Plant nutrients and nutrient deficiencies

plus fertilisers, tonics and stimulants

This subject is, of course, covered extensively on many gardening and farming sites. Here, the emphasis will be on information pertaining to Qld or to subtropical and tropical plants as much as possible.

This page is mostly a collection of links about plant nutrition in general. You may find more about nutrition or nutrient deficiency symptoms of particular plant species if you go to the page on this site devoted to that group. See Plants for a list

News

Ants not anti-plants

Ants on plants are often bad news as they "farm" sap-sucking insects, but can benefit in various ways, including as a fertiliser source. Researchers installed weaver ants in isolated coffee plants and fed ants with a form of traceable nitrogen (15 N). When ants were allowed to travel from one tree via bridges, it was found that visited trees became larger and had more nitrogen. What's more, leaves that where wrapped to protect them from ants nevertheless contained 15N, showing that waste from the ants was taken up and moved throughout the plants. In certain ecosystems, ants may thus contribute to plant nutrition by catching and digesting insects and foliar-feeding the trees in which they live. Source: Profitable cooperation: Ants protect and fertilize plants New research shows that ant fecal droplets serve as a valuable fertilizer for plants, absorbed directly by the leaves (August 2017)

Fertilisers and plant tonics for Qld

Landscape supply yards, garden centres and the garden departments of variety stores and hardware chains usually carry a variety of fertilisers, but certain specialised products (including organic products) may also be available from online suppliers. Specialist nurseries are another place to look, especially if you seek fertilisers developed for specific types of plants (e.g. orchid nurseries would be likely to carry orchid formulations).

HOME SOIL SOLUTIONS Brisbane, QLD Ph: (07) 3408 6330 homesoilsolutions.com.au

Vegetables, orchards, lawns, herbs, flowers and ornamentals all benefit from soil with a good balance of minerals. But what does your soil have already, and what do you need to add? First, your soil is laboratory tested. You will receive a comprehensive soil analysis, mineral balancing recipe and biological gardening program in a printable document. Then, Home Soil Solutions can provide a custom blend of minerals, specifically designed for your soil and delivered to your door. For more information and instructions, visit the WEBSITE