7 1 FERTILIZER – 7.17 - PLANT DEFICIENCY

 

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.