What Happens When Plants Don’t Get the Required Amounts of Minerals?
Not all mineral deficiencies in plants are obvious. Some are difficult to determine or differentiate from other deficiencies. Here are some of the more common symptoms and implications of plants not getting needed minerals in sufficient quantities.
PRIMARY NUTRIENTS
• Nitrogen (N) - The oldest leaves, generally at the bottom of the plant turn yellow.
• Phosphorus (P) - Tips of new leaves appear burnt. Older leaves turn red or purple.
• Potassium (K) - Older leaves look wilted and burned on the margins
SECONDARY NUTRIENTS
• Calcium (Ca) - Newest leaves, generally at the top of the plant, look misshapen or distorted.
• Magnesium (Mg) - Edges of older leaves turn yellow.
• Sulfur (S) - All leaves turn yellow, starting at the youngest leaves and working their way through the oldest in succession.
MICRONUTRIENTS
• Boron (B) - Youngest leaves are splotchy yellow and new growth is misshapen and brittle.
• Chlorine (Cl) - Leaves start to wilt and die at the margins, then the entire leaf curls and dies.
• Copper (Cu) - Leaves are stunted and abnormally dark green.
• Iron (Fe) - Veins of young leaves turn yellow (chlorosis).
• Manganese (Mo) - Yellowing between the veins of the youngest leaves, but not as pronounced as an Iron deficiency.
• Molybdenum (Mb) - Oldest leaves turn yellow while the rest of the plant turns light green.
• Nickel (Ni) - Leaf tips die, newer leaves are undersized and veins are yellow.
• Zinc (Zn) - Outer leaves at the end of each stem are misshapen and turn yellow between the leaf veins.