ammonia in a jug as fertilizer?

peppero · January 14, 2015

Since ammonia has nitrogen as one of its components can it be used diluted as a source nitrogen in a homemade fertilizer? If so, what percentages might be considered?

Jon

Worth1 · January 14, 2015

I always thought ammonia was a bi product from making nitrogen from air.
I have no idea how much nitrogen is even in ammonia.
Of course I could be totally wrong.
Well I checked and it does contain nitrogen, i was in the 7th grade the last time I read about it on any kind of serious level.
Be careful with what ever you do because it can react with lots of stuff and produce some really bad gases.
Been there and seen it happen.
Worth

Worth1 · January 14, 2015

Okay back again household cleaner has only about 5 to 10% ammonia in it.
In my opinion I really think we are going down the wrong path here.

But chemistry isn't my best subject I know just enough to stay out of trouble.

Worth

FLRedHeart · January 14, 2015

You can use ammonia in very dilute applications as long as it is pure ammonia, so you'd have to read the label carefully. Sorry about the underlines but it is playing with fire if you aren't careful. Amost everything labeled as ammonia contains surfactants a.k.a. high tech soaps, and other harsh chemicals that could burn your roots.

Nitrogen is contained in anything organic, as well as in some fertilizers. Plants are very sensitive to ammonia and even though they can use it in parts per million, too much of a good thing can give them ammonia burn and turn their roots black.

The other thing about it is that ammonia water is extremely basic in pH which if going over the roots is not much different that pouring nitric acid over them in a sense, which contains nitrogen also and plants love in ppm levels.

A better source of cheap ammonia is urea, found in fertilizer and ...

... It is nature's way of storing (detoxifying) ammonia and when returned to the soil microbes naturally control the release of it as they feast. That way you don't have to worry about how much to dilute so it is the cheapest way to deliver nitrogen to the roots in soil.

If I understand Worth's numbers, ammonia is say 7.5%. If you had pure ammonia and wanted to dilute it, what would the label NPK be? This: 0.075*82.3, where 82.3% is the amount of nitrogen in pur ammonia gas. I didn't check how the % is, whether it is w/w, v/v, w/v, etc. but if it is w/w, the NPK is 6.2-0-0. That is pretty expensive nitrogen, considering it is an industrial cleaner with all the impurities in it. The most ammonia I would use would be a 1/2000 dilution for that, meaning one teaspoon to about 3 gallons. But I would drop probably double the amount of vinegar in the bucket before adding it. It would only be an experiement, of the sort the neighbor's cat does to my plants now and then.

Labradors2 · January 14, 2015

I'd try this instead

http://www.inspirationgreen.com/four...ed-tomato.html

Linda

peppero · January 14, 2015

THANKS GUYS FOR TAKING THE TIME TO RESPOND.

jon

Cole_Robbie · January 14, 2015

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ammonia

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ammonium

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ammonium_nitrate

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ANFO

One of the conundrums of invading and occupying a country against their will is you either have to take away their fertilizer, which would largely starve them to death, or else they can make bombs out of it to fight back. It's a lose-lose scenario. If the occupied country is starving, they are not going to submit to the occupation.

I've always thought that the stockpile of ammonium nitrate in the US could do a lot more to defend this country against invasion than all of the guns in the US. Improvised explosives are a tremendous equalizer.

Worth1 · January 14, 2015

Quote:

Originally Posted by Labradors2

I'd try this instead

http://www.inspirationgreen.com/four...ed-tomato.html

Linda

I have some onions I'm taking a leak on in the yard as an experiment.
Thats right in the front yard at night.

It's disgusting.

Worth

Labradors2 · January 14, 2015

Quote:

Originally Posted by Worth1

I have some onions I'm taking a leak on in the yard as an experiment.
Thats right in the front yard at night.

It's disgusting.

Worth

Let us know how that goes and do watch out for your toes

.

Linda

peppero · January 14, 2015

Quote:

Originally Posted by Worth1

I have some onions I'm taking a leak on in the yard as an experiment.
Thats right in the front yard at night.

It's disgusting.

Worth

There is some good info on that site. Thanks for posting it.

jon

Redbaron · January 14, 2015

Quote:

Originally Posted by peppero

Since ammonia has nitrogen as one of its components can it be used diluted as a source nitrogen in a homemade fertilizer? If so, what percentages might be considered?

Jon

Why would you want to do that? It is an irritant to earth worms. That means you'll chase away or kill the worms. Even if successful and you avoided the problems of nitrogen burning and the problems of the other poison ingredients in household ammonia, and you avoided accidently brewing up the poisonous ammonium[1] instead of ammonia, you still are left with at best a one year solution that does more long term harm than good.

Try compost instead.

Worth1 · January 14, 2015

Quote:

Originally Posted by Redbaron

Why would you want to do that? It is an irritant to earth worms. That means you'll chase away or kill the worms. Even if successful and you avoided the problems of nitrogen burning and the problems of the other poison ingredients in household ammonia, and you avoided accidently brewing up the poisonous ammonium[1] instead of ammonia, you still are left with at best a one year solution that does more long term harm than good.

Try compost instead.

Scott you ever see the movie Seven Years In Tibet?
The monks shut down the new theatre project so they could move all of the earthworms to safety.
I loved it.

