Nutrient Deficiencies

When a plant doesn’t get the nutrients it needs from the soil, it shows symptoms of the shortage. Since some of these symptoms can also result from pest or disease attack, inspect the plant and its growing conditions carefully before concluding that the problem, is nutritional.

The symptom most frequently noticed by gardeners everywhere is leaf yellowing due to nitrogen deficiency. Because nitrogen is needed in large quantities and leaches from the soil easily, it must be replenished on a regular basis.The other nutrients are either required in small amounts or don’t easily move through the soil, so they’re added only periodically or when a deficiency is noted.

 

Nutrient	Symptoms of deficiency	Bonide Best Solution
Major Nutrients
Nitrogen	Slow growth and stunting, uniform yellowing, starting on older leaves & spreading to whole plant, oldest leaves drop off	Nitrate of Soda
Phosphorous	Slow growth & stunting, poor flowering & fruiting; purpling of leaves on some plants	Bone Meal
Potassium	Slow growth, weak stalks, browning on tips & edges of older leaves, small fruit or shriveled seeds	Muriate of Potash
Secondary Nutrients
Calcium	Poor growth, death of growing points	Hydrated Lime
Magnesium	Yellowing between the veins on older leaves, with dead spots appearing suddenly, curling leaf edges	Hydrated Lime
Sulfur	General yellowing of leaves, stiff appearance of plant	Soil Acidifier, Aluminum Sulfate
Minor Nutrients
Zinc	Yellowing between the veins on young leaves, abnormally small new leaves	Zinc Sulfate
Iron	Yellowing between the veins on young leaves, with small veins also turning yellow	Iron Sulfate
Manganese	Yellowing between the veins on young leaves, with all veins remaining green, black spots next to veins	Zinc Sulfate
Copper	Stunted growth, sunken spots starting on youngest leaves, wilting leaf tips	Liquid Copper
Chlorine	Wilting, followed by loss of color	Iron Sulfate