off nor wear off. The best way to get rid of excess nitrogen in garden soil is to plant vegetables that utilize impressive amounts of the element to grow.- Plant squash, cabbage, broccoli and spinach in your overfed garden in the fall and sweet corn the following spring; all these vegetables feed heavily on nitrogen; squash in particular sucks it up like a sponge. Accept the fact that plants that require less nitrogen in your current garden will produce a miserly crop this year, and that your mop-crop of nitrogen-eaters may not be fit for the table either; the main purpose in your garden at this time is to remove excess nitrogen from the soil.
- Mulch with wood chips or sawdust. Choose freshly shredded wood chips instead of those from several years back, as newly cut wood mulches deplete the nitrogen in the soil as it decomposes.
- Push a sharp spade into the ground within a flowering plant's root area. Repeat several times per plant. This can shock plants suffering from nitrogen overdose into blooming. Since root pruning can also have deleterious effects on the plants, only use it as a last resort.
Signs of too much nitrogen in soil for tomatoes
Perhaps the best indication that a tomato bed contains too much nitrogen occurs when the plants produce lush foliage but little or no fruit. Sometimes blossoms also fall off in the presence of excess nitrogen. Early fertilization of tomato seedlings may simply delay flowering and fruiting until some of the nitrogen is washed away. Besides fostering heavy leaf coverage, extra nitrogen causes vines to grow to great lengths with few tomatoes to support.
Problems with fruit
When fruit does form on tomato plants, too much nitrogen in the surrounding soil may contribute to some physiological disorders in the tomatoes. Excess nitrogen has been named as a possible secondary factor in the development of blossom end rot. An imbalance of calcium and other soil nutrients leads to this common problem, characterized by a sunken, leathery, dark spot at the blossom end of the fruit. More rarely, a tomato may puff up like a green pepper, with a hollow inside. This can result from applying too much nitrogen fertilizer.
Other effects of overfertilizing
Feeding healthy tomato transplants before flowering and fruit set are well underway can lead to serious consequences. According to the University of California, the full vegetative growth and low fruit set stemming from fertilizer with high-nitrogen content makes tomato plants more attractive to garden pests, like aphids and hornworms. Another hazard of overfertilization is excess nitrogen leaching past the plants' root zone and causing contamination of the groundwater supply far below the surface.
Neutralizing excess nitrogen
If your tomato crop shows any of the aforementioned signs, add a little bonemeal or colloidal phosphate to the soil to balance the nitrogen content. With the proper care, each tomato plant should yield 10 to 15 pounds of fruit over the season. To avoid nitrogen problems from the start, wait to apply fertilizer until after fruit set. Then, following package label instructions, place nitrogen fertilizer in shallow grooves dug around the plants once every four to six weeks, and water well afterward. If you used manure in preparing the planting site, reduce the amount of the fertilizer application by half.
Will too much nitrogen affect tomato plants?
Tomato plants need well-drained soil, rich in nitrogen and other nutrients, to thrive. A healthy dose of compost or other organic matter is helpful along with a fertilizer with low to moderate nitrogen content. On the surface, it seems that fertilizing tomatoes makes the plants stronger and healthier. But too much nitrogen fertilizer can have undesirable consequences.
Importance of Nitrogen
Nitrogen is necessary for tomato plants to make energy and grow. Plants use nitrogen in the form of nitrates or ammonium ions. Nitrates are quickly released to the plant, while ammonium ions are available for longer periods.
Tomato plants that don't get enough nitrogen do not grow well. They are small and thin with yellowing leaves. Some nitrogen is necessary for healthy tomato growth, but too much can also be damaging to your tomato crop.
Nitrogen is necessary for tomato plants to make energy and grow. Plants use nitrogen in the form of nitrates or ammonium ions. Nitrates are quickly released to the plant, while ammonium ions are available for longer periods.
Tomato plants that don't get enough nitrogen do not grow well. They are small and thin with yellowing leaves. Some nitrogen is necessary for healthy tomato growth, but too much can also be damaging to your tomato crop.
Poor Fruiting
If your tomato crop was poor this year, too much nitrogen may be to blame. Tomato plants that receive too much nitrogen are prone to lush green growth and look very healthy. The problem is that the plant grows too much greenery and produces fewer flowers and fruit. Flowers that do form sometimes drop before forming fruit. Excess nitrogen also builds up in the leaves and fruit and affects the taste of the tomatoes that are formed.
