ORGANIC FARMING COURSE AGRO-ECONOMY
7 1 FERTILIZER – 7.17 - PLANT
DEFICIENCY
PLANT DEFICIENCIES IN YOUR
GARDEN + FIXES
When you have a Garden full of
vegetables and herbs this Spring, here is a great chart you can use to spot
mineral deficiencies in your plants. Fruit and vegetables and plants grown in
containers are all vulnerable. Yellow or reddish coloured leaves, stunted
growth and poor flowering are all common symptoms of nitrogen, magnesium, or
potassium deficiency.
NITROGEN DEFICIENCY
You will notice spindly yellow
plants or yellow leaves, sometimes with pink tints. Nitrogen promotes green,
leafy growth and deficiency results in yellowing and stunted growth. Nitrogen
is very soluble and is easily washed out of the soil in winter rains. leaving
the soil deficient in spring. Nitrogen deficiency is a common cause of yellow
leaves in spring.
TO FIX:
In the long term, mulching
with organic matter (such as well rotted garden compost or manure) provides a
steady trickle of nitrogen to stabilize levels. In the short term, applying
high nitrogen fertilizers such as sulphate of ammonia or poultry manure pellets
will fix the problem.
POTASSIUM DEFICIENCY
You will notice yellow or
purple leaf-tints with browning at the leaf edge and poor flowering or
fruiting. Potassium is needed for controlling both water uptake and the process
allowing plants to harness energy from the sun (photosynthesis). Potassium
promotes flowering, fruiting, and general hardiness. Shortages are more likely
on light, sandy or chalky soils where potassium is easily washed away.
TO FIX: Apply high potassium
fertilizers such as sulphate of potash, tomato feed or an organic potassium
source derived from sugar beet processing.
PHOSPHORUS DEFICIENCY
You will notice slow growth
and dull yellow foliage. Phosphorus is needed for healthy roots and shoot
growth. Soil shortages of phosphorus are rare, but may occur in areas with high
rainfall and heavy clay soil.
TO FIX: Apply fertilizers such as
super phosphate or bone meal.
MAGNESIUM DEFICIENCY
You will notice yellowing
between the leaf veins, sometimes with reddish brown tints and early leaf fall.
Magnesium deficiency is common in tomatoes, apples, grape vines, raspberries,
roses and rhododendrons. Magnesium is needed for healthy leaves and for plants
to harness energy from the sun (photosynthesis). Soil shortages of magnesium
are more common on light, sandy soils. Over-use of high-potassium fertilizers
(such as tomato feed) can cause magnesium deficiency, as plants take up
potassium in preference to magnesium.
TO FIX: In the short term, apply Epsom
salts as a foliar feed in summer. Dilute the salts at a rate of 20g of Epsom
salts per litre of water (1/3 oz per pint) plus a few drops of liquid
detergent. Apply once a week, spraying in dull weather to avoid leaf scorch. In
the long term, apply to the soil around the roots either Dolomite limestone
(calcium-magnesium carbonate) at 4 oz per sq. yd or Epsom salts (magnesium sulphate)
at 1 oz per sq. yd.
MANGANESE + IRON DEFICIENCIES
You will notice yellowing
between the leaf veins with browning of leaf edges on acid-loving plants.
Manganese and iron are important for allowing plants to harness the energy of
the sun (photosynthesis). Soil shortages are rare, but manganese and iron can
be unavailable to plant roots in alkaline conditions.
TO FIX: Apply chelated iron and
manganese treatments, such as Sequestrene, to the soil around the plant roots.
BORON DEFICIENCY
You will notice stunted growth
and tip die back on lettuce, brown cracks in celery; rotten swedes, turnips and
celeriac. Boron is required for healthy plant cell formation. Soil shortages
are rare, but this nutrient can be less available to plant roots in alkaline
conditions.
TO FIX: Treat by applying borax
(disodium tetraborate) to the soil before sowing vegetables. Soil application
rates for borax are: 1 oz per 20 sq yd. Mix well with a large quantity of light
sand before spreading so that the chemical is evenly distributed.
KOZI YA KILIMO HAI KILIMO-UCHUMI
7 1 MBOLEA – 7.17 - UPUNGUFU WA
MIMEA
PANDA UPUNGUFU KWENYE BUSTANI YAKO
+ REKEBISHO
Unapokuwa na Bustani iliyojaa mboga
mboga na mimea msimu huu wa kuchipua, hapa kuna chati nzuri unayoweza kutumia
ili kuona upungufu wa madini kwenye mimea yako. Matunda na mboga mboga na mimea
iliyopandwa kwenye vyombo vyote viko hatarini. Majani ya rangi ya manjano au
nyekundu, kudumaa kwa ukuaji na maua duni ni dalili za kawaida za upungufu wa
nitrojeni, magnesiamu au potasiamu.
UPUNGUFU WA NITROJINI
Utaona mimea ya rangi ya njano au
majani ya njano, wakati mwingine yenye rangi ya pink. Nitrojeni inakuza ukuaji
wa kijani, majani na matokeo ya upungufu katika ukuaji wa njano na kudumaa.
