Phosphor

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Calcium Phosphorus Magnesium Iron Nitrogen Potassium Manganese

What can you do?Spray with a 2% solution of Epsom salts every 4-5 days during about a week.

What can you do?The best thing is to spray the plants with a watery solution of EDDHA or EDTA chelates.

What can you do?Raise EC of the feeding or add extra nitrogen.

What is it and what does it do? •Is important to the growth process. •Hasaregulatingeffectinthecells and contributes to the stability of the plant.

What is it and what does it do? •Magnesiumisindispensabletoplants as it is essential for photosynthesis. •Representsabuildingblockfor chlorophyll.

What is it and what does it do? Iron has a number of important func-tions in the plant’s overall metabolism and is essential for the synthesis of chlorophyll.

What is it and what does it do? Nitrogen is a component of enzymes and is therefore involved in all enzyme reactions and plays an active role in the plant’s metabolism.

What is it and what does it do? •Potassiumtakescareofthestrength and the quality of the plant. •Controlscountlessotherprocesses such as the carbohydrate system.

What is it and what does it do? The metal manganese is an essential trace nutrient and acts as an activator for different enzyme reactions in the plant.

What can you see?•Rustybrownspots.•Cloudy,vagueyellow spots between the veins.

What can you see?•Strongyellowingofespecially the young leaves. •Growthshootsbetweenthe veins.

What can you see?•Purplestalks.•Yellowingleaves.•Leavesfallsof.

What can you see?Dead edges on the leaves.

What can you see?Yellowstripesappearbetweenthe leaf’s side veins.

What can you see?Yellow/brownspots,surround-ed by a sharp brown outlined edge.

What can you do? Add calcium by applying a liquid lime fertiliser such as a calcium nitrate solution.

What is it and what does it do? •Holdskeypositioninbothcell processes and total energy transfer of the plant. •Alsoa“buildingblock”of-amongst others - cell walls and DNA.

What can you see?•Smallplantwithpurple/black necrotic leaf parts. •Leafsbecomemalformed and shrivelled.

What can you do?MixinorganicphosphatefertiliserTHOROUGHLYthroughthepottingmix or add extra liquid phosphate when growing in hydroponics.

What can you do?•IncasetheECinthesubstrateor pottingmixishigh,youcanrinseit with clean water. •Addpotassiumyourself.

What can you do?Using products that contain trace elements (Tracemix).

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Curly, purple or yellowing leaves? Or leaves with brown or yellowspots?Thesearejustafewofdeficiencysymptomsthatgrowersmightencounter.It’scoldcomforttoknowthateventhebestandmostexperiencedgrowershavedealtwithdeficienciesatsometimeoranother.Butwehavegoodnewsforyouandforanyoneelsewhoislikelytoencounteranutrientdeficiencyatleastonceintheirgrowingcareer:theCANNADeficiencyGuideistheperfectguideintimesofneed.

Calcium,Phosphorus,Nitrogen,Potassium,Manganese,Magne-sium and Iron are the primary nutrients that plants need. If you comeupagainstadeficiencyinoneoftheelementsinyourplant(s),youareinsomeserioustrouble.Brownspots,yellowspots,burnedleavesandleavesfallingoffarejustsomeex-amples.Andifyoudon’tcomeupwithasolutionquickly,your beloved plant(s) may pass the point of no return.

TheCANNADeficiencyGuideisagreathelp.Itgivesyouabitofbackgroundinformationabouteachnutrient,explainsthesymptoms,developmentandreasonsforadeficiency,andprovides you with a solution at the end. The images really help youtorecognizewhichnutrientdeficiencyyouaredealingwith.Thatsaid,ifyouuseCANNAproducts,youwillbereducingtheriskofadeficiencyanyway.That’snotonlybecausethisrangeof innovative products has been developed by the highly trainedspecialistsatCANNAResearch,butalsobecauseCANNA shares its expertise and provides growers with a full package of growing information with the magazine CANNAtalk and the website www.cannagardening.com.

Calcium Phosphorus Magnesium Iron Nitrogen Potassium Manganese

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CANNA Info CourierFIRST AID FOR DEFICIENCIES

AboutmanganeseinshortManganeseisanessentialtraceelementforallplants.Manganeseactsasanactivatorfordifferentenzymereactionsintheplant,forex-ampleinwater-splittingduringphotosynthesis,the synthesis of amino acids and proteins and the build up of plant cell membranes andchloroplasts.Manganeseisgenerallytaken up via the roots. Once inside theplantitisdifficulttotransportbutnotasdifficultascalciumor iron for example. Silicon and molybdenum improve the transport possibilities for manganese in the plant.

