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Re:Plant Deficiencies
* From: "Greger Lindstrand" <greglind at algonet_se>
Hi all!
I would like to point out one thing I have always wished could be found on
the net.
- Pictures of plant deficiances and the cure for them
I think the subject was up here a while ago. Anyway, I now have contact
with a couple of guys who has the webbspace, skills and the interest to
compile pictures and data into a place on the webb where one could look at
plant pictures with deficiancies as well as read about the cure for it.
None of us have the pictures or knowledge of the cures though :-) And this
is the reason for my posting.
Does such a place exist already?
Do any of you have any plant deficiency pictures?
Is there an intrest in this group for such a project?
A collection of deficiency pictures is something I have always wanted to
produce. I have some pictures of potassium deficiency, nitrogen deficiency
and calcium deficiency. One must be careful in determining a deficiency.
You only know for sure what deficiency it is if you can cure it by adding
that element and no other (or at least no other that is a known nutrient).
For instance, I once cured calcium deficiency by adding lime. The recovery
of the plants one day after adding lime means it has to be calcium, because
calcium is the only mineral nutrient in lime. Well, there may have been
some magnesium in the lime, but magnesium deficiency appears in the older
leaves and looks nothing like calcium deficiency which is shows up in the
newest growth. So, we can rule out magnesium.
Another concern is that there should, if possible, be pictures of mild
deficiency as well as severe deficiency. Iron is a case in point.
Moderate iron deficiency is not clear cut at all at levels where the
plant's growth is considerably reduced. Severe iron deficincy is
relatively easy to diagnose. The new growth is white. I once wrote a
description of iron deficiency in Elodea canadensis where the deficiency
was enough to stop growth. It was not the picture of classic severe iron
deficiency where chlorophyll is not produced in the new growth:
"The leaves are short, pale yellowish-green and are clasped close to the
stem axis. There seem to be fine black spots at the bases of the leaves.
The stem is reddish yellow and has rotted through in spots. It also is
dusted with fine black spots. Roots are not being produced."
In contrast, here is the descripiton of Elodea with an adequate supply of iron:
"The leaves are long, curled and reddish near the growing tips, turning
olive green about one inch back. Abundant roots are being produced. The
leaves and stem have none of the "sandy" appearance, but appear smooth and
fresh looking."
It would also be good to get deficiency pictures in a variety of different
species because they can be quite different in distantly related species.
Paul Krombholz in windy central Mississippi, currently getting some
thundershowers.