Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Chapter 13
!PROBLEM SOLVER!
Got a problem that you need to identify? If common sense
does not solve it then it sounds like you have a feeding problem and
want to know how to sort it out. Well this is what this chapter is all
about.
PLANT NUTRIENT / CHEMICAL PROBLEMS
AND HOW TO SOLVE THEM.
Before we begin we should tell you what a chemical burn is.
A chemical burn is what the plant suffers because of over-feeding. A
chemical burn can be compared to a half-smoked joint. At the tip of
the joint you have this shriveled gray ash, in the middle you have the
burn creeping towards new paper which leaves a pattern behind it, and
then you have the part you have not smoked yet. A plant burn looks
like this almost. The plant sucks up the water and the food. It
distributes these elements to the leaves at the bottom first and then
works its way up the plant. This process takes days to work as you
know FROM WATERING and WHEN TO WATER! The damage
starts at the tips of the leaf and slowly moves to the center of the leaf,
leaving behind it some crispy matter that flakes away between your
fingers. This is what a chemical burn looks like. A nutrient problem
does not look burnt. A nutrient problem looks like a cell collapse with
discoloration. The part may wither and die, but it should not look
burnt. That is major difference between a chemical burn and a nutrient
problem. In time you should be able to tell the difference for yourself.
Also check your pH. If your pH is not right, then solve the pH
problem before you go and do anything else.
