When Good Intentions Go Bad: The Nitrogen Paradox Plaguing Long Island Landscapes
Every spring, countless Long Island homeowners grab their spreaders and head to their lawns with the best of intentions—feeding their grass to achieve that perfect green carpet. Yet many are unknowingly contributing to a growing environmental crisis that’s literally killing the very landscapes they’re trying to nurture. This is the nitrogen paradox: too little nitrogen and plants cannot thrive, leading to low crop yields; but too much nitrogen can be toxic to plants, and can also harm our environment.
The Science Behind the Paradox
Nitrogen is essential for plant life—it’s essential to plant growth, and therefore necessary for the food we grow. However, it is the leading cause of poor water quality in Long Island’s fresh, salt and ground waters. The problem occurs when nitrogen fertilizer is applied faster than plants can use it, creating a cascade of environmental issues.
When excess nitrogen accumulates in soil, several problems emerge. Excess nitrogen in soil will cause plants to grow more and more foliage and less and less fruits or flowers. This creates the frustrating scenario where what tends to result is an explosion of foliar growth, but at the expense of flower formation, fruit set, and root growth. It’s not uncommon to hear about really vigorous beets or carrot tops, where the vegetables produce lush, unruly, abundant leaves, but no root to speak of. We have heard about pea plants that seem to race skyward, but then produce few flowers that are followed by disappointingly few peas.
Long Island’s Unique Vulnerability
Long Island faces particular challenges with nitrogen pollution due to its geography and soil composition. Long Island’s soils are very sandy, resulting in rapid percolation of rainwater into the ground, which brings surface nutrients and chemicals down into groundwater. This makes the region especially susceptible to nitrogen leaching and contamination.
The scale of the problem is significant. On Long Island, fertilizer leaching into groundwater is the second largest source of nitrogen pollution, with excess nitrogen in fertilizer pollutes our waterways, negatively impacts aquatic life, and interferes with fishing, swimming and boating. In fact, fertilizer is the second leading source of nitrogen contamination of Long Island waters; residential wastewater is the primary source.
The environmental consequences are severe. Water-soluble nitrate is flushed out of soils in runoff, where it pollutes groundwater, streams, estuaries, and coastal oceans. This leads to eutrophication happens when too much nitrogen enriches the water, causing excessive growth of plants and algae, creating dead zones where aquatic life cannot survive.
Recognizing the Signs of Nitrogen Excess
Homeowners can identify nitrogen excess in their landscapes by watching for specific symptoms. Plants may exhibit excessive vegetative growth with poor flowering or fruiting. Too much fertilizer (applied too often or too much) can burn or desiccate roots, ultimately killing the plant. The irony is that well-meaning homeowners often respond to poor plant performance by adding more fertilizer, exacerbating the problem.
Solutions for Sustainable Landscaping
Breaking free from the nitrogen paradox requires a strategic approach to landscape management. Professional plant health care services can help homeowners develop customized fertilization programs that provide adequate nutrition without excess. Synthetic N fertilizers containing ammonium, nitrate, or noncoated forms of urea are considered to be “quick-release” fertilizers, which means that the N dissolves in water almost immediately after application to become plant-available. Because dissolved N can be an immediate environmental hazard (more information below), quick-release fertilizers should be applied to the landscapes at low rates (per single application).
One effective strategy is using slow, or “controlled-release” nitrogen fertilizers break down slowly, releasing small amounts of nutrients, which is good for steady plant growth and deep roots. This approach reduces the risk of nitrogen leaching while providing consistent nutrition to plants.
For properties already dealing with excess nitrogen, plants like squash, cabbage, broccoli and corn use up large amounts of nitrogen while growing. By growing these plants where there is too much nitrogen in soil, the plants will use up the excess nitrogen. However, while they will grow there, plants may look sickly and will not produce many fruits or flowers. Keep in mind that you are not growing these plants for food purposes, but rather as sponges that will help lower soil nitrogen content.
The Role of Professional Plant Health Care
Given the complexity of nitrogen management and its environmental implications, working with certified professionals becomes crucial. Companies like Jones Tree and Plant Care, serving Nassau and Suffolk Counties, understand the unique challenges facing Long Island landscapes. Their approach emphasizes scientifically based landscape management and delivering quality services… A total tree and plant care approach will improve growth, condition and curb appeal of your property, all while using environmentally sensitive, affordable treatments.
Professional plant health care providers can conduct soil tests to determine actual nutrient needs, develop customized fertilization schedules, and implement integrated management strategies that promote plant health while protecting Long Island’s precious water resources.
Moving Forward Responsibly
The nitrogen paradox doesn’t mean abandoning fertilization altogether—it means fertilizing smarter. The two primary ways to ensure fertilizer is not contributing to nitrogen pollution is to apply fertilizer at the correct time of the year and to make sure that irrigation is done correctly. By understanding the true needs of our landscapes and working with qualified professionals, Long Island homeowners can achieve beautiful, healthy gardens while protecting the environment for future generations.
The path forward requires balancing our desire for lush landscapes with our responsibility as environmental stewards. Through proper soil testing, strategic fertilization timing, and professional guidance, we can break free from the nitrogen paradox and create landscapes that truly thrive—both above and below ground.