Worth

FLRedHeart · January 14, 2015

Quote:

accidently brewing up the poisonous ammonium instead of ammonia

The real problem here is just randomly tossing ammonia water can burn the roots just as much as randomly tossing concentrated MG or any nutrient especially ammonium-N.

Ammonium is only toxic above a certain range and if you don't make a mistake, it is a reasonable nutrient source as part of a well balanced plant food. Majestic brand ammonia water works fine at correct dilution, and is an ok nutrient as part of a well balanced plant food

. The difficulty with ammonia water is that dissolved gas is 99% and ammonium is only less than 1% of the N in the jug. So, when you put that in your soil, most of it really will annoy the worms like RedBaron said and instead of going into the ground you will smell it as it comes out of solution from the water and your ammonia gas nutrients float away.

Miracle Grow All-Purpose has 3.5% nitrogen from Ammonium, more than half as much as a 7.5% ammonia water product. All of it is from Ammonium sulfate.

Ammonium sulfate is just what you get mixing ammonia water with sulfuric acid. It is the same logic I used when I said to add vinegar just before irrigating with ammonia water if you wanted to experiment. Ammonium sulfate is very useful for acid loving crops like blueberries.

BigVanVader · January 14, 2015

Urine is the answer. We are born fertilizer making machines.

Redbaron · January 15, 2015

Quote:

Originally Posted by Worth1

Scott you ever see the movie Seven Years In Tibet?
The monks shut down the new theatre project so they could move all of the earthworms to safety.
I loved it.

Worth

Yes I saw that! I got a chuckle because I had long thought I am the only person on the planet that actually saves earthworms! I have since I was 5 !

January 14, 2015	#1
peppero Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: selmer, tn Posts: 2,944	ammonia in a jug as fertilizer? Since ammonia has nitrogen as one of its components can it be used diluted as a source nitrogen in a homemade fertilizer? If so, what percentages might be considered? Jon

January 14, 2015	#2
Worth1 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Den of Drunken Fools Posts: 38,539	I always thought ammonia was a bi product from making nitrogen from air. I have no idea how much nitrogen is even in ammonia. Of course I could be totally wrong. Well I checked and it does contain nitrogen, i was in the 7th grade the last time I read about it on any kind of serious level. Be careful with what ever you do because it can react with lots of stuff and produce some really bad gases. Been there and seen it happen. Worth Last edited by Worth1; January 14, 2015 at 01:19 PM.

January 14, 2015	#7
Cole_Robbie Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Illinois, zone 6 Posts: 8,407	https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ammonia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ammonium https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ammonium_nitrate https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ANFO One of the conundrums of invading and occupying a country against their will is you either have to take away their fertilizer, which would largely starve them to death, or else they can make bombs out of it to fight back. It's a lose-lose scenario. If the occupied country is starving, they are not going to submit to the occupation. I've always thought that the stockpile of ammonium nitrate in the US could do a lot more to defend this country against invasion than all of the guns in the US. Improvised explosives are a tremendous equalizer. Last edited by Cole_Robbie; January 14, 2015 at 03:33 PM.

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January 14, 2015	#4
FLRedHeart Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2014 Location: FL 8b/9a Posts: 262	You can use ammonia in very dilute applications as long as it is pure ammonia, so you'd have to read the label carefully. Sorry about the underlines but it is playing with fire if you aren't careful. Amost everything labeled as ammonia contains surfactants a.k.a. high tech soaps, and other harsh chemicals that could burn your roots. Nitrogen is contained in anything organic, as well as in some fertilizers. Plants are very sensitive to ammonia and even though they can use it in parts per million, too much of a good thing can give them ammonia burn and turn their roots black. The other thing about it is that ammonia water is extremely basic in pH which if going over the roots is not much different that pouring nitric acid over them in a sense, which contains nitrogen also and plants love in ppm levels. A better source of cheap ammonia is urea, found in fertilizer and ... ... It is nature's way of storing (detoxifying) ammonia and when returned to the soil microbes naturally control the release of it as they feast. That way you don't have to worry about how much to dilute so it is the cheapest way to deliver nitrogen to the roots in soil. If I understand Worth's numbers, ammonia is say 7.5%. If you had pure ammonia and wanted to dilute it, what would the label NPK be? This: 0.075*82.3, where 82.3% is the amount of nitrogen in pur ammonia gas. I didn't check how the % is, whether it is w/w, v/v, w/v, etc. but if it is w/w, the NPK is 6.2-0-0. That is pretty expensive nitrogen, considering it is an industrial cleaner with all the impurities in it. The most ammonia I would use would be a 1/2000 dilution for that, meaning one teaspoon to about 3 gallons. But I would drop probably double the amount of vinegar in the bucket before adding it. It would only be an experiement, of the sort the neighbor's cat does to my plants now and then.

January 14, 2015	#5
Labradors2 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2013 Location: Ontario Posts: 3,896	I'd try this instead http://www.inspirationgreen.com/four...ed-tomato.html Linda

January 14, 2015	#14
BigVanVader Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2014 Location: Greenville, South Carolina Posts: 3,099	Urine is the answer. We are born fertilizer making machines.