SymptomsofadeficiencyAmanganesedeficiencycausesdifferent physiological changes in the plant due to a decrease in protein production. Amongst others,thiscauseslessnitratetobefixedintheplant,which can lead to danger-ously high levels of nitrate. Additionally,alotofchemi-cal reactions in plant cells slow down which may result in a build up of organic acids.

DevelopmentofadeficiencyThe progression in chrono-logical order: •Yellowstripesappearbetween the leaf’s side veins on the larger leaves at the top of the plant. •Theyellowingbetweentheside veins spreads further over theleafandsmall,yellow/brownnecrotic spots can form. •Thefinalresultisasmallplant(-10%)withminimumfruit/flowerproduction.

ReasonsforadeficiencyInpractice,themostcommonreasonisthatthepHinthesubstrateistoohigh.Likeiron,manganese is easily dissolved at a low pH valueinthesubstrate.IfthepHistoolow,arisk of excess manganese may occur. At high pH values manganese precipitates into

manganeseoxide(MnO2)whichcannotbe taken up by the plant which can cause deficiency.

Solutionstoresolveadeficiency•Checkthemedium’spHwhenthefirstsymptoms are noticed. High pH values mean that there is less manganese available for the

plant.ByloweringthepHofthenutrition(pH min (down)) the medium’s pH canbeloweredto5.0-5.5.•Lowsubstratetemperaturecan be the cause of reduced manganese absorption. If a deficiencyisnoticed,checkthat the substrate temperature issufficientlyhigh(20-25ºC)

during the day. •Usingproductsthatcontaintrace

elements (Tracemix) may also help. A manganesedeficiencyisusuallynot

a problem on its own. To facilitate manganese transportation intheplant,molybdenumisneeded.Thus,theproblemmay well be a molybdenum deficiency.Highlevelsof

phosphorus may also result in a reduced availability of trace

elementslikezinc,copperand(ofcourse) manganese. CANNA advises

to use a mix of all needed trace elements. Trace elements can

be given to the plant both in the feeding and by spraying the leaves. Spray the plant at the end of the day and spray daily with water after spraying

to prevent burning.

ExcessManganese!Whentherearehighconcentrations,

manganese precipitates into manganese oxide(MnO2orblackmanganese)whichcauses yellow- brown spots on the leaves. Initially,smallspotswillappearalongthemainandsideveinsoftheleaf,followingthisthespots will spread out from the veins. Excess manganese can be a result of a low pH in the substrate(<5.0),thiscanbecorrectedwithpHplus(up).Oxygendeficiencyintherootenvi-ronment can also cause excess manganese. A substrate that is too wet can be a cause.

About phosphorus in short Phosphorusplaysanimportantroleforallliving organisms and is an essential nutrient element for plants and animals. It has a key position in the combustion processes ofthecell,andinthetotalenergytransferoftheplant.Itisalsoa“buildingblock”ofthecellwalls,theDNA,andallsortsof proteins and enzymes. For youngplants,thepresenceof phosphate is indispen-sable;about3/4ofthephosphorus consumed during a plant’s life cycle isabsorbedinthefirstquarter of its life. The largest concentrations of phosphorus are found in the developing parts of the plant: theroots,thegrowthshootsandthe vascular tissue.

SymptomsofadeficiencyPlantsremainrathersmallwithpurple/blacknecroticleafparts,whichlateronbecome malformed and shrivelled.

Developmentofadeficiency•Atfirst,theplantbecomesdark green - a different sortofdarkgreen(blue/green) as appears when there is a shortage of potassium. •Thegrowthinheight,and the development of the plant’s side shoots are inhibited. •After2to3weeks,darkpurple/black necrotic spots appear on theoldandmedium-oldleaves,makingthe leaves malformed. •Thepurple/blacknecrosesexpandtotheleaf’sstem.Theleafturns,curlsconsid-erably and dies off. •Thedeadleavesarecurledandshriv-elled,haveatypicalochrepurplecolour,and fall off. •Theplantflowersfully,buttheyieldwillbe minimal.

ReasonsforadeficiencyDue to the low concentrations in which phosphateappearsinnature,theaffinityof plant cells for phosphorous allows easy absorption through the whole root. There- fore,shortagesdonothappenveryoften,except when: •Thegrowingmediumhasatoohigh

pH (higher than pH 7). In such cases the plant can not absorb

phosphorus due to the fact that insoluble phosphorous compounds develop. •Thegroundistooacidic,or too rich in iron and zinc. This hinders the absorption

of phosphate. •Thepottingmixhasbe-

comefixated.Phosphatecannot be absorbed any more.

