Too many minerals in the soil are as harmful to the plant as when there is a lack of nutrients. nutrient deficiency. Usually, this situation develops in the case of overfeeding with fertilizers and oversaturation of the soil.
Non-compliance with fertilizer dosage, violation of feeding time and frequency all lead to excessive mineral content.
In this regard, let’s look at the consequences of excess nutrients in the soil:
- Iron. Excess iron is very rare and usually causes difficulties in the absorption of phosphorus and manganese. Therefore, the symptoms of an excess of iron are similar to those of a deficiency of phosphorus and manganese: a dark and bluish shade of leaves, cessation of plant growth and development, death of young shoots.
- Magnesium. If there is too much magnesium in the soil, calcium ceases to be absorbed, respectively, the symptoms of an excess of magnesium are generally similar to the symptoms of calcium deficiency. They are the twisting and dying of leaves, the curved and torn shape of the leaf plate, a delay in the development of the plant.
- Copper. With an excess of copper in the lower, older leaves, brown spots appear, subsequently these parts of the leaf, and then the entire leaf, die. Plant growth slows down significantly.
- Zinc. When there is too much zinc in the soil, the leaf of the plant becomes covered with whitish, watery spots on the underside. The leaf surface becomes uneven, subsequently the affected leaves fall off.
- Bor. Excessive boron content manifests itself mainly on the lower and older leaves in the form of small brown spots. Over time, the spots increase in size. The affected areas, and then the entire leaf, die.
- Molybdenum. In the case of an overabundance of molybdenum in the soil, copper is poorly assimilated by the plant, so the symptoms are similar to those of a copper deficiency: general lethargy of the plant, slowing of the development of growing points, light spots on the leaves.
- Manganese. An excess of manganese in its characteristics resembles magnesium starvation of a plant: chlorosis in older leaves, spots of different colors on the leaf plate.
- Nitrogen. Too much nitrogen leads to a rapid accumulation of green mass to the detriment of flowering and fruiting. In addition, an overdose of nitrogen in combination with excessive irrigation significantly acidifies the soil, which in turn leads to the formation of root rot.
- Phosphorus. An excessive amount of phosphorus interferes with the absorption of nitrogen, iron and zinc, as a result of which the characteristic symptoms of a deficiency of these elements develop.
- Potassium. If the soil contains too much potassium, the plant stops absorbing magnesium. There is a slowdown in plant development, the leaves turn pale green, there is a burn along the leaf outline.
- Calcium. An excess of calcium manifests itself in the form of interveinal chlorosis. This is because an excess of calcium hinders the absorption of iron and manganese.
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