How to ID Nutrient deficiency in plants collected and summarized by

Sathish Kumar S
PS: Please refer to elementary chart below for Expansion or name of the abbreviated letters


How to supply nutrients Organic way
What does N-P-K stand for?
Nutrient values (N-P-K) are expressed as total percentage of weight of each fertilizer as
packaged.
N = Nitrogen
Nitrogen is the first major element responsible for the growth of plants above ground.
With a good supply, plants grow sturdily and mature rapidly, with rich, dark green foliage.
(N) is primary to plant growth. Plants convert nitrogen to make proteins essential to new cell
growth. Nitrogen is mainly responsible for leaf and stem growth as well as overall size and vigor.
Nitrogen moves easily to active young buds, shoots and leaves and slower to older leaves.
Deficiency signs show first in older leaves. They turn a pale yellow and may die. New growth
becomes weak and spindly.
An abundance of nitrogen will cause soft, weak growth and even delay flower and fruit
production if it is allowed to accumulate.
If you want big caudex, this is the nutrients, It keep growing and have no or less flower.

Correcting Nitrogen deficiency organic way

Organic Nitrogen Sources
Animal manure - You're interested in manures that come from cows, rabbits, horses,
sheep, horses, alpacas, llamas, and chickens. Not animals that primarily eat meat such
as dogs or cats - that's a no-no. Manure from meat-eaters can contain harmful
pathogens that you really don't want to come into contact with. Usually manures are
composted before they're used in gardens, but some such as rabbit manure doesn't
need to be. Others such as cow manure, will burn your plants if not composted first. By
the way, if you can get your hands on some bat guano (bat poo), this stuff is nitrogen
gold.
Worm Castings - They don't have to be pure castings, of course. Vermicompost is
ideal. Plus, it's a super-duper soil conditioner.
Alfalfa meal - Not only does alfalfa offer a big bang of nitrogen, it's also a terrific
organism activator for soil. So I toss some into my compost, too. Use alfalfa meal on the
plants that are gluttons for food like corn. As usual, I like to use what I have on hand to
not only save time, but also to save money. Because I have rabbits and buy their feed in
large quantities, I periodically dump a bit at the base of my roses. My roses reward me
handsomely for my generosity.
Blood meal - It's exactly what it sounds like. It's dried blood from animals...but it's
loaded with nitrogen.
Fish meal or fish emulsion - This is seriously going to stink for a bit, but the smell
doesn't last and your plants DIG it. I prefer fish meal to the emulsion only because the
emulsion is said to wash away faster. But to each their own.
Coffee Grounds - Stop by your local Starbucks and snag a bag. Many coffee houses
have the used grounds already bagged up and free for the taking. Use it to build soil
structure and add some extra nitrogen.
Grass clippings - Call me cheap (and many do), but green grass freshly mowed from
the lawn is an excellent source of free nitrogen.
Green vegetable clipping or waste or discard- soaked in water for 2-3 days in open
air

P = Phosphorus
The second major element in plant nutrition, phosphorus is essential for healthy growth,
strong roots, and greater resistance to disease.
(P) is necessary for photosynthesis and works as a catalyst for energy transfer within the plant.
Phosphorus helps build strong roots and is vital for flower and seed production. Highest levels
of phosphorus are used during germination, seedling growth and flowering.
Deficiencies will show in older leaves first. Leaves turn deep green on a uniformly smaller,
stunted plant. Leaves show brown or purple spots.
Organic Phospor Sources

Rock phosphate - The good news about rock phosphate is that it lasts along time
because it breaks down very slowly. The bad news is that it breaks down very slowly
and the phosphorus doesn't become fully available to plants for like a year. But then,
you've got time, right? I mean where's the fire? Add it and forget about it.
Bone meal - Again with the dead animals. Bone meal is animal bones that have been
grounded into powder. It's highly phosphorus as well as calcium, but this is also a slow-
releasing source. It's great for promoting flower blossoms as well as encouraging good
root growth.
Colloidal phosphate - This is a soft-rock phosphate and is also called "colloidal calcium
phosphate".


