| Element: |
Symptom: |
Solution: |
Example: |
Example: |
| Nitrogen |
Older leaves paler and small; general yellowing.
Small imperfectly formed roots. Reduced growth. |
Add liquid nitrogen for fast response, afalfa meal, blood meal are good to incorporate in soils. |
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| Phosphorous |
Leaves on young plants are purple. Depressed fruit and seed formation; delayed ripening, poor quality fruits, reduced flowering. |
Deficiency is common in cold soils warm soils before planting with plastic. |
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| Potassium |
Yellowing/browning on margins of lower leaves, plants will wilt easily; fruits are small and do not store well with blotching internal color. |
Improve soil structure, add organic matter. Plant based seaweed meal and manures are a good source of potassium. |
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| Sulfur |
General yellowing of younger leaves first, then entire plant; uncommon plus hard to distinguish from nitrogen deficiency. |
Adding manure should provide enough available sulfur to be adequate in most soils. |
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| Calcium |
Younger leaves pale; terminal buds die; sunken, darkened tissue on fruits of tomato and apple.
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Add gypsum or Calcium nitrate
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| Magnesium |
Middle or lower leaves yellow in between leaf veins; veins appear green; interveinal browning plus spots, cupped leaves; reduced growth |
Uncommon in Montana but can be added in the form of dolomitic lime unless pH is high. Spraying with Epsom salts (magnesium sulphate) is effective. |
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| Iron |
Yellowing between veins of youngest leaves; entire crown of new leaves turns pale, whitish-yellow. |
Iron deficiencies are common on high pH soils or poorly drained. Lower pH with sulfur. Add iron in a chelate form. |
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| Boron |
Buds die, seedlings stunted, leaves cupped with brown margins; fruits are cracked with internal dark spots, fruit tree branches have brown, dead, cracked areas on bark |
Be careful when adding boron; only small amounts needed and it can easily be over applied |
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