Boron (B)

Growing and care

Category: Fertilizer Nutrients and Micronutrients | Related terms: Fertilizer and Micronutrients

Boron (B) is a chemical element with symbol B and atomic number 5. Because boron is produced entirely by cosmic ray spallation and not by stellar nucleosynthesis,[9] it is a low-abundance element in both the Solar system and the Earth’s crust. Boron is concentrated on Earth by the water-solubility of its more common naturally occurring compounds, the borate minerals. These are mined industrially as evaporates, such as borax and kernite. The largest proven boron deposits are in Turkey, which is the also the largest producer of boron minerals.

In biology, borates have low toxicity in mammals (similar to table salt), but are more toxic to arthropods and are used as insecticides. Boric acid is mildly antimicrobial, and a natural boron-containing organic antibiotic is known. Boron is essential to life. Small amounts of boron compounds play a strengthening role in the cell walls of all plants, making boron necessary in soils.

 

Plumeria Database context: Boron (B) affects how plumeria roots, leaves, stems, and blooms perform in containers or in the ground. Care terms are especially important because watering, drainage, nutrition, and soil conditions can change the way a plant looks.

What to look for: Consider the growing mix, drainage, watering cycle, fertilizer program, container size, root health, and local climate before deciding whether a symptom is a cultivar trait or a growing-condition response.

Identification note: This term is one clue. A plumeria should be compared using all available traits, photos, source history, and growing context rather than a single characteristic.

  • Glossary: Micronutrients
    Micronutrients: The majority of the micronutrients are not mobile in the plant. Deficiency symptoms are usually found on new growth. Plumeria context is explained on the term page.