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1011 N.
Woodlawn
Kirkwood,
Missouri
63122
314-965-3070
MailSCG@aol.com |
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Our Favorite
Products: Espoma
Organic Traditions Plant Foods and Fertilizers |
Wouldn’t it
be nice if you could do something great for your garden and the
environment at the same time? You can! Espoma Organic Traditions is
the leading manufacturer and marketer of organic-based plant foods for
lawn and gardens. Founded 75 years ago with the development of
Holly-tone, food for acid-loving plants like azaleas and rhododendrons,
Espoma now makes organic products for virtually every facet of the
garden – from rose care to tomato plant food. They include:
- Garden Sulfur
- Rose-tone
- Bulb-tone
- Flower-tone
- Garden-tone
- Nitrogen
- Phosphorus
- Potassium
- Sulfate
- Bone meal
- Dried blood
For more information,
check out the company’s web site at
www.espoma.com. Or scan the plant nutrition “cheat sheet” below to
learn more about plant nutrients and their function. And if you have a
plant that is struggling, check out the “deficiency symptom” section and
see which Espoma products can address that problem.
Understanding Plant Nutrition
Eighteen
elements are considered essential for plant growth. Carbon, hydrogen,
and oxygen are primarily supplied by air and water. Plant roots absorb
the remaining 15 elements from the surrounding soil. These elements are
divided into three groups based on their relative abundance in plants:
Primary Nutrients (or Major Nutrients), Secondary Nutrients (or Minor
Nutrients), and Trace Nutrients (or Micronutrients). Although the Major
Nutrients are needed in the greatest quantities, a deficiency of any one
nutrient can prevent plant growth, or reduce it to unsatisfactory
levels. Even though some soils may already contain these nutrients, they
may not be in a form available for plant growth. The best way to ensure
that all of the nutrients are available in the soil is through regular
applications of plant foods. Table 1 provides more information on each
nutrient, its deficiency symptoms, and possible plant foods to cure the
deficiency.
|
PrimaryNutrients
|
Function |
Deficiency Symptoms |
*Solutions |
|
Nitrogen |
Vigorous growth & dark green color |
Light green leaves; stunted growth |
Dried Blood, Garden Manure, Cottonseed Meal, Ammonium Sulfate,
Urea |
|
Phosphorus |
Root development & flowering |
Smaller yields of seeds & fruit; purplish leaves, stems &
branches; |
Rock Phosphate, Bone Meal, Single Superphosphate, Triple
Superphosphate |
|
Potassium
|
Overall hardiness & disease resistance |
Reduced yields; Spotted or curled leaves; Weak root system |
Sulfate of Potash, Sulfate of Potash Magnesia, Muriate of
Potash, Greensand |
|
Secondary
Nutrients |
Function
|
Deficiency
Symptoms |
*Solutions |
|
Calcium |
Plant vigor;
Aids in uptake of nutrients |
Deformed terminal leaves; Poor root growth |
Garden Lime, Garden Gypsum |
|
Magnesium |
Essential part of chlorophyll
|
Yellowing of older leaves |
Garden Lime, Sulfate of Potash Magnesia |
|
Sulfur |
Dark green color; Seed production |
Yellow leaves; Stunted, spindly plants |
Garden Sulfur, Sulfate of Potash, Gypsum |
* Espoma Tones contain ALL 15 essential
nutrients so they can cure all of the above nutrient deficiencies.
|
Trace
Nutrients |
Function
|
Deficiency
Symptoms |
*Solutions |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Boron |
Increases flowering & fruit development
|
Terminal buds
die; Less flowers & fruit develop |
Garden Manure,
Bone Meal |
|
Chlorine |
Helps control water loss & moisture stress |
Plants wilt; yellow leaves |
Muriate of Potash, Garden Manure, Greensand
|
|
Cobalt |
Improves growth & transpiration
|
Reduced growth and yellowing of foliage |
Greensand, Kelp, Cottonseed Meal
|
|
Copper |
Helps produce chlorophyll |
Yellow, wilted leaves; Lack of flowering |
Garden Manure, Greensand
|
|
Iron |
Promotes dark green leaves |
Yellow leaves |
Greensand, Garden Manure, Cottonseed Meal
|
|
Manganese |
Helps produce chlorophyll
|
Intervenous chlorosis in younger leaves |
Garden Manure, Greensand
|
|
Molybdenum |
Essential in
some enzyme systems |
Pale green, rolled or cupped leaves
|
Greensand, Lime (makes it more available)
|
|
Sodium |
Aids water regulation & photosynthesis |
Plants wilt |
Kelp, Garden Manure, Bone Meal, Greensand
|
|
Zinc |
Enzyme & growth hormone production |
Yellow leaves, Rosetted (clustered) leaves |
Garden Manure, Greensand, Cottonseed Meal
|
* Espoma Tones contain
ALL 15 essential nutrients so they can cure all of the above nutrient
deficiencies
|