K = Potassium (Potash)
The third major plant nutrient, potassium oxide is essential for the development of strong
plants. It helps plants to resist diseases, protects them from the cold and protects during dry
weather by preventing excessive water loss.
(K) activates the manufacture and movement of sugars and starches, as well as growth by cell
division. Potassium increases chlorophyll in foliage and helps regulate stomata openings so
plants make better use of light and air. Potassium encourages strong root growth, water uptake
and triggers enzymes that fight disease.
Potassium is necessary during all stages of growth. It is especially important in the development
of fruit.
Deficiency signs of potassium are: plants are the tallest and appear healthy. Older leaves mottle
and yellow between veins, followed by whole leaves that turn dark yellow and die. Flower drop
are common problems associated with potassium deficiency.
Potassium is usually locked out by high salinity. To overcome this problem, giving nutrients of
Mg Magnesium will help to absorb the nutrients

Organic Potassium Sources
Dried Banana peel powder- Banana peel is good source of potassium
Greensand - This stuff is mined from mineral deposits that came from the ocean floor.
It's not only high in potassium but it's good for general soil amending, as well.
Kelp meal - Another garden gift from the ocean, kelp meal is derived from dried
seaweed. This is an exceptionally nice fertilizer as it contains a lot of trace mineral and
hormones that really give plant roots what they need to create strong plants. A popular
organic fertilizing combination is kelp meal and fish emulsion.
Granite meal - Granite meal is finely ground granite rock that promotes healthy plants
by not only slowly releasing potassium, but also by helping create soil structure and
improving soil drainage.
As an all-around general soil amendment, there's nothing better than compost for your soil.
Composted organic matter adds all kinds of nutrients and makes them easily available to plant
roots.







HOW TO PREPARE HOME-MADE Nutrient Supplements

Potassium(K) using Banana peels

1.separate the softer inner part of the banana peel by scooping it out by either using hand, blunt
knife or spoon
2. use the softer inner part into compost (as it contains carbohydrates, it may be increase the
acidity of the compost... Will leave further explanation and details to composting experts)
3. chop/cut the harder outer part of banana peel into as smaller pieces as possible
4. shadow dry the chopped/cut banana peel from step 3 for several days till it is fully dried
5. powder the fully shadow-dried banana peel into fine powder
6. store the fine banana peel powder in a dry air-tight container
7. use in small quantities based on plant side, as per need (only during notable deficiency)
































Elements with their Symbol and Atomic Number in alphabetical order
Symbol Element
Atomic
Number

Symbol Element
Atomic
Number
Ac Actinium 89

Md Mendelevium 101
Al Aluminum 13

Hg Mercury 80
Am Americium 95

Mo Molybdenum 42
Sb Antimony 51

Ns Neilsborium 107
Ar Argon 18

Nd Neodymium 60
As Arsenic 33

Ne Neon 10
At Astatine 85

Np Neptunium 93
Ba Barium 56

Ni Nickel 28
Bk Berkelium 97

Nb Niobium 41
Be Beryllium 4

N Nitrogen 7
Bi Bismuth 83

No Nobelium 102
Bh Bohrium 107

Os Osmium 76
B Boron 5

O Oxygen 8
Br Bromine 35

Pd Palladium 46
Cd Cadmium 48

P Phosphorus 15
Ca Calcium 20

Pt Platinum 78
Cf Californium 98

Pu Plutonium 94
C Carbon 6

Po Polonium 84
Ce Cerium 58

K Potassium 19
Cs Cesium 55

Pr Praseodymium 59
Cl Chlorine 17

Pm Promethium 61
Cr Chromium 24

Pa Protactinium 91
Co Cobalt 27

Ra Radium 88
Cn Copernicium 112

Rn Radon 86
Cu Copper 29

Re Rhenium 75
Cm Curium 96

Rh Rhodium 45
Ds Darmstadtium 110

Rg Roentgenium 111
Db Dubnium 105

Rb Rubidium 37
Dy Dysprosium 66

Ru Ruthenium 44
Es Einsteinium 99

Rf Rutherfordium 104
Er Erbium 68

Sm Samarium 62
Eu Europium 63

Sc Scandium 21
Fm Fermium 100

Sg Seaborgium 106
Fl Flerovium 114

Se Selenium 34
F Fluorine 9

Si Silicon 14
Fr Francium 87

Ag Silver 47
Gd Gadolinium 64

Na Sodium 11
Ga Gallium 31

Sr Strontium 38
Ge Germanium 32

S Sulfur 16
Au Gold 79

Ta Tantalum 73
Hf Hafnium 72

Tc Technetium 43
Hs Hassium 108

Te Tellurium 52
He Helium 2

Tb Terbium 65
Ho Holmium 67

Tl Thallium 81
H Hydrogen 1

Th Thorium 90
In Indium 49

Tm Thulium 69
I Iodine 53

Sn Tin 50
Ir Iridium 77

Ti Titanium 22
Fe Iron 26

W Tungsten 74
Kr Krypton 36

U Uranium 92
La Lanthanum 57

V Vanadium 23
Lr Lawrencium 103

Xe Xenon 54
Pb Lead 82

Yb Ytterbium 70
Li Lithium 3

Y Yttrium 39
Lv Livermorium 116

Zn Zinc 30
Lu Lutetium 71

Zr Zirconium 40
Mg Magnesium 12


Mn Manganese 25


Mt Meitnerium 109