Chemical Nitrogen and Plant Appearance

[organichris]

I have noticed that there is a difference in appearance between seedlings grown with chemical fertilizers and those grown without them. I first noticed this when I visited Home Depot a couple weeks back. All the plants, regardless of variety, were dark green, stout, and the leaves might, in some cases, be thicker.

Then I gave some Box Car Willie plants to my father-in-law and he gave them a dose of blue stuff and some granular vegetable fertilizer. His all have that same appearance. Mine, though healthy, do not.

Now, don't get me wrong. My seedlings are all very healthy looking, and in no way do I mean to suggest that the chemical plants are better. But it is rather interesting to me. I know that I have plenty of available nitrogen in my soil and have regularly been watering with manure tea. The plants are vigorous and strong, but with the exception of one potato leaf variety none of my plants exhibit that dark green color.

So I know this post is sort of pointless, but since this is something I have never noticed before, I thought I'd see whether anyone else had observed this.

[tam91]

Interesting - I haven't fertilized my seedlings yet, but some are a very dark green and some very healthy, but more of a bright green. It seems to vary by variety.

[fortyonenorth]

You'll certainly see variation between different types. Also, organic sources of nitrogen take time to become available to the plant whereas chemical N can be available almost immediately. It gets back to the argument of feeding the plant vs. feeding the soil. Over the long haul, feeding the soil is the best bet, but for seedlings, it's sometimes beneficial to use non-organic for that quick fix.

[organichris]

Originally Posted by fortyonenorth

You'll certainly see variation between different types. Also, organic sources of nitrogen take time to become available to the plant whereas chemical N can be available almost immediately. It gets back to the argument of feeding the plant vs. feeding the soil. Over the long haul, feeding the soil is the best bet, but for seedlings, it's sometimes beneficial to use non-organic for that quick fix.

What I'm noticing, though, is less variation between plants at the major retailers. I don't know whether its the particular fertilizers they are using or what. I really don't think they are healthier-looking, and at the risk of sounding overly-dramatic, I would say they're a bit freakish - like steroidish even.

I didn't buy any tomato plants this year, but the last time I did I lived in a town where there was a lot of variation at the nurseries I visited.

This year most of what I see around Tulsa is Bonnie plants. They're like freaking Stepford plants. Its gotta be what they're feeding them. I'm not exaggerating. You can't tell a Cherokee Purple apart from a Better Boy by appearance. They all have the same uniform dark green color with lush leaves.

[outsiders71]

Are you sure the dark green is from the nitrogen in the chemical fertilizers and not from Magnesium? I just fertilized my containers of Egyptian Onions with Espoma Epsom Plus and it only took a day or two for my onion leaves to darken in color. I've noticed this effect to when foliar spraying plants with molasses tea.

[Chucker]

It's also possible they give them iron.

[feldon30]

Originally Posted by organichris

I have noticed that there is a difference in appearance between seedlings grown with chemical fertilizers and those grown without them. I first noticed this when I visited Home Depot a couple weeks back. All the plants, regardless of variety, were dark green, stout, and the leaves might, in some cases, be thicker.

This is not from chemical fertilizers (although I'm sure they use them). Seedlings are grown at 50 degrees, and sprayed with growth inhibitors to produce short, stocky seedlings.

This info is from someone who used to work for Bonnie's plants.

[organichris]

Originally Posted by feldon30

This is not from chemical fertilizers (although I'm sure they use them). Seedlings are grown at 50 degrees, and sprayed with growth inhibitors to produce short, stocky seedlings.

This info is from someone who used to work for Bonnie's plants.

Thanks, Feldon. Growth inhibitors? Wow. I don't know what growth inhibitors are, but I'm pretty sure I don't want them on my tomato plants.

But does that explain the dark green color? Of course I don't know that the nitrogen caused that. It was more or less a question I had. Magnesium? Iron? I don't know.

[feldon30]

Every year, I end up buying a seedling or two of tomato plants. I stick to locally grown or Chef Jeff's as they seem to be better.

After seeing all these stories of Bonnie's plant disease outbreaks, I just don't see any reason to grow them unless they're the only plants available.

[texasweed]

Well Leggy seedlings and young plants is caused by one or more of 3 reasons.

• To little sun light and the plant is accelerating trying to reach and search for more light.
• Too warm
• Too much nitrogen.

[organichris]

Originally Posted by feldon30

Every year, I end up buying a seedling or two of tomato plants. I stick to locally grown or Chef Jeff's as they seem to be better.

After seeing all these stories of Bonnie's plant disease outbreaks, I just don't see any reason to grow them unless they're the only plants available.

Yeah, I feel the same way - especially now that I know they bulk up their plants on roids (growth inhibitors). Admittedly I did buy some of their pepper plants because they were the only ones available - but no more!

[erlyberd]

I think its just a quicker releasing form of the chemical fertilizer, esp the N. So OGchris, Its time you start growing out all of your own stock and stop worring about the crap that big industry thinks you should be growing. To me that super dark green color looks fake and just not right. But I'm 100% organic, heirloom, open-pollenated and leave all the details to my self. Its very rewarding to know your crops are up and growing when others (not T'villian) are'nt even shoppping for the left overs. Its a beautiful thing and just another one our great freedoms in this country.

[johno]

The seedling growers probably use intense lighting as well.

[amideutch]

Giving seedlings the "Cold Treatment" will give you shorter, stalkier seedlings which commecial growers use when growing their plants. But they use their seedlings for tomato production versus selling the seedlings and do not use growth inhibitors.
By using growth inhibitors the seedling sellers can keep the growth in check and not have the seedlings go leggy on them prior to selling them to the retailers.
I too have noticed that PL seedlings generally are a darker green and more robust than their RL brothers. Ami

[Worth1]

My tomato seedlings are always short, stocky and dark green.
I also keep them on the cold side.

Worth