Looking at the disorders this week reminded me it’s not just the critical 3 - Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium which plants need. There are 10 other nutrients required for healthy growth .
Magnesium, Calcium, Sulphur count as part of the Major nutrient group and the rest as Minor nutrients. Minor means minute amounts but still essential.
Here are the first 5.
Magnesium: As we’ve seen when a plant has too little magnesium it loses the green sheen from its leaves. This is because magnesium builds chlorophyll, the pigment which makes plants green.
Calcium: As demonstrated by Blossom End Rot calcium is important in building cell walls. Its lack is especially noticeable in fruit. Apples for example suffer from Bitter Pit.
Sulphur: An important component of protein. Therefore an essential part of plant growth and deficieny can show up in yellowing leaves. But whereas with magnesium this was first made apparent in the older leaves, sulphur deficiency is seen by the yellowing of younger leaves.
Iron: Again used in the making of chorophyll so more yellow leaves – and as with sulphur – it is the younger ones. It’s presence is affected by calcium. Large amounts of calcium in a soil = too litte iron. So iron deficiency is more prevalent in alkaline soils.
Manganese: Yes – you’ve guessed . Part of chlorophyll formation. So again yellow leaves but older ones first this time.
(The yellowing of plant tissue is known as chlorosis. The foremost place this shows up is in the leaves. So is often refered to as Intervein chlorosis. What this means is that the veins of the leaf remain green but the other parts of the leaf turn yellow.)