Disease and Insects
Blossom end rot is a physical problem caused by a calcium deficiency. There is evidence that excessive nitrogen encourages blossom end rot by throwing the nutrients out of balance. Excess nitrogen weakens the plant, making it more susceptible to other diseases and insect problems as well.
Excess Nitrogen Runoff
Excess nitrogen in the nitrate form is a serious problem for our rivers, lakes and ground water supply. Excess nitrates are water soluble and quickly flushed out of the soil and into the water supply. There they cause excessive plant and algae growth that removes needed oxygen from the water. Nitrates in the water is harmful to fish and other aquatic life as well as polluting our drinking water supplies.
Protect your tomatoes and our environment by giving tomatoes only the nitrogen that they need for healthy growth.
While there are nearly more varieties of tomatoes than you can count -- from large, beefsteak tomatoes to small, cherry tomatoes -- all of them are susceptible to nitrogen overdose. This happens when the alkalinity of your soil is off and the plant has too much nitrogen to feed from. You can remedy this with soil treatment and monitoring as well as appropriate fertilizer and care techniques.
Soil pH
Soil pH is a measure of the alkalinity or acidity of your soil. Specifically, soil pH indicates the amount of hydrogen in your soil, which affects the availability of important soil nutrients, like nitrogen, to your plants. All plants have different needs as to how acidic or alkaline a soil they need to thrive. The lower the pH, the less nitrogen -- and other macronutrients including phosphorus and potassium -- is available for the plant to take up. According to Seeds of Change, at a pH of 5.0, only half the amount of nitrogen and potassium is available to a plant as at 6.0. The tomato plant likes a fairly neutral soil, meaning it's soil requirements are a pH of 6 to 6.8 -- the middle of the scale. You can have your soil tested by a soil laboratory if you are unsure what its pH level is. The test will also show soil nutrient levels.
Symptoms
The main symptom of nitrogen overdose in tomatoes is that the plants grow big and strong with large, leafy branches, but produce few, if any tomatoes. This is because the excess nitrogen prevents the plant from fruiting.
Treatment
One treatment for nitrogen overdose is to put only a small amount of fertilizer around the plant shortly after you've planted it. The fertilizer should have a 0 reading in the first number of its N-P-K ratio. This indicates there isn't nitrogen in that fertilizer. In addition, you can try putting softwood mulch, like pine bark, down around your tomato plants. The wood increases soil acidity, decreasing available nitrogen in the soil as it decomposes.
Considerations
The best way to treat nitrogen overdose is to avoid it all together. Once you know the pH and nutrient levels of the soil you are starting with, you can treat it accordingly before you plant your vegetables. If you know you have too much nitrogen in your soil, you can try planting vegetables that use more nitrogen, like squash and cabbage, in that area and plant your tomatoes, or other vegetables susceptible to nitrogen overdose, in a portion of the garden with lower nitrogen levels.
Plants require nitrogen to grow leaves. However, too much nitrogen in garden soil can cause an excess of leaves with little to no fruit, vegetable or flower production. Monitoring soil nitrogen levels is especially important if you reside by a body of water. Excess nitrogen can eventually run off into the water, changing the ecosystem drastically. Water tainted with high levels of nitrogen causes vegetation buildup that leads to clogged waterways, increased algae production, and danger to fish and wildlife. Homeowners can reduce nitrogen in their property's soil to a healthy level for home gardening and environmental health.
Planting Nitrogen-Using Plants
Excess nitrogen in the nitrate form is a serious problem for our rivers, lakes and ground water supply. Excess nitrates are water soluble and quickly flushed out of the soil and into the water supply. There they cause excessive plant and algae growth that removes needed oxygen from the water. Nitrates in the water is harmful to fish and other aquatic life as well as polluting our drinking water supplies.
Protect your tomatoes and our environment by giving tomatoes only the nitrogen that they need for healthy growth.
