What do Nutritional Deficiencies in Plants Look Like

The next 10 days will be a great time to fertilize your plants if they are showing signs of nutritional deficiencies.  If you are using organic fertilizer, remember you have to fertilize more frequently because the fertilizer has lower numbers (3-4-3 or 4-5-4).  If you used 10-10-10, think back to when you put it down and how long is it supposed to last.

Remember to look at the instructions on the package the fertilizer came in to figure out

the proper amount to use and how frequently to use it!

How can you tell if plants are having problems?
Look at the plants in this picture and try to answer the following questions.

Kale and Cabbage

 

Are the plants stunted?

Think about when you put them in and check the tags to see how big they should be. If they have barely grown and they weren't miniatures, they are probably stunted.  Fertilize!

 

Do they just look puny (as in they grew but aren't as big as other plants near by)?

Maybe the plants have grown but they seem to have stalled out and just aren't as healthy and vigorous as plants in other beds. Check when they were last fertilized. If necessary fertilize!

 

Are the leaves chlortic ie yellowish?

This means are the leaves yellowish or a lighter green in places. Look at the kale above. The leaves are turning yellow. Fertilize!  (The leaves on all the peas have turned yellow but that was because of cold/frost damage. They were a beautiful green before the freeze last week.)

 

Are the leaves purple or pink?

If you aren't growing purple cabbage, Swiss chard, or another "on purpose" purple leaved plant, your plant is suffering mightily. The deeper the color the more they are suffering. Fertilize immediately!

 

 

How frequently are you watering?

If you are only watering once a week that isn't nearly enough. The plant has reverted to survival mode and is intent on just maintaining what it has. And sometimes that includes letting leaves die on purpose so it has less vegetation to keep alive - example the kale in the first picture.

Are you watering before heavy frosts/freezes?

Plants withstand the stress of cold weather MUCH better if they have been watered deeply before a frost/freeze occurs. Everyone needs to water deeply (even those using row covers) the day before the frost hits. Your plants will thank you.

 

Some beds will have more cold damage than others because of their placement in the garden. Even though Mark (Beds 45 & 46) waters frequently, his broccoli leaves have yellowed AND purple areas on them which is cold damage because his bed is the first to get frosted.

                                    Vicki