Ornamental Foliar Nutritional Deficiency ID Guide

Ornamental Foliar Nutritional Deficiency ID Guide

1941 Ornamental Foliar Nutrient Deficiency ID

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Manganese deficient garcinia

Iron deficient peanut

Iron deficient philodendron

INTERVEINAL CHLOROSIS IN NEWER LEAVES

Cause and Notes: • Usually a lack of iron or manganese, sometimes both • It is not easy to tell the difference • Many plants have tendencies toward deficiencies of one or the other

Examples: • Azaleas and Ligustrum tend to be iron deficient • Oaks and Maples tend toward manganese deficiency

How to Correct: • Apply iron or manganese if you know which element is deficient • Apply both iron and manganese using Harrell’s MAX® IronMn Mg or Nitrate Plus

Vascular disease bauhinia

Boron deficient corypha

Virus on scaevola

MOUSE EAR IN NEWER LEAVES

Cause and Notes: • May be lack of nickel, molybdenum, or copper • Also caused by thrips, microscopic mites, or wind damage to juvenile foliage • Phytotoxicity from sprays is another possibility

Examples: • Seen on plants like loropetalum, poinsettia, and pecan

How to Correct: • Check for thrips and mites • Spray with a micronutrient blend that contains nickel and molybdenum • Harrell’s ProSoluble 17-5-17 or 14-2-14 both contain molybdenum

Sulfur deficient arboricola

Nitrogen deficient palm

Deficient rain tree

OVERALL PALE COLOR

Cause and Notes: • Often caused by a lack of sulfur

• Plants low on nitrogen tend to get pale and quit growing • Plants low on sulfur often get pale and keep growing • High light or heat levels can also contribute

Examples: • Weak color in an otherwise healthy looking plant is often seen in roses, scheffleras and pieris

How to Correct: • Spray with magnesium sulfate (Epsom salt) will often correct this • Adding Harrell’s ProSoluble 20-10-20 can be helpful

Phosphorus deficient ixora

Phosphorus deficient poinsettia

Phosphorus deficient gerbera

REDDISH OR PURPLE OLDER LEAVES

Cause and Notes: • Usually caused by phosphorus deficiency, especially in young plants • Most often a lack of chlorophyll in the older leaves • Secondary red pigments show through in the leaf when chlorophyll manufacture is compromised • Lack of Mg can also cause a reddish or purple color on older foliage • Manganese toxicity often shows as purple older leaves and stunting

Examples: • Seen in chrysanthemums, gerberas and impatiens

How to Correct: • Spray or drench with Harrell’s Phophorus Plus 3-30-3 or soluble 10-52-10 or 0-52-34

Potassium deficient heliconia

Potassium deficient aralia

Potassium deficient rhapis

SMALL BROWN SPOTS IN OLDER LEAVES

Cause and Notes: • Spots on newer and middle leaves may be fungal or bacterial disease • Plants in a block will tend to be affected, while others may not • Evenly distributed spots in older leaves may be K deficiency • K deficiency means stomates do not close properly, leading to localized desiccation and tiny brown spots in older leaves

Examples: • These symptoms are often seen on palms, maples and rhododendrons

How to Correct: • Spray with potassium nitrate, such as Harrell’s MAX® Potassium plus Calcium, or a top dress with K-Mag will often stop the progression of the symptom, but it won’t cure existing spots

Manganese zinc deficienct phoenix

Mites buttonwood

Nitrogen deficient cryptostegia

SMALL NEWER LEAVES

Cause and Notes: • May be a zinc deficiency, especially in tree crops, fruits and nuts • Inadequate nitrogen or copper are also possibilities • Low nitrogen can cause color issues in the middle and older leaves • When copper is low, new leaves are often extremely small How to Correct: • Use Harrell’s MAX® Minors or Non-Staining Micros, a broad spectrum micronutrient blend, as a foliar spray with some urea or potassium nitrate added • Zinc sulfate is also an effective foliar zinc source

Sulfur deficient fern

Calcium deficient strelitzia

Thrips on viburnum

THICK, BRITTLE LEAVES

Cause and Notes: • These leaves are thicker than usual and break easily • Often caused by microscopic mites, especially in hot, dry weather • Thrips injury can also give you something similar, though you also often see leaf scarring or distortion with feeding of thrips • Lack of boron, calcium or sulfur can also be a cause

Examples: • Seen on gerberas, New Guinea impatiens and some maples

How to Correct: • Sprays with calcium nitrate, Harrell’s MAX® Calcium 8.25%, or chelated calcium • Treat mite infestations as usual • Apply deficient elements as needed

Potassium deficient lily

Potassium deficient coffee

Potassium deficient tree

TIP BURN IN OLDER LEAVES

Cause and Notes: • Several possible causes, including boron toxicity, sodium toxicity, fluoride toxicity, potassium deficiency, or high soluble salt • Wind, heat or drought stress will often aggravate this symptom • A leaf analysis will help diagnose tip burn

Examples: • Seen in gingko, ornamental grasses and magnolias, among others

How to Correct: • Treat deficiencies with the nutrient that is lacking

Herbicide toxicity on mandevilla

Calcium deficient bougainvillea

Calcium deficient dieffenbachia

WEAK, THIN NEWER LEAVES

Cause and Notes: • This means the plant is likely not making good, sturdy cell walls • Lack of calcium is often the cause • Low light levels will often contribute to or aggravate this symptom • Can also be caused by herbicide injury

Examples: • Seen on philodendrons, many hanging basket varieties, even cannabis

How to Correct: • Sprays with calcium nitrate, Harrell’s MAX® Calcium 8.25%, or chelated calcium will often help • Some plants respond to foliar silicates as well • Harrell’s MAX® Potassium Silicate is an excellent source, which may also help with disease and insect resistance

Magnesium deficient rose

Magnesium deficient mulberry

Magnesium deficient spath

YELLOW CHLOROSIS IN OLDER LEAVES

Cause and Notes: • Usually a lack of nitrogen, magnesium or sulfur • Can also be caused by drought stress or root disease

• Deficiency of N, Mg or S will generally appear as a less dramatic but still very noticeable yellow leaf symptom in the older leaves

Examples: • Affected plants may include abelia, arboricola, magnolia and many bedding plants

How to Correct: • In the case of N, Mg or S deficiency, apply that nutrient

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