Remedy for nitrogen overdose in tomato plants
Soil pH is a measure of the alkalinity or acidity of your soil. Specifically, soil pH indicates the amount of hydrogen in your soil, which affects the availability of important soil nutrients, like nitrogen, to your plants. All plants have different needs as to how acidic or alkaline a soil they need to thrive. The lower the pH, the less nitrogen -- and other macronutrients including phosphorus and potassium -- is available for the plant to take up. According to Seeds of Change, at a pH of 5.0, only half the amount of nitrogen and potassium is available to a plant as at 6.0. The tomato plant likes a fairly neutral soil, meaning it's soil requirements are a pH of 6 to 6.8 -- the middle of the scale. You can have your soil tested by a soil laboratory if you are unsure what its pH level is. The test will also show soil nutrient levels.
Symptoms
The main symptom of nitrogen overdose in tomatoes is that the plants grow big and strong with large, leafy branches, but produce few, if any tomatoes. This is because the excess nitrogen prevents the plant from fruiting.
Treatment
One treatment for nitrogen overdose is to put only a small amount of fertilizer around the plant shortly after you've planted it. The fertilizer should have a 0 reading in the first number of its N-P-K ratio. This indicates there isn't nitrogen in that fertilizer. In addition, you can try putting softwood mulch, like pine bark, down around your tomato plants. The wood increases soil acidity, decreasing available nitrogen in the soil as it decomposes.
Considerations
The best way to treat nitrogen overdose is to avoid it all together. Once you know the pH and nutrient levels of the soil you are starting with, you can treat it accordingly before you plant your vegetables. If you know you have too much nitrogen in your soil, you can try planting vegetables that use more nitrogen, like squash and cabbage, in that area and plant your tomatoes, or other vegetables susceptible to nitrogen overdose, in a portion of the garden with lower nitrogen levels.
How to lower nitrogen in soil?
- Plant broccoli and cabbage starts in February through April. Clear the soil surface of rocks, debris and weeds. Till the soil to a depth of 6 inches to break up the soil for planting.
- Draw horizontal lines in the soil with a stick to mark the rows for planting. Space the lines two feet apart. Dig a 4-inch hole every 18-to-24-inches along each line. Place one broccoli or cabbage start in each hole. Backfill the holes, pressing the soil firmly around the root ball of each plant. Water the plants thoroughly with a garden hose.
- Keep the soil evenly moist around the plants as they grow. Water when the top 2 inches of soil becomes dry. Do not fertilize the plants, forcing them to extract the needed nitrogen from the soil. Expect the plants to have yellowish leaves.
- Harvest the plants after three months. Dig around their root balls with a trowel. Place the discarded plants on a compost pile for decomposing. Test the soil with a soil test kit or take a sample into a local county extension service to determine the new nitrogen level.
- Plant corn or squash starts May through July if nitrogen levels are still too high. Till the soil to break up any large clumps. Plant corn starts 12 inches apart in rows spaced 30 inches apart. Plant squash starts four inches apart in rows spaced 24 inches apart. Water the starts thoroughly.
- Water the plants when the top few inches of soil begins to dry. Do not apply any fertilizer. Do not expect large vegetable yields from these plants. Dig up the plants in late September through October. Test the soil again in the spring.
- Mulch the soil in late September through early November. Add a 1- to-2-inch layer of sawdust or wood-chip mulch over the surface of the soil. Spread the mulch evenly over the soil with a rake.
- Leave the mulch on the soil throughout the winter, allowing it to use the excess nitrogen in the soil as it decomposes. Till the soil in the spring once the soil temperatures have warmed to above 40 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Gather soil samples from the tilled area. Test the samples to determine if enough nitrogen was removed. Plant nitrogen-using crops in the area if the nitrogen level is still too high.
How to reverse nitrogen burn on tomato plants
- Mulch around tomato plants with woods chips or sawdust. Spread a 1 or 2 inch layer in a 1-foot radius around the plant stem, but do not allow the mulch to come in contact with the plant. The wood mulch will draw nitrogen out of the soil over time.
- Water the plants with 5 to 10 inches of water to flush nitrogen out of the soil for three to five days, then resume normal watering. This will remove some of the nitrogen from the soil, but it will also flush out other nutrients. Do a soil test after a week and resume weekly fertilization with a low-nitrogen fertilizer.
- Plant nitrogen-sucking plants near the tomatoes to consume the excess nitrogen. Squash, cabbage or broccoli will draw in a large amount of nitrogen, reducing the amount of overall nitrogen in the soil.
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