| Mineral |
Functions |
Deficiency |
Excess |
| Boron |
Micronutrient. Important for phloem transport and cell elongation. Aids production of sugars. Essential for fruit & seed development. |
Growing tips become deformed or die, also leaf discolouration. |
Leaf tips yellow & die. Leaves look scorched & fall. |
| Calcium |
Secondary macronutrient. Many functions including structural integrity of cells & growing tips. |
Reduced growth, deformation or death of growing tips. Poor fruit development. |
May cause deficiency in either magnesium or potassium. |
| Carbon |
From CO2 in air, essential to build sugars. |
N/A |
N/A |
| Chlorine |
Micronutrient. Important in fluid balance & in breaking down water for photosynthesis. |
Club roots. Wilted leaves becoming bronze, chlorotic then dying. |
Salt injury causing leaf burn. |
| Copper |
Micronutrient. Transition metal. Important in electron transport & reproductive growth. Aids in root metabolism and helps in the utilization of proteins. |
Similar to Iron deficiency if soil acidic. |
May cause distortion of new growth. Can occur in peat potting composts. |
| Hydrogen |
From H2O, essential to build sugars. |
N/A |
N/A |
| Iron |
Micronutrient. Transition metal. Important for enzyme synthesis & function. Electron transfer processes and chlorophyll synthesis. |
Chlorosis. Yellow/white interveinal areas on young upper leaves leading to areas of leaf death. |
May cause leaf bronzing with tiny brown spots. |
| Magnesium |
Secondary macronutrient. This is an essential part of the chlorophyll molecule. Vital in photosynthesis and respiration. |
Chlorosis, leaves appearing pale green or yellow. Yellowing between leaf veins spreading to younger leaves. poor fruit development and low yield. |
Excess rare as well tolerated. Too much will suppress Calcium & Potassium & reduce growth. |
| Manganese |
Micronutrient. Essential in photosynthesis & respiration including enzyme systems breakdown of carbohydrates |
nterveinal Chlorosis, yellowing or mottled young upper leaves. followed by brown spots giving a chequered red effect. |
Reduced growth. Older leaves with brown spots surrounded by a chlorotic ring. Looks like Iron deficiency. Can occur in acid soils. |
| Molybdenum |
Micronutrient. Essential component of enzymes for nitrogen fixing. |
Interveinal Chlorosis on older leaves which may distort. |
N/A |
| Nickel |
Micronutrient. Found in seeds and fruit. Needed to help form urease to break down urea nitrogen for plant use. Involved in the iron uptake from the soil. |
Decreased iron utilization. |
Chlorosis and necrotic leaf margins. |
| Nitrogen |
Primary macronutrient. Needed for photosynthesis, growth & respiration. It is a constituent of DNA, RNA & amino acids which are used to build protein molecules. Nitrogen is inert & has to be incorporated into the plant by nitrogen-fixing bacteria in their root nodes. |
Pale & lower leaves yellow or dying. Light green to yellow appearance of leaves, especially older leaves; stunted growth poor fruit development. |
Dark green over vigorous foliage which is susceptible to disease & insect attack & will not overwinter well. Poor fruit & seeds. |
| Oxygen |
O2, H2O. Essential for photosynthesis of sugar molecules. |
N/A |
N/A |
| Phosphorus |
Primary macronutrient. Essential for reproduction & photosynthesis & involved in energy transfer & formation of oils, sugars & starches. Helps maturation, blooming & root growth. |
Slow development, poor growth, flowering and fruiting. Leaves may appear purple. |
May cause micronutrient deficiencies, especially iron or zinc. |
| Potassium |
Primary Macronutrient. Activates many enzymes, encourages flowering & important in osmosis (fluid balance). Second to nitrogen in absorption for most plants. Builds disease resistance, improves fruit quality. |
Older leaves yellowing around edges & then dying. Poor growth & vulnerable to disease. In Passiflora few or no flowers & poor fruiting & poor heat tolerance. |
May cause deficiencies of calcium & magnesium. |
| Sulphur |
Secondary macronutrient. Constituent of some amino acids. Enzyme cofactor and constituent. Improves root growth & seed production. Electron transfer processes and chlorophyll synthesis. Cold resistance. |
Yellowing of young upper leaves spreading to whole plant. Occurs on new growth initially. |
May cause early leaf drop. |
| Zinc |
Micronutrient. Enzyme cofactor, growth hormone synthesis. Transformation of carbohydrates & sugar consumption. |
Interveinal chlorosis/yellowing on young leaves, reduced leaf size. Rosetting. |
May cause iron deficiency. |