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How to Identify Nutrient Deficiency Symptoms

 

NUTRIENT SYMPTOMS

 Nitrogen (N)

Visible on old leaves first, Uniform pale green colour. Small leaves, weak shoot growth. Small fruit with good red colour. 

Phosphorus (P)

New leaves small, bluish green. Purple leaf veins, margins. Soft flesh on stonefruit. Not a big problem for fruit.

Potassium (K)

Visible on old leaves first. Small leaves with curled or rolled edges, especially on peaches or pears. Abundant flowers but poor fruit set. Small fruit with poor colour. 

Calcium (Ca)

Symptoms often visible on fruit first as cork spot or bitter pit. Appears on new leaves first. Yellowed leaf margins. Shoot dieback..

Magnesium (Mg)

Shows up on middle age and old shoots first. Yellowed margins and area between veins. Premature fruit maturity and fruit drop. 

Sulphur (S) 

Uniform yellowing of leaves. Leaves often take on an orange/red cast. Thin woody shoots. 

Boron (B)

Small misshapen young leaves. Abnormal flower development. Fruit and/or bark corking. Wilting & shoot dieback. 

Copper (Cu)

Whitish colour between leaf veins. Tip wintering and leaf fall. Poor fruit set. Small, poor quality fruit. 

Iron (Fe)

Seen in tip leaves first. Netted yellowing pattern. Leaf tips and margins die. 

Manganese (Mn)

Occurs on older, mid shoot leaves first. Bands of yellow between veins. Paper thin leaves. Poor fruit size and colour. 

Zinc (Zn)

Leaves on tip of branch stunted. Grow in tight rosetee. Irregular, rolled leaf margins. Poor bud break. Reduced colour set on some but not all branches.