Nitrojeni huyeyushwa sana na huoshwa kwa urahisi kutoka kwenye udongo katika
mvua za msimu wa baridi. kuacha udongo upungufu katika spring. Upungufu wa
nitrojeni ni sababu ya kawaida ya majani ya njano katika spring.
KUTENGENEZA:
Kwa muda mrefu, kuweka matandazo na
mabaki ya viumbe hai (kama vile mboji ya bustani iliyooza au samadi) hutoa
mtiririko wa nitrojeni ili kuleta utulivu. Kwa muda mfupi, uwekaji wa mbolea za
nitrojeni nyingi kama vile salfa ya amonia au vidonge vya samadi ya kuku
vitasuluhisha tatizo.
UPUNGUFU WA POTASSIUM
Utaona rangi za manjano au zambarau
zenye rangi ya kahawia kwenye ukingo wa jani na maua hafifu au matunda.
Potasiamu inahitajika ili kudhibiti uchukuaji wa maji na mchakato wa kuruhusu
mimea kutumia nishati kutoka kwa jua (photosynthesis). Potasiamu inakuza maua,
matunda, na ugumu wa jumla. Uhaba unaweza kutokea kwenye udongo mwepesi,
mchanga au chaki ambapo potasiamu huoshwa na maji kwa urahisi.
KUREKEBISHA: Weka mbolea ya
potasiamu ya juu kama vile salfa ya potashi, malisho ya nyanya au chanzo cha
potasiamu hai inayotokana na usindikaji wa beet ya sukari.
UPUNGUFU WA PHOSPHORUS
Utagundua ukuaji wa polepole na
majani ya manjano yaliyokauka. Fosforasi inahitajika kwa mizizi yenye afya na
ukuaji wa shina. Upungufu wa udongo wa fosforasi ni nadra, lakini unaweza
kutokea katika maeneo yenye mvua nyingi na udongo mzito wa udongo.
YA KUREKEBISHA: Weka mbolea kama
vile superphosphate au unga wa mifupa.
UPUNGUFU WA MAGNESIUM
Utaona njano kati ya mishipa ya
majani, wakati mwingine na rangi nyekundu ya kahawia na kuanguka kwa majani
mapema. Upungufu wa magnesiamu ni wa kawaida katika nyanya, apples, mizabibu ya
zabibu, raspberries, roses na rhododendrons. Magnesiamu inahitajika kwa majani
yenye afya na kwa mimea kutumia nishati kutoka kwa jua (photosynthesis). Upungufu
wa udongo wa magnesiamu ni kawaida zaidi kwenye udongo mwepesi, wa mchanga.
Utumiaji mwingi wa mbolea za potasiamu (kama vile malisho ya nyanya) unaweza
kusababisha upungufu wa magnesiamu, kwani mimea huchukua potasiamu badala ya
magnesiamu.
YA KUREKEBISHA: Kwa muda mfupi, weka chumvi za Epsom kama malisho ya
majani wakati wa kiangazi. Punguza chumvi kwa kiwango cha 20g ya chumvi ya
Epsom kwa lita moja ya maji (1/3 oz kwa pinti) pamoja na matone machache ya
sabuni ya maji. Omba mara moja kwa wiki, ukinyunyiza katika hali ya hewa tulivu
ili majani yasiungue. Kwa muda mrefu, weka kwenye udongo unaozunguka mizizi ama
chokaa cha Dolomite (calcium-magnesium carbonate) katika oz 4 kwa sq.yd au
chumvi za Epsom (sulphate ya magnesiamu) kwa oz 1 kwa sq.
MANGANESE + UPUNGUFU WA CHUMA
Utagundua rangi ya manjano kati ya mishipa ya majani na rangi ya kingo
za majani kwenye mimea inayopenda asidi. Manganese na chuma ni muhimu kwa
kuruhusu mimea kutumia nishati ya jua (photosynthesis). Uhaba wa udongo ni
nadra, lakini manganese na chuma hazipatikani kwa kupanda mizizi katika hali ya
alkali.
KUREKEBISHA: Weka matibabu ya chuma chelated na manganese, kama vile
Sequestrene, kwenye udongo unaozunguka mizizi ya mmea.
UPUNGUFU WA BORON
Utaona ukuaji kudumaa na ncha kufa nyuma juu ya lettuce, kahawia nyufa
katika celery; swedes iliyooza, turnips na celeriac. Boroni inahitajika kwa
malezi ya seli za mmea zenye afya. Upungufu wa udongo ni nadra, lakini
kirutubisho hiki kinaweza kupatikana kidogo kwa kupanda mizizi katika hali ya
alkali.
YA KUREKEBISHA: Tibu kwa kupaka borax (disodium tetraborate) kwenye
udongo kabla ya kupanda mboga. Viwango vya matumizi ya udongo kwa borax ni: oz
1 kwa yadi 20 za mraba. Changanya vizuri na kiasi kikubwa cha mchanga mwepesi
kabla ya kuenea ili kemikali isambazwe sawasawa.
