Macro Nutrient Deficiencies: Symptoms and Fixes

 PLANT HEALTH

Plant Nutrition Deficiencies: Macro Nutrient Nitrogen

The 'Plant health' segment was created for my radio show "Real World Gardener,' as a division of the 'Plant doctor' segment, because I felt that it’s important to focus on what can go wrong with plants that isn’t a pest or a disease.
In the following audio podcasts, you will hear about what to look for in plants that have deficiencies of one of the macro nutrients: Nitrogen:Phosphorus:Potassium; in other words NPK or the macro nutrients.

Gardeners can often see problems appearing first in the colour of the leaves, but this can also be followed closely by lack of vigour, stunted growth and general unthriftiness of the plant.

The key to diagnosing problems, however isn't just looking at the colour of the leaves but it's knowing your soil type and soil pH.

Yes, I know, we do go on about soil pH but that often underlies the reason behind your plants' problems.

The other underlying problem may be insufficient drainage which causes waterlogging of the soil.

That said, we  will assume that you soil pH is around 6.5 - 7 but your still seeing issues that are showing up in the leaves. So what next?

Macro Nutrient Nitrogen

Nitrogen is one of the three big nutrients or macro nutrients that plants need.

Nitrogen is responsible for leaf growth and blossom formation.

First Symptoms: Oldest leaves start to appear pale first, yellowing at the leaf tips then eventually the whole leaf will turn yellow.

Quick Fix: Soluble fertiliser high in nitrogen. 

Results should appear in a few days.

Long term fix: Blood  n' Bone and/or controlled release fertilisers.

Nitrogen on it’s own can be useful for quick greening of lawns and leafy plants like ferns in pots when the potting mix is depleted of any nutrients.

Listen to the podcast: I'm talking with Kylie Last horticulturist and tafe teacher.

Plant Nutrition Deficiencies:Phosporus and Potassium

We have talked bout the role nitrogen played in played health and what to look for if a plant was deficient in one of the major nutrients, being Nitrogen.

• In fact there are three major nutrients which are classified as NPK ratio on the back of all fertilisers. So in this part of the blog, we carry on with the two other major or macro nutrients.

Let's look at phosphorus deficiency

Phosphorus is responsible for the development of flowers and fruits and roots.

• Phosporus is known as a mobile nutrient which can move around the plant to where it's needed.
• Phosphorus deficiency happens more often in cold weather or gardens receive high rainfall, or a combination of both.
• Often affects heavily fruiting plants such as citrus.
• N..B. native plants are highly sensitive to phosphorus, so avoid spreading phosphate fertilisers near these plants.
  
  
  

First Symptoms: Older leaves become quite a dark green then develop a purplish tinge.

 

Tips will then dry off. Not to be confused with lack of watering especially in pot plants where leaves can also develop dry tips.

Overall growth is affected in the long term resulting in smaller leaves and stunted growth.

Quick Fix: Fertiliser high in phosphate either solid or liquid.

Long term fix: Blood  n' Bone and/or controlled release fertilisers. 

Let's look at potassium deficiency

Potassium is responsible for thickening of cell walls, and also responsible for plant growth. Potassium deficiency are more evident in flowering or ornamental plants. Potassium deficiency often is a pH issue in the soil.

First Symptoms: Older leaves become brown and dry on the upper surface, with leaf edges puckering slightly. 

As the deficiency progresses, the leaves darken in colour between the veins.

Flower stalks become thin and spindly and may be quite short.

Fruits may fail to develop full colour and flavour.

Quick Fix: Fertiliser high in potassium either solid or liquid, such as sulphate of potash.

Long term fix: Blood  n' Bone and/or controlled release fertilisers. 

Listen to the podcast: I'm talking with Kylie Last horticulturist and tafe teacher.



I would recommend becoming familiar with the NPK ration on fertilisers, whether organic or not to see if you’re applying the right sort for your plants.

For example, fertilisers that promote flowering and fruiting have higher ratios of potassium than those that are just for general purpose fertilising.
If you have any questions you can email us Realworldgardener@gmail.com or write in to 2rrr, PO Box 644 Gladesville NSW 1675.

Sweet Boronia for a Modern Garden

SOIL SAVVY

Fertiliser:Inorganic vs Organic
Did you know that farmers have used fertilisers on their crops for thousands of years?
In fact Egyptians, Romans, Babylonians, and early Germans are all recorded as using minerals and or manure to increase the productivity of their farms.

