Micronutrients

Growing and care

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

 

The majority of the micronutrients are not mobile in the plant. Deficiency symptoms are usually found on new growth. Their availability in the soil is highly dependent upon the pH and the presence of other ions. The proper balance between the ions present is important as many micronutrients are antagonistic to each other. This is especially true of the heavy metals where an excess of one element may show up as a deficiency of another. If the pH is maintained at the proper level and a fertilizer which contains micronutrients is used once a year deficiency symptoms (with the exception of iron deficiency symptoms) are rarely found on indoor plants. Many of the micronutrients are enzyme activators.

Iron (Fe) Absorbed as Fe++, Fe+++, Not mobile in the plant, Leachable

Boron (B) Absorbed as BO3– , Not mobile in the plant, Leachable

Zinc (Zn) Absorbed as Zn++, Not mobile in the plant, Leachable

Copper (Cu) Absorbed as Cu++, Cu+, Limited mobility in the plant, Very immobile in the soil

Manganese (Mn) Absorbed as Mn++, Not mobile in the plant, Leachable

Molybdenum (Mo) Absorbed as MoO4–, Immobile in the plant, Not leachable

Chlorine (Cl) Absorbed as Cl–, Highly mobile in the plant, Leachable

Nickel (Ni) Absorbed as Ni++. Mobile in the phloem, Not leachable

Cobalt (Co) Absorbed as Co++. Needed by plants recently established, Essential for nitrogen fixation
Little is known about its deficiency or toxicity symptoms.

 

Plumeria Database context: Micronutrients 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.