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aslan89_gw

What Type Of Nutrient Deficiency Is This?

aslan89
11 years ago

At first I assumed it was just because the growth was new that it was quite yellow/lime green but it's not getting darker. Our house is recessed into a grapefruit orchard and all of the trees recently had a flush of new growth, but it's already healthy looking so I know my mandarin is crying out for help ;)

Just so you know, I have a large container of Foliage Pro on the way for my gritty mix plants. :)

I'm just curious what might be causing this. I have been using watered down fertilizer on this plant so I doubt it's a lack of nitrogen unless some other lacking nutrient might be preventing the uptake. Could it be a lack of calcium or one of the micro nutrients? I'm using some miracle grow fertilizer (horribly lacking in micros of course) but I also have some time release granules on the surface that contain chelated iron among other things (still not complete, but helpful).

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Overall the plant is doing much better than when I first purchased it. If any of you remember my thread about finding a Kishu Mandarin you will know that this thing was in dire need of some TLC as most of its leaves were missing.

Right after planting in the gritty mix it exploded with new growth (all the new yellow leaves) and the thing is covered in blooms now.

Comments (8)

  • hoosierquilt USDA 10A Sunset 23 Vista CA
    11 years ago

    Nope, looks like Nitrogen deficiency, and not a micro deficiency to me, aslan.

    Patty S.

  • aslan89
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Thats strange, both fertilizers have nitrogen in them. Maybe I just wasn't using enough.

  • poncirusguy6b452xx
    11 years ago

    I have a bottle of used galvanized roofing nails in vinegar that I use to get the necessary micro nutrients to my kumquat tree and my poncirus trifoliata. For nitrogen I use fish emission to directions and add a tablespoon of my nail vinegar solution per gallon. This seams to clear up my problem. If you have access to a heavily used rail line you can get chips of mushroom rail off the side of the track's wearing surface edge that you can add to the nail vinegar solution to get a good source of manganese. Some times just adding vinegar to the water will change the PH of your soil so that the nutrients the tree needs are available to grow well. Try this first. It will take a week for the vinegar to work on the GALVANIZED nails.

    I never took good pics of my yellow leaf problem but hear is an after affect picture with old yellowish leave with newer green growth a month after feeding them my solution.

  • meyermike_1micha
    11 years ago

    Aslan.....I have been preaching vinegar for years here and I can tell you it does work wonders for my trees!

    Ponc has it right with vinegar and I am glad it was said.
    I'm not sure if nails are needed since I have never had to use them to keep my trees very green, but heck, it won't hurt.

    I would use vinegar right away as in one tbsp. per gallon as you fertilize.

    How often do you fertilize and what are you using?

    I am very familiar with the gritty mix and since we have that in common, did you add gypsum to it?

    Mike

  • aslan89
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    You know what, I didn't add gypsum to that mix. That tree was the first thing I planted in gritty mix and I don't recall adding anything but the granite, turface, and bark. I ordered Foliage Pro a few days ago however so the gypsum won't be needed now anyway.

    I have been using Vinegar in my water but it's possible that it's not enough. If the pH is still too high it might be blocking the uptake of nutrients. I use 2oz of white vinegar in my two gallon watering jug. The pH of our water is nearly 8 so it probably wouldn't hurt to add a little extra.

    I read in a couple other threads that those of you who use gritty mix sometimes fertilize with every watering at a lower concentration. Looking back on the past couple weeks I've been using diluted fertilizer maybe once every four waterings so I'm thinking I just need to increase my fertilizer use.

    Thank you all for the help by the way, I appreciate it. I love to crowd source my problems to see what other people think lol :p

  • poncirusguy6b452xx
    11 years ago

    Hi. Mike

    If you plan to get a kumquat tree and you grow it from seed or a grafted to poncirus trifoliata, you will find it is particularly susceptible to zinc deficiency problems. you will need a good source of zinc and iron. roofing nail have an abundance of both. vinegar alone will not be enough. I saw your request for kumquat tree pics and that you are thinking of one. In all my research of citrus/fortunella I keep coming to the conclusion that kumquats are the best for up north. I think this might become your favorite tree over time.

  • aslan89
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    No I think you have me confused with someone else :p That wasn't my request for kumquat pictures. Thanks for the advice though and I realize vinegar alone may not be enough but I've never planned on just using vinegar water alone on my plants lol I have supplemental fertilizers that I add into that. My Foliage Pro liquid is supposed to arrive today and that contains everything the plant will need, including micro nutrients :)

  • aslan89
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Sorry the picture is a little blurry, I used my phones camera rather than take out my actual camera. Anyway, with about a week of Foliage Pro waterings you can definitely see a difference in the color and size compared to the first photos I posted in this thread :)

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