Organic Fertilisers photo M Cannon

But have you ever wondered how plants actually take up the fertiliser that you throw around on the soil?
After all the fertiliser is an actual solid mostly, so how does the plant use it?
Plus, is there a reason for being told to water in the fertiliser after you apply it?
Let’s find out . I'm talking with Penny Smith, horticultural scientist who specializes in soil science.

There are two groups of fertilisers: chemical based and organic based.
Organic fertilisers can be anything from processed green waste, to pelletised chicken manure and cow manure.
Pro's of organic fertilisers is that they contribute to a better soil structure in general.
Inorganic fertilisers are chemical based.

Inorganic fertilisers photo M Cannon

However, they need to be broken down by soil microbes before being available to the plant.
The pros of inorganics is that they are immediately available to the plant without the middle man soil microbes.
Fertilisers are after all minerals that must first dissolve in water so that the plant can absorb them through their roots.
So in effect, the plant has to be able to sort of drink up the fertiliser, before it gets transported up the stems and leaves.
You can catch up that segment by listening to the podcast www.realworldgardener.com

VEGETABLE HEROES

Heirloom Lettuce
LETTUCE is scientifically Lactuca sativa,
The Lettuce (Lactuca sativa) belongs to the daisy  or Asteraceae.family.
Lettuce is great in salads, tacos, hamburgers, need I say more!
You might think it too boring to be a hero, but the earliest mention of lettuce in history is a carving on an Egyptian temple.
Did you know that Lettuce was considered an aphrodisiac in Egypt?
Not only that but ancient Greeks used lettuce as a medicinal plant to induce sleep?

Lettuce seedlings. photo M Cannon

So where did the first lettuce grow?
It’s thought to have started in the wild as a prickly lettuce, found as a weed in the Mediterranean.

Nothing beats the freshness of home grown lettuce but why should you grow heirloom varieties.?

• Exceptional taste is the No. 1 reason many gardeners mention for choosing heirloom varieties.
• Many heirloom vegetables have been saved for decades and even centuries because they are the best performers in home and market gardens.
• Being transported to markets isn’t a main concern so taste always came first.
• If you’re into saving seed, heirloom varieties are the only ones that produce viable seed.
• Hybrid varieties only produce seed from one of the parent or sometimes the seed is sterile.

By the way, just how old does a cultivar have to be, to be an heirloom ?
Some authorities say heirloom vegetables are those introduced before 1951, when modern plant breeders introduced the first hybrids developed from inbred lines
So good reasons to grow heirloom veggies, but why grow heirloom lettuce?
What you mightn’t realise is that the flavour is lost in as little as 24 hours, and there’s no way supermarket lettuce is only 24 hours old.
So let’s go planting.
Lettuce can be planted all year round in all areas of Australia.
Having said that, in Arid districts, it might be a good idea to avoid the hottest months of the year, and in cool temperate districts, you might want to grow your lettuce in a greenhouse or undercover somewhere during winter.
But hang on, not all kinds of lettuce are created alike!
For all areas, planting or sowing in the spring and summer months, should only be the loose leaf types of lettuce.
Now’s the time to be planting
The hearting varieties are OK in the coolest months. (The upper temperature limit to grow heading lettuces is 28°C)
Summer is just too warm for the hearting types.
The most heat tolerant kinds of lettuce are the open leafed varieties (Looseleaf).
All the pretty fancy lettuces you see in the shops, the frilly and curly varieties, they are your lettuce varieties you need to grow.
What’s the best way to grow tasty lettuce?
Lettuces taste best when they are grown as fast as possible and for that they need lots of water and plant  food.

After that, Lettuces need good soil that’s light, free draining and rich in organic matter.
Ideally your soil should hold lots of water and lots of nitrogen and other nutrients.
Sandy soils need help from your compost bin or worm farm.
If you have clay soils, growing lettuce shouldn’t be a problem, as is growing them in pots.
Lettuce has shallow roots, so they dry out easily.
You must keep up a steady supply of water because any set back will at least, make them tough and bitter, at worst it will cause them to bolt to seed straight away without making any leaves for you!
So make sure they never get stressed (e.g. by forgetting to water them).
To sow lettuce seed, either spread the seed very thinly along a row and cover lightly with soil, or rake it in.
For all you balcony gardeners, any largish pot will do for 3 or 4 lettuce seedlings.
Lettuce seed is very fine so you’ll get a few clumps.