SolutionstoadeficiencyAlways use inorganic phos-

phates as these are easy to absorb. Also always mix the phosphate fertiliser THOROUGHLYthroughthepotting mix. •WhenpHistoohigh,

acidify the medium by using a thinned solution of phos-

phoric acid. •Chooseproductsthathave

a guaranteed phosphate percentage on the packag-

ing instead of alternative phosphate-containing products like guano or manure.

AboutcalciuminshortCalcium occurs throughout the entire plant. It is used for many processes in the plant,however,calciumismostimportantfor the growth process. It has a regulat-ing effect in the cells and contributes to thestabilityoftheplant.Plantshavetwotransportation systems at their dis-posal: the xylem vessels and the sievevessels.Mostnutrientscan be transported via bothsystems,however,for calcium this is not pos-sible. Since calcium can be transported almost exclusively via the xylem vessels,itisanelementthatdeposes of little mobility with-intheplant.Itis,therefore,im-portantthatasufficientamountof calcium is always available intherootenvironment,sothat it will be continuously available for absorption by the plant.

SymptomsofadeficiencyTheolder,largerleavesjustabove the bottommost ones willshowthefirstsymptoms.Yel-low/brownspotsoccur,whichare often surrounded by a sharp brown outlined edge.Inaddition,thegrowth is curbed and in serious cases the tops are smaller than normal and do not close.

DevelopmentofadeficiencyThe symptoms often appear quickly; withinoneortwoweeksofthefirstspotsbeing visible on the older leaves. The spots usuallystartassmall,lightbrownspecksthat increase in size over time. •Aftertwoweeks,theolderleavesshowever increasing spots and the spots also oftenappearattheedgeoftheleaves,aswithapotassiumdeficiencyorwithscorch symptoms. The spots have a sharp outline and do not originate exclusively at the edge of the leaves. A lag in develop-

ment is often already noticeable within a week. •Sometimesthegrowingpointswillwrinkleupandaroundthefruitsyouwillfindthin,small leaves that are not spotted. •Theolderleavesdieoffslowlyandyel-lowish cloudy spots may appear around thenecroticspots.Theoldertheleafis,

the more serious the symptoms are. •Thefloweringisalsohin-

dered and slowed down. Fruits stay small.

Reasons for a deficiency•Cultureoncalciumfixing

potting mix. •Anexcessiveamountofammo-nium,potassium,magnesiumand/

or sodium in the root environment. The absorption

is curbed mostly by ammo-nium and least by sodium. •Problemswiththeevaporation caused by an excessively high EC value

or by excessively high or low relative humidity.

Solutionstoadeficiency•IftheECvalueofthesub-

strate or the potting mix is too high,itcanbeeasilyrinsedout with pure and if neces-saryacidifiedwater.•Additionalcalciumcanbe applied through the

nutrient solution by means of liquid lime fertilisers such as a

calcium nitrate solution. With an excessivelyacidicpottingmix,lime

milk can be used to increase the pH. Use the appropriate potting mix that is not too acidic. Acid potting mix often contains insufficientamountsoflime.Goodpottingmix and Coco substrates are already limed.

Foryourinformation:Becarefulwithfertilis-ers containing chloride.

AboutmagnesiuminshortMagnesiumisanindispensableelementfor-amongstothers-plants.Inplants,itrepresents a building block for chlorophyll (leafgreen),andtherefore,itisessentialforphotosynthesis.Atthesametime,magnesium plays an important role in the energy transfer. Together with calcium,itisalsoacomponentoftapwater,influencingwater hardness. Inorganic magnesium fertilisers are produced using the same bases that are used to produce potassium fertilisers.

SymptomsofadeficiencyWhenthereisashortage,theleaf green in the medium-old leavesundertheflower-ingtopwillbebrokenup,and the magnesium will be transported into the young parts of the plant. This breakdown is visible asrustybrownspotsand/orvague,cloudy,yellowspots between the veins. A slight shortage of magnesium hardly affectsflowering,althoughthedevelopmentoftheflow-ersmakethedeficiencysymptoms worse.

