Deficiency symptoms in plants occur when they do not have enough nutrients available. The most important are nitrogen, minerals such as magnesium and calcium and trace elements such as iron.
Just as important are oxygen, hydrogen and carbon, which plants get from the air and water. Only when the required nutrients are available in sufficient quantities will the plants develop splendidly, bloom abundantly and last a long time.
The plants usually show a lack of nutrients quite clearly. How do you recognize the deficiency?
Nitrogen deficiency
Nitrogen is extremely important for growth. The leaf color is also regulated by the nutrient. Nitrogen deficiency always shows itself only in the lower part of the plants. It is important to know that too much nitrogen can also lead to damage. One recognizes surpluses
- yellow leaves indicate a lack of nitrogen
- so are white roots and stunted flowers
- The overall color of the plant is very light, light green to yellow-green
- Symptoms show up from below on the entire plant
- Plant growth is significantly less, the stems are short and thin.
Calcium deficiency
Calcium is important for growth. It is built into the plant cell wall. Tomatoes and other vegetables need a lot of calcium.
- Calcium deficiency can be recognized by brownish spots, e.g. B. with apples
- rotten flowers, e.g. B. with tomatoes
- poorly growing roots, they remain short, dark brown to black in color
- Blossom end rot in fruits
- Leaf margin and inner leaf necrosis in vegetables
Magnesium deficiency
Magnesium is important for the leaf color. Magnesium deficiency is shown by yellowed leaves on foliage and green-yellowish stripes on pine needles.
- Symptoms on the entire plant or strongly localized on older parts of the plant
- The leaves turn yellow, sometimes drying up, starting from the leaf tip
- usually the leaf margins are still green
- thin stems
- long roots with few branches
Potassium deficiency
Potassium is important. It ensures the stability of the plant cell wall. It is also crucial for metabolism. Late top dressing with potassium is important. This strengthens the plants and makes them more resistant to frost, but also to pests.
- Potassium deficiency shows through poor growth
- withered looking plants
- torn vegetables, e.g. B. tomatoes
- Leaf margins curved up and down
- older leaves die off in abundance
- Long roots, few lateral roots, yellowish and slimy color
- in conifers, the needles are discolored from red to reddish brown
Phosphorus deficiency
Phosphorus deficiency is rare. There is usually enough in the soil. Phosphorus is important for the development of the fruit, flower and root. A lot of phosphorus is required, especially during the growth and flowering phase.
- A lack of phosphorus can be recognized by the general growth stoppage.
- Plants dark to blue-green
- lower leaves dry up
Iron deficiency
Iron deficiency often occurs in highly acidic soil
- on top leaves, younger to medium leaves first
- yellow-green, then lemon-yellow discoloration (chlorosis) - lightening of the leaves
- the sharply defined green leaf veins are easy to see
- if there is a long shortage, all will Leaves yellow
- Stems thinner and shorter
- later brown Necrosis on the leaves, always starting from the edge
- short root, many lateral roots, discolored brown
The editors' conclusion
Plants need nutrients, but always the right ones and, above all, in the right amount and at the right time. You shouldn't fertilize wildly. Every plant has different requirements. You should inform yourself about these!
