Nitrogen (N)
Nitrate - Ammonium is found in both inorganic
and organic forms in the plant, and combines with
carbon, hydrogen, oxygen and sometimes sulfur to form
amino acids, amino enzymes, nucleic acids, chlorophyll,
alkaloids, and purine bases. Nitrogen rates high as
molecular weight proteins in plant tissue.
Plants
need lots of N during vegging, but it's easy to overdo
it. Added too much? Flush the soil with plain water.
Soluble nitrogen (especially nitrate) is the form that's
the most quickly available to the roots, while insoluble
N (like urea) first needs to be broken down by microbes
in the soil before the roots can absorb it. Avoid
excessive ammonium nitrogen, which can interfere with
other nutrients.
Too much N delays flowering. Plants
should be allowed to become N-deficient late in
flowering for best flavor.
Nitrogen Deficiencies
Plants will exhibit
lack of vigor, slow growth and will be weak and stunted.
Quality and yield will be significantly reduced. Older
leaves become yellow (chlorotic) from lack of
chlorophyll. Deficient plants will exhibit uniform light
green to yellow on older leaves, these leaves may die
and drop. Leaf margins will not curled up noticeably.
Chlorosis will eventually spread throughout the plant.
Stems, petioles and lower leaf surfaces may turn purple.
