The myth is that plants LOVE ammonia as they can utilize the nitrogen from ammonia for growth.
The myth is that plants LOVE ammonia as they can utilize the nitrogen from ammonia for growth. This statement is a half-truth; plants do utilize ammonicial nitrogen very effectively growth. However, ammonia is also toxic at the same time, so while plants can utilize a small amount of ammonia during their growth window, they also suffer from toxicity when the water is saturated to high levels with it. Ammonia is both useful as well as toxic - plants can assimilate ammonia at the point of growth, but because of its toxicity, plants actually convert the ammonia to nitrate form in order to store it. The amount of ammonia that plants can uptake at any one time is small - the ideal scenario is where plants get a small, continual supply of it (usually through root contact in the substrate).