Developmentofadeficiency•Signsofadeficiencyfirstappear around the 4th-6th week.Small,rustybrownspotsand/orcloudyyellowflecksappearin the middle-aged leaves (under the top of the plant). •Thecolouroftheyoungleavesandthefruit development are not affected. •Thesizeandnumberofrust-brownspotson the leaves increase. •Thesymptomsspreadoutoverthewholeplant,whichlooksill.Whentheshortagebecomesacute,theyoungerleavesarealsoaffectedandtheflowerproduction will be reduced.

ReasonsforadeficiencyThemagnesiumdeficiencycanoccurbecause uptake is inhibited because of: •Averywet,coldand/oracidicrootenvironment. •Ahighquantityofpotassium,ammoniaand/orcalcium(forinstancehigh

concentrations of calcium carbonate indrinkingwater,orclaypotting

mixes rich in calcium) in com-parison with the quantity of magnesium. •Alimitedrootsystemandheavy plant demands. •AhighECinthegrowingmedium,whichhinders

evaporation.

Solutions to resolve a deficiency

•Whenashortageisdiag-nosed,thebestthingtodoisto spray with a 2% solution of Epsom salts. •Fertilisationviatheroots:Inorganic: Epsom salts on hydroponics or Kieserite

(magnesium sulphate mono hydrate). Organic: composted

turkey or cow manure.

Recovery Rectify the possible causes: Inpottingmixes,whenthepHistoolow(lessthan5),use magnesium contain-ing calcium fertilisers. On hydro,temporarilyapplya

nutrient solution with a higher pH (6.5). When the EC is too

high,rinseand/ortemporarilyfeed with drinking water only. When

growingindoors,keeptheroottempera-turebetween20-25degreesCelsius.Alittle extra magnesium is not particularly harmful.Whengrowinginpottingmixes,excessive quantities of magnesium do not appear quickly. Too much magnesium inhibitstheuptakeofcalcium,andtheplant displays general symptoms of an excess of salts; •stuntedgrowth,anddark-colouredvegetation.

About iron in short Iron is a vital element for plant life. Iron has a number of important functions in the overall metabolism of the plant and is essential for the synthesis of chlorophyll. Ingeneral,ironispoorlyabsorbedbytheplant.Itcanonlybesufficientlytakenup by the roots in certain forms and underproperconditions.Pottingmixes seldom contains too lit-tleiron,butitispossiblethatforms of iron that can be absorbed by the plant are lacking. The absorbency of iron is strongly depend-ent on the pH. Ordinar-ily,thereissufficientironpresent in absorbable form in acidic potting mixes.

SymptomsofadeficiencyIrondeficiencycanoccurduring periods of heavy growth or high plant stress and is characterised by a strong yellowing of the young leaves and the growth shoots between theveins.Thisoccurschieflybecause iron is not mobile in the plant. The young leaves can’t draw any iron from the older leaves. With a serious iron shortage,theolderleavesand the smaller veins in the leaf can also turn yellow.

Developmentofadeficiency•Green/yellowchlorosis,frominsideto the outside in the younger leaves and in the growth shoots. The veins remain mostly green. •Continuedyellowingoftheleavestosometimesalmostwhite.Also,largeleavesturn yellow. This inhibits growth. •Inseriouscasestheleavesshownecrosis,andtheplant’sgrowthandfloweringareinhibited.

Reasonsforadeficiency•ThepHintherootenvironmentistoohigh(pH>6,5).•Therootenvironmentcontainsalotofzincand/ormanganese.•Theconcentrationofironistoolowinthe root environment. •Theroottemperatureislow.

•Therootmediumistoowet,causing the oxygen supply in

the roots to stagnate. •Therootsystemfunctionsinefficientlyduetodam-aged,infectedordeadroots. •Thereistoomuchlight

on the nutrition tank; light promotes the growth of algae.

Algae also use up the iron and break down iron chelates.

Solutions for a deficiencyLowerthepH.•Ironchelatescanbeadded to the substrate. •Drainagecanbeim-proved,orthegroundtem-

perature can be increased. •Aleafnutrientwithironche-

lates can possibly be applied. If a good fertiliser is used with hydroponicgrowing,anirondeficiencyisalmostoutofthe question. •Thebestthingyoucando is to spray the plants

with a watery solution of EDDHA.

•(max.0.1gramsperlitre)orEDTAchelates(max.0.5grams

per litre).

