How to Use Ammonia Nitrate on My Yard

Add ammonium nitrate to the soil when preparing it for a vegetable garden. A soil test will determine which nutrients, and in what amounts, your soil needs. As a general rule of thumb, apply 8 lbs. of 4-12-12 fertilizer and 2 lbs. of ammonium nitrate per 100 square foot row. Use a gardening fork to mix the nitrogen into the top 10 inches of the soil.

Mix a handful of ammonium nitrate with the mulch you use around small fruits, such as blueberries, grapes and strawberries. Agriculturists with West Virginia University Extension Service suggest you do this for the first two years. After that, the mulch decays and adds nitrogen to the soil. Spread 2 to 3 inches of the amended mulch around your plants, keeping it at least 3 inches from the base of the plant and spread it to the dripline.

Sidedress your plants with ammonium nitrate by digging a 2- to 3-inch deep trench, 2 inches to the side of a row of vegetables or a landscape plant. Sprinkle the required amount of ammonium nitrate on the soil at the bottom of the trench. Fill the trench with soil and water to a depth of 6 inches. Sidedressing fertilizer keeps it from direct contact with the roots, thus avoiding burning them.