Plants Essential Elements Macro and Micronutrients
Nutrients Are elements needed by a plant to promote healthy tissue, processes, and growth. When plants are lacking in nutrients have a deficiency and may have a number of symptoms: I. They will have a stunted appearance, II. Pale green or yellow color (chlorosis) may develop initially, but coloring can be related to the nutrient that is lacking III. A general appearance of being unhealthy.
Macro-Nutrients I. Macronutrients include three primary elements and three secondary elements. II. Three primary nutrients are Nitrogen (N), Phosphorus (P) and Potassium (K). III. Three secondary nutrients are Calcium (Ca), Magnesium (Mg) and Sulfur (S).
Macro: primary nutrients Nitrogen (N) Phosphorus (P) Potassium (K)
Nitrogen Promotes growth of leaves and stems Gives dark green color and improves quality of foliage Necessary to develop cell proteins and chlorophyll
Nitrogen Deficiency noted when leaves are a sick, yellow-green color Short stems, small leaves, pale colored leaves and flowers Slow and dwarfed plant growth
Phosphorus Stimulates early formation and growth of roots Provides fast and vigorous growth and speeds maturity Stimulates flowering and seed development
Phosphorus Symptoms of deficiency include slow maturity Older leaves are a purplish color Decrease in growth
Potassium Used to form carbohydrates and proteins Formation and transfer of starches, sugars, and oils Increases disease resistance, vigor, and hardiness
Potassium Deficiency symptoms include mottled, spotted, streaked or curled leaves Scorched, burned, dead leaf tips and margins
Macro: secondary nutrients Calcium (Ca) Magnesium (Mg) Sulfur (S)
Calcium Improves plant vigor Influences intake and synthesis of other plant nutrients Important part of cell walls
Calcium (C) Symptoms of deficiency include small developing leaves, wrinkled older leaves Dead stem tips
Magnesium (Mg) Influences the intake of other essential nutrients Helps make fats Assists in translocation of phosphorus and fats
Magnesium Deficiency symptoms include interveinal chlorosis-yellowing of leaves between green veins Leaf tips curl or cup upward Slender, weak stems
Sulfur (S) Promotes root growth and vigorous vegetative growth Essential to protein formation
Sulfur Deficiency symptoms include young leaves are light green with lighter colored veins Yellow leaves and stunted growth
Micronutrients Iron (Fe) Copper (Cu) Zinc (Zn) Boron (B) Manganese (Mn) Molybdenum (Mo) Chlorine (Cl)
Iron (Fe) Essential for chlorophyll production Helps carry electrons to mix oxygen with other elements
Iron Deficiency symptoms include mottled and interveinal chlorosis in young leaves Stunted growth and slender, short stems
Copper (Cu) Helps in the use of iron Helps respiration
Copper Deficiency symptoms include young leaves are small and permanently wilted Multiple bud at stem tips
Zinc (Z) Helps plant metabolism function Helps form growth hormones Aids in reproduction
Zinc Deficiency includes retarded growth between nodes (rosetted) New leaves are thick and small Spotted between veins, discolored veins
Boron (B) Affects water absorption by roots Translocation of sugars
Boron Deficiency symptoms include short, thick stem tips Young leaves of terminal buds are light green at base Leaves become twisted and die
Manganese (Mn) Aids in plant metabolism Helps in nitrogen transformation
Manganese (Mn) Deficiency symptoms include interveinal chlorosis Young leaves die
Molybdenum (Mo) Aids in plant development Reproduction
Molybdenum Deficiency symptoms include stunted growth Yellow leaves, upward curling leaves Leaf margin burn
Chlorine (C) Essential to some plant processes Acts in enzyme systems
Chlorine Usually there are more problems with too much chlorine or toxicity than with deficiency
Macro and Micro Nutrients Remember: C Ca Fe HOPKiNS Managed By My Cuzin MoCo ClZn Coloring in the Periodic Table: Non-Mineral Elements (Red) Primary (Green) Secondary (Purple) Micronutrients (Orange)