About nitrogen in short Nitrogen is one of the important elements a plant needs. It is an important part of proteins,chlorophyll,vitamins,hormonesandDNA.Becauseitisacomponentofenzymes,nitrogenisinvolvedinallenzymereactions and plays an active role in the plant’s metabolism. Nitrogen is mainly absorbed by the plant in the form of nitrate and ammoni-um. It can also be absorbed via small organic mol-ecules. It is important that the balance between nitrate and ammonium is correct in the feeding otherwise the pH in the rhizosphere (environment immediately sur-rounding the roots) will become toohighortoolow.Plantswith nitrate as their source of nitrogen have a higher organic acid content. This hasaninfluenceonthetaste and storage life of the harvest among other things. Nitrate is converted into ammonium in the plant by the nitroreductase enzyme. Ammonium is then assimilated into organic molecules. Nitrogen hasapositiveinfluenceonthe plant’s growth. The plantgetsbiggerleaves,more branches and the vegetative period is extended.

SymptomsofadeficiencyStalks will turn purple and leaves will yellowandfinallyfalloff.

Developmentofadeficiency•Quicklyfollowedbylargerleavesinthemiddle and top parts of the plant. •Theplantisalightercolourasawhole.•Largerleavesinthelowerpartoftheplant turn light green. The leaf stalks of the smaller leaves now also turn purple. Typical vertical purple stripes appear in the stem.

•Leavesinthelowerpartoftheplantturn more yellow and then become white. Finally,theleaveswhitherandfalloff.•Thegrowthisvisiblyinhibitedgivingshort-erplants,thinnerstems,lessleafformationand smaller leaves. •Furtheryellowingandwhiteningoccurs

in the top and middle parts of the plant. •Leavesongrowingpointsremain

green longer but they are a lot less green than at normal

nitrogen levels. •Forcedfloweringstartsand there is substantial leaf loss. Substantial reduction

in yield.

Reasons for a deficiency

Deficiencycanbecausedbyin-correct feeding or giving feed-ingthatcontainsinsufficient

nutrient elements. Substrates that contain a lot of fresh organic material can causenitrogendeficiency

because micro-organisms bind the nitrogen. A lot

ofnitrogencanbebound,particularlyinthefirstweeks;this

is released later but it is generally too late.

Solutions to resolve a deficiencyRaise the EC of the feeding and rinse the substrate well

with it. •Addnitrogenyourselfto

the feeding solution by using urea,bloodmeal,semi-liquid

manureorbyusingaspecial“mono-nutrient’ product. •Spraytheundersideoftheleaveswithanitrogen solution. This can best be done at theendoftheday,justbeforethelightsareturnedoff.Becarefulnottocauseburning.

AboutpotassiuminshortIt is necessary for all activities having to do with water transport and the opening andclosingofthestomas.Potassiumtakescare of the strength and the quality of the plant and controls countless other pro-cesses such as the carbohydrate system.

SymptomsofadeficiencyEvaporation is reduced if there is a shortage of po-tassium. A consequence is that the temperature in the leaves will increase and the cells will burn. This occurs mostly on the edges oftheleaves,wherenormally,evaporation is highest.

Developmentofadeficiency•Tipsoftheyoungerleaves show grey edges. •Leavesturnyellowfromthe edge in the direction of the veins and rustycol-oured dead spots appear in the leaves. •Thetipsoftheleavescurlupradically and whole sections of the leaves begin to rot. The leaves keep on curling and ultimately fall off. •Anextremeshort-ageproducesmeagre,unhealthy-looking plants with strongly reduced flowering.

Solutionsforadeficiency•Toolittle,orthewrongtypeoffertiliser.•Growinginpotassium-fixedpottingmixes.•Anexcessofsodium(kitchensalt)intherootenvironment,assodiumslowsdownpotassium intake.

Solutions for a deficiency•IncasetheECinthesubstrateorpottingmixishigh,youcanrinsewithwater.•Addpotassiumyourself,eitherininor-ganicform:Dissolve5–10gramsofpotas-siumnitratein10litresofwater.Inacidicpottingmixes,youcanaddpotassium

bicarbonate or potassium hydroxide (5mlin10litresofwater).

•Addpotassiuminorganicform: •Addawatersolutionofwoodash,chickenmanureor slurry of manure (be careful not to burn the

roots). Extracts of the grape family also contain a lot of

potassium.

Foryourinformation•Potassiumisabsorbedquickly

and easily by the plant. In a hydroponic system results get visible within several days.Potassiumsupple-mentation by leaf fertilisa-

tion is not recommended. •Toomuchpotassiumwill

causesaltdamage,calciumandmagnesiumdeficiencies

andacidificationoftherootenvi-ronment!