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Plant suffer from nutrient deficiencies too

Are your plants’ foliage suffering from discolouration or pigmentation? If you’ve ruled out pests or disease, your unhappy looking plants may be suffering from a nutrient deficiency. Plants need dozens of nutrients from the soil to thrive and a lack in any of them can result in the plant growing poorly. To help you narrow down the suspects these are the most common symptoms for nutrient deficiencies in plants. In most cases, a suitable fertiliser will help you combat the situation.

Signs of nutrient deficiencies in plants

Nitrogen

Leaves are small and light green; lower leaves lighter than upper ones; not much leaf drop; weak stalks.

Phosphorus

Dark-green foliage; lower leaves sometimes yellow between veins; purplish colour on leaves or petioles.

Potassium

Lower leaves may be mottled; dead areas near tips and margins of leaves; yellowing at leaf margins continuing toward centre.

Calcium

Tip of the shoot dies; tips of young leaves die; tips of leaves are hooked-shaped.

Magnesium

Lower leaves are yellow between veins (veins remain green); leaf margins may curl up or down or leaves may pucker; leaves die in later stages.

Sulphur

Tip of the shoot stays alive; light green upper leaves; leaf veins lighter than surrounding areas.

Iron

Tip of the shoot stays alive; new upper leaves turn yellow between veins (large veins remain green); edges and tips of leaves may die.

Manganese

Tip of the shoot stays alive; new upper leaves have dead spots over surface; leaf may appear netted because of small veins remaining green.

Boron

Tip of the shoot dies; stems and petioles are brittle.

Source: Illinois College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences

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