lettuce Freckles

Thin them out, you know the drill.
If the weather warms up in your district and your soil sandy, you will need to water daily.
Stick your finger in the soil if not sure.
By the way, lettuce seed doesn’t germinate that well at soil temperatures over 25⁰C.  So if you are sowing it in a pot, keep the potting mix cool by putting it in light shade until the lettuce seed germinates.
TIP:If your lettuce grows slowly even though you’re giving them plenty of water, then they need more plant food.
Did you add organic compost, manures or worm castings to the veggie bed before you sowed the seed?
If you didn’t, then you need to supply extra nutrients, especially nitrogen. Some of the liquid fertilisers will do right now.
Some heirloom lettuce varieties for you to try are,
Lettuce Freckles-yep it’s freckly and it’s a butter lettuce as is Lettuce Tennis Ball.
Lettuce Amish Deer Tongue- Amazing two-in-one lettuce that can be cooked like spinach or used like lettuce, so you have a hot or cold vegetable to suit the season. Repeat harvest makes it a highly productive choice for space saving gardens.
Lettuce Crispmint is an outstanding variety with excellent flavour and crisp, minty green leaves.

Lettuce Grandpa Admire's

Seed Savers in the US have over 200 varieties of lettuce and rate this as one of their best.
Lettuce Grandpa Admires, is another heirloom with a bit of history.
 In 1977, Chloe Lowry made this family heirloom available to the world.
Named for her grandfather, an American Civil War veteran and custodian of this variety, Grandpa Admire's is a beautifully soft butter lettuce with bronze-tinged leaves.
It’s one of the slowest to bolt, making it the best choice to grow for summer salads.
So why is it good for you?
Lettuce is very good for digestion and promotes good liver function. It can reduce the risk of heart attacks and is good for healthy eyesight. It has good levels of Vitamin C, beta-carotene and fibre.
You won’t put on any weight eating Lettuce  because most varieties have over 90% water and are extremely low in calories.
Lettuce contain the sedative lactucarium (lactoo-caree um) which relaxes the nerves but not upsetting digestion.
THAT WAS YOUR VEGETABLE HERO FOR TODAY

DESIGN ELEMENTS

Contemporary Garden Style part 1
This series is about garden styles and today it’s contemporary styles.
No, contemporary doesn’t mean astro turf, or concrete with a couple of plants in pots.

Contemporary or Modern Garden Photo M Cannon

Nor does it mean minimalist planting.
It also doesn’t mean you have to have a modern or contemporary house to have one of these types of gardens.
So what gives? Let’s find out what actually makes up a contemporary garden.
I'm talking with was Landscape Designer and consulting arborist Glenice Buck 

.
Angular lines, plants with architectural qualities, low maintenance are all the aspects of modern or contemporary style of garden.

Modern Garden photo M Cannon

Contemporary gardens usually have strong structural lines in their shape, they are used to make a statement or to be a focal point in the outdoor area.  They will vary in size and shape but the one thing all have in common is they use plants with strong form.  These plants may be short and spreading or tall and narrow but they will definitely stand out. 
So if you like architectural plants such as Draceanas and Yuccas, then maybe that’s the sort of garden you should plan. 

PLANT OF THE WEEK

Brown Boronia and hybrids, Boronia megastigma

This plant, Boronia megastigma or Brown Boronia, has a bit of a reputation for dropping dead soon after you brought it home.
Sure the intoxicating scent lured your to buy it in the first place and the mass of flowers seemed like a bouquet, ready made.
So what are the tips for hanging on to this plant?
So let’s find out. I'm talking with the plant panel:Karen Smith, editor of Hort Journal www.hortjournal.com.au  and Jeremy Critchley, The Green Gallery wholesale nursery owner. www.thegreengallery.com.au

Boronia megastigma Lutea

Horticultural Notes:
Don’t let the plant dry out but don’t overwater it, especially in humid weather because this plant and many other Australian plants are prone to getting root rot fungus that loves moist warm soil.
Yes the flowers stems are great cut for your vase.
Brown Boronia doesn't always come in the colour brown.
There are a number of cultivars have been selected which have more attractively coloured flowers while retaining the fragrance. These include:
Lutea - yellow both internally and externally.
Chandleri - burgundy-red on the outside, yellow inside.
Harlequin - striped yellow and brown on the outside, yellow inside

The biggest tip is don’t expect your Boronia plant to last for more than a couple of years.
The other tip is dappled sunlight and not hot afternoon sun.
Mulching with gravel seems to help prevent root rot, but most importantly, well drained soil is essential.


 

Minty with a Hint of Climbing Jasmine

PLANT DOCTOR

Fertilisers
How well do you know your fertilisers?
Whether you add organic matter or fertiliser to your soil, you provide your plants with three basic building blocks.

