Nitrogen, as an abundant element in the air, is essential for plant growth and development.
Why is nitrogen so important for lawns?
It encourages vegetative growth, so that your lawn can hold its lush green color. When your grass is missing this nutrient, it will browning losing its appeal.
Because nitrogen is so important, homeowners, managers of sports fields, and everyone else who loves the sight of lush green grass is always adding nitrogen to the soil for this reason.
Even though nitrogen is the most abundant gas in the atmosphere and the soil has so much of the element, nitrogen in pure form is unusable by the plants.
Instead, we must rely on nitrogen-fixing bacteria to convert nitrogen into a form we can use.
Common sources of nitrogen
Here’s how you can feed nitrogen to your grass to make it green and healthy.
Organic sources
The most common organic nitrogen source is animal waste – manure.
Other sources include activated sewer sludge and naturally occurring products like fish meal and guano.
Organic nitrogen develops from microorganisms breaking down organic matter, and allows for slow decomposition and release of by-products into the soil, creating zero leach potential.
As a Result – Organic sources are considered to be non-burn potential – meaning you can’t burn your grass, no matter how much you apply.
Additionally, organic nitrogen sources not only feed your grass, they also improve soil health.
They do not saturate the soil or create infetile soil like other fertilizer sources.
Inorganic sources
The most common source of nitrogen is inorganic fertilizer.
They are common because of availability and ease – most farmers would buy off-the-shelf fertilizers than wait for months for organic fertilizers to make.
Which are the main nitrogen fertilizers?
There are two main types of fertilizer: quick-release and slow-release nitrogen fertilizers.
Quick-release fertilizers are water soluble and highly available for the plants.
Although they are effective for only a short time and more likely to leach away.
Slow-release fertilizers release their components over longer time periods.
Which also means they are less likely to leach.
How much fertilizer is enough?
This question cannot be answered exactly because many variables determine how much nitrogen your grass needs.
Some variables might include:
- The type of grass is significant: some grasses require more nitrogen. Read the planner’s guide to see how much nitrogen your lawn will need.
- Grass maturity: generally, new grass requires more nitrogen than established grass.
- Traffic: you will need more nitrogen if a lot of people regularly walk on your lawn.
- Shade: grass in a field needs more nitrogen than grass in shaded areas.
- Nitrogen availability: if you leave cut grass on your lawn, you will need less nitrogen, because the clippings provide nutrients for the grass to grow.
What’s the best time to apply nitrogen?
Fall is the best time to fertilize your lawn with nitrogen fertilizer.
The spring does have some benefits to nitrogen, but homeowners can overdo it, and nitrogen will have a negative impact.
The reason autumn is the perfect time for nitrogen application is that the majority of grasses will grow this time of year.
The only downside to growth in autumn is that growth rates will typically decline, which makes the fall season ideal for applying fertilizer and getting a little push of growth.
In particular, the plants are using some nitrogen for growth and reserving the rest in the roots.
Synthetic sources
Synthetic nitrogen primarily comes from urea and its derivatives, including:
- Isobutylidenediurea
- Resin-coated urea
- Sulfur-coated urea
Urea in its pure form is a fast-release product, but when urea is combined with other materials, it is slower-to-release, with the release rate dependent on the thickness of the coating, moisture, and temperature of the soil.
Nitrogen deficiency
Nitrogen is a macronutrient whose deficiency causes significant problems to grass.
But what causes deficiency?
What are its symptoms?
How do you treat it?
Causes of nitrogen deficiency
The most common causes of nitrogen deficiency include:
- Insufficient nitrogen supply: if your soils are lacking in nitrogen and you’re not using any kind of fertilization, your grass will suffer.
- Nitrogen depletion: when you vegetative through plants multiple times, nitrogen levels diminish naturally.
- Damaged roots: if grass has been damaged, it does not absorb nutrients, and a deficiency results.
- Excess chloride, manganese, and potassium: these compounds, when found in high amounts, can also limit nitrogen absorption.
- Improper pH: the acidity or alkalinity of your garden soil does effect whether nitrogen gets absorbed.
Symptoms of nitrogen deficiency
The primary and most recognizable sign of nitrogen deficiency are yellow leaves.
Nitrogen is crucial in forming chlorophyll and the lack of nitrogen means that chlorophyll cannot be formed; therefore, the leaves will turn gradually yellow, they will lose their characteristic green color.
Over Time – The leaves will begin to become brown and then fall off. Also, grass which is deficient in nitrogen, will grow slowly. When new leaves come out, they will look weak and unhealthy.
If you do not intervene during this time, the grass will look unattractive and become a nuisance.
How to get rid of nitrogen deficiency
If you observe the symptoms mentioned earlier, your best option is to consult an expert.
An expert will visit to determine your lawn and grass type and suggest the right course of action.
In most cases, treatment is simply application of fertilizer into the roots and/or spraying your leaves.
Organic matter such as compost and manure is an excellent source of nitrogen for the long term.
Please note that you should not apply organic matter that has high levels of carbon (like sawdust), for example.
The microorganisms in the soil use a lot of nitrogen to break down the carbon, and the carbon can increase the deficiency occurring in your lawn.
Side effects of nitrogen
Sometimes, nitrogen might adversely affect grass, soil, and the environment.
In most cases, such effects result from excessive application:
- Excess nitrogen first results in an imbalance of nutrients. When this occurs other nutrients become irrelevant, leading to poor plant health and vigor. Additionally, too much nitrogen can lead to increased harmful substances like aluminum.
- Second, nitrogen is, in fact, highly soluble in water. When nitrogen dissolves in water, rainwater can transport it into large water bodies, which stimulates algae growth (known as eutrophication). In some cases excess nitrogen can harm marine life.
- Finally, nitrogen promotes plant growth. When applied at increased levels/amounts, unwanted plants (weeds, etc.) will also thrive.
These plants might overwhelm your grass in the competition for nutrients, resulting in a deficiency.
Wrapping Up
Many would argue that nitrogen is the single most important nutrient to plant development.
It is used to develop chlorophyll, the food that green plants use to sustain themselves.
Without this nutrient, a plant cannot produce food or nutritionally sustain itself, eventually wilting and dying.
However, you should always check the amount of nitrogen applied to your grass.
Too much nitrogen leads to multiple side effects on the plant, soil, and environment.