Plant Nutrient Deficiencies

What does a Potassium deficiency look like?

• Yellow stems

• Yellow edges and tips

• Yellow spots

• Brown edges and tips

How do you fix a Potassium Deficiency?

• Replace all of the soil and replant

• Mix egg shells into the soil.

• Bury citrus rinds in the soil. Add compost rich in fruit or vegetable waste.

• Water plant twice a day until the yellowing goes away.

What does a Nitrogen deficiency look like?

• Tip and center veins become yellow.

• Yellow spots appear under the leaf.

• The stem turns yellow.

• The whole leaf turns yellow.

How do you fix a Nitrogen Deficiency?

• Add drainage, like pebbles or sand, to the soil.

• Add fertilizer to the soil and leaves.

• Move the plant into full sun.

• Add organic compost, like manure or coffee grounds, to the soil.

What does a Calcium deficiency look like?

• The entire leaf turns yellow.

• The leaves become misshapen.

• The leaves fall off easily.

• The leaves have yellow spots on them.

How do you fix a Calcium deficiency?

• Test the pH balance of the soil. For alkaline soil, use gypsum. For acidic soil, use lime.

• Add salt to the soil.

• Water the plant twice a day.

• Replant in a pot with better drainage.

What does a Zinc deficiency look like?

• Leaves seem faded, showing light discoloration between the veins.

• The leaves are dark around the edges.

• The stem turns bright yellow.

• The leaves are yellow in the center.

How do you fix a Zinc deficiency?

• Mix the soil with egg shells.

• Place the plant in full sun.

• Spray the plant with kelp extract.

• Treat the soil for high acidity.

What does an Iron deficiency look like?

• The veins of the leaf turn yellow.

• The stem turns yellow.

• The leaves shrivel and fall off.

• The leaf turns yellow with small green veins.

How do you fix an Iron deficiency?

• Reduce watering to every other day.

• Test the pH level of your soil. Reduce the pH to under 7, then reduce amounts of Phosphorus in the soil.

• Add vegetable or fruit compost to the soil.

• Add animal product, like chicken bones, to the soil.