Fertilisers: Inorganic vs Organic photo M Cannon

These are nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, often referred to by their chemical symbols of N (nitrogen), P (phosphorus) and K (potassium or potash).
Packaged fertilisers list the amounts of NPK each product contains, often showing it in a ratio format, called the NPK ratio.
But which ones should you use?
Let’s find out.. I'm talking with Steve Falcioni, General Manager of www.ecoorganicgarden.com.au


Soil microbes need to break down the fertilisers into a soluble form so it can be taken up by the roots of the plants.
Soil microbe activity depends on soil temperature and soil moisture.
In cold climates, microbial activity slows down to a crawl, but so does the plant's uptake of nutrients.
In warmer climates, soil microbial activity is year round and the decision as to which fertiliser to use is down to convenience.
Liquid fertilisers are fast acting but need to be applied fortnightly for the most part.
Solid, granular and pelletised organic fertilisers are best applied to the soil when the soil microbe activity is the most active.


Controlled release vs slow release fertilisers photo M Cannon

The way plants use nutrients is quite complex and varies from plant to plant.
Some need lots of one nutrient but little of another, while others need a balanced amount of each.
Understanding which nutrient does what gives you a rough guide to selecting the right fertiliser for your plants and garden.
If you have any questions about fertilisers or have some information to share, drop us a line to realworldgardener@gmail.com or write in to 2RRR PO Box 644 Gladesville NSW 1675 and I’ll send you a packet of seeds.

VEGETABLE HEROES

Ever heard of a plant that smells fishy?
Could I be pulling your leg with this next offering in Vegetable Heroes?
Houttuynia cordata is Vietnamese Fish Herb is in fact a real herb.
What is this fishy smelling herb with a hint of citrus which is also known as chameleon plant, fishwort an bishop’s weed?
It’s also known as Dokudami which means “poison-blocking plant” and was often used for the exact same purpose.
Vietnamese fish mint is a flowering plant native to Japan, Korea, southern China, and Southeast Asia, where it grows in dark moist, shady places and along river banks.
Sometimes submerged deep in freshwater areas.
A somewhat invasive plant, it can be found growing on hills, fields, and even between cracks in asphalt.
In those countries it’s used as a leaf and root vegetable.
Vietnamese fish mint smells like a combination of fresh fish, mint and citrus, and has large amounts of the aromatic chemicals myrcene and undecanone.
These and many other naturally occurring chemicals are the basis of its huge list of medicinal uses.
According information about this herb it treats stomach aches, indigestion and swellings. Among other things.
Leaves can also be crushed to a paste to cure insect bites, rashes and itching.
The leaves are sort of heart shaped, and the plant itself grows to anywhere between 20 – 80 cm, depending on the climate and conditions you’re growing it in.
Vietnamese fish mint does have flowers in summer which are greenish-yellow and only 2-3 cm in size.
At first glance, a fishy tasting herb doesn’t seem all that appealing but, you can use in fishy flavoured dishes, with grilled meats, fish and noodle soups. 
The roots are rather interesting and grow to resemble a big ball of spaghetti which can be eaten raw or cooked.
Some people prefer the roots to the leaves because they have an aromatic flavour like ginger or galangal but without the heat.
How to Grow Vietnamese Fish Mint
Vietnamese fish mint is apparently an extremely common garden plant in the UK and is able to withstand temperatures down to -15⁰C.
However, the variety grown in England is the one with mottled technicolour splodges called Houttuynia cordata Chameleon, where the one grown in Asia is the plan leaved variety.

Houttuyania cordta : Fish Mint Chameleon Plant

  These plants grow best in very damp, rich soil either in the garden border or in the boggy margins of a pond, being perfectly happy with their roots entirely submerged in water.
In full sun, they’ll have a stronger taste and more intense colour on their leaves.
But if you’re keen on a milder flavour, then grow it in partial shade which will give you larger pungent leaves.
The plants are extremely vigorous and will spread out in all directions because of the vigorous roots system.
This plant is super tough, and in moister areas it really can be weedy, but if the plant strays too far, they’re pretty easy to pull out.
However, there’s no reason to plant it out into the garden because it grows really well in pots in a shady location but keep it moist.
That’s all there is to it.
There’ll be plenty of leaves for you, the chooks and the guinea pigs.
Cooking with Fishy Mint
Vietnamese fish mint can be eaten in all the same ways as regular coriander-sprinkled in salads, stir-fries and added to soups and stews.
It makes a pretty good garnish and is traditionally used in Cambodia chopped up and sprinkled over a salad of sliced hard-boiled duck eggs with fried ground chillies, mint, chopped raw shallots and roasted peanuts.
In Malaysia the leaves are added to a spicy coconut laksa and in Thailand it’s used in heaps of salads, whereas in Vietnam, they used summer rolls.
Here’s a recipe for a salad using both the root and leaf of this fish mint herb.
Sauce: 2 teaspoons rice vinegar (I use Chinkiang), 1teaspoon chilli oil, 1 teaspoon. sesame oil, 1 teaspoon. soy sauce
Marinate 10 minutes, not more.
Top with chopped coriander, spring onion, and finely chopped smashed garlic.
Serve.
Vietnamese summer rolls (serves 4 makes 12 rolls)
Dipping sauce
2 tbsp crunchy peanut butter
1 tbsp fish sauce
Juice of ½ lime
2 tbsp light brown sugar
1 tbsp chilli sauce 60 ml water
For the rolls
12 x 22 cm extra thin dried Vietnamese rice papers
18 cooked king prawns sliced in half lengthways
2 large handfuls of Thai basil leaves, mint and vietnamese mint leaves.
16 chive leaves
½ a cucumber cut into matchstick sized pieces
2 carrots grated
150 crisp lettuce leaves.
Make the dipping sauce by mixing the peanut butter, fish sauce, lime juice etc.
Working with one rice paper round at a time, dip it into a shallow bowl of cold water and leave it to soften for a minute.
Remove and lie on a damp paper towel and cover with another damp paper towel.
Continue until you’ve done 6.
To assemble the rolls take one round and arrange a few prawn halves tip with thai basil, mints chives, cucumber carrot and lettuce leaf (torn or folded to fit)
Fold the edge of the paper closest to you over the filling then fold in the sides and roll the whole thing up like a burrito into a tight cylinder.
Place on damp tea towel to prevent it from drying out. Repeat with other round.
Serve.
Why Is It Good for You?
When you’re allergic to a substance, your body produces histamine, a compound that initiates an immune response.
Studies demonstrate that Vietnamese fish her has inhibitory effects on histamine release, possibly blocking it and reducing its effects.
This herb is high in antioxidants promotes intestinal balance by discouraging harmful bacteria from thriving in the digestive system.
THAT WAS YOUR VEGETABLE HERO FOR TODAY

DESIGN ELEMENTS
The Scented Garden: Part 2 climbing plants.
How many gardeners do you know of that don’t like perfume or scent in the garden?
Hopefully, those of you listening to this program like scented plants because scent adds an extra dimension to a garden, turning it into a place where you linger, indulging your senses rather than rushing through to the front door or garden shed.

Stephanotis floribunda: scented climber photo M Cannon

Let’s continue this new series on scented plants for the garden with part 2of scented climbing plants.
I'm talking with Landscape Designer Peter Nixon.

With the wide range of temperatures in Australia, there are a huge variety of fragrant plants that can be grown.

Chenomorpha fragrans: Climbing Frangipani photo M CAnnon

Many flower during the colder months so that even when there’s not much colour in the garden you can still have plenty of fragrance.
Use plants that flower in different seasons to turn your garden into a perfumed paradise all year round.

PLANT OF THE WEEK

Zanzibar Gem: Zamioculcus zamifolia
A popular houseplant which has been around for over a hundred years, but most wouldn’t have heard of it until 10 or 15 years ago.
Why it’s so popular is it’s perfectly suited to the black or brown thumb gardeners because it’s unbelievably tolerant of a wide range of conditions.
It’ll allow you to forget to water for months at a time;  put up with dark conditions that would make a Mother –in-laws Tongue plant (Sansevieria trifasciata) turn up its toes, they're okay with no humidity and are more or less pest-free.
Let’s find out more.
I'm talking with the plant panel:Karen Smith, editor of Hort Journal www.hortjournal.com.au  and Jeremy Critchley, The Green Gallery wholesale nursery owner. www.thegreengallery.com.au

Zanzibar Gem is a herbaceous clumping plant growing to 45–60 cm tall, from a stout underground, succulent rhizome.   

Zanzibar Gem

Pinnate leaves (arranged like a feather),  40 -6- cm long with 6-8 pairs of leaflets.
Leaves are smooth, leathery, shiny and dark green.
Overwatering is likely to kill the plant. Best to keep it on the dry side to prevent tuber rot.
So this is the  plant has been marketed as the plant to show to people who don't know what they're doing, who have never had plants before, who aren't home much, etc
Mind you some green thumbs have been known to kill it.