Bitter gourd Nutrient Deficiency: Signs, Causes and the Fertilizer That Fixes It
Bitter gourd nutrient deficiency is one of the first things to check when the leaves of your ampalaya (bitter gourd) turn yellow, purple or burnt at the edges. On Philippine farms the usual ones are nitrogen, potassium, magnesium, phosphorus, calcium, boron and zinc. This guide shows where each one starts, how to be sure, and the fertilizer that fixes it.
Start with one question: did the change begin on the old leaves or on the young ones? Nitrogen, potassium, magnesium and phosphorus move inside the plant, so a shortage shows on the old, lower leaves first. But calcium, boron and zinc stay where the plant first put them, so the young leaves and the growing tip show it first. After that, the color and the pattern narrow down which bitter gourd nutrient deficiency you have, and a soil test confirms it. Each one below has its signs, its causes and its fix.
Bitter gourd nutrient deficiency signs, old leaves and young leaves
Shows first on the old leaves
| Nutrient | Where it starts | What you see | Fix with |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nitrogen | old, lower leaves, the whole plant | Lower leaves turn pale yellow and drop, and fruits come small, pale and thick. | Urea 46 0 0, Complete 14 14 14 |
| Potassium | old, lower leaves, leaf edges and tips | Old leaves scorch and cup, shoot tips die back and fewer female flowers open. | Muriate of potash 0 0 60, Sulfate of potash 0 0 50 |
| Magnesium | old, lower leaves, between the veins | Mature leaves yellow in the middle while the edges and veins stay green. | Dolomite, Magnesium sulfate (Epsom salt) |
| Phosphorus | old, lower leaves, the whole plant | Short, thin shoots and dull leaves with purple veins. | Complete 14 14 14, Ammonium phosphate 16 20 0 |
Shows first on the young leaves
| Nutrient | Where it starts | What you see | Fix with |
|---|---|---|---|
| Calcium | young leaves and the tip, fruit, grain or tubers | New leaves come out hooked and scorched, the vine tip dies, and fruits fail to set. | Dolomite, Agricultural lime |
| Boron | young leaves and the tip, fruit, grain or tubers | Young fruits drop, and fruits that stay show yellow streaks, corky skin and cracks. | Borax, Solubor (sodium borate) |
| Zinc | young leaves and the tip, between the veins | Young leaves are small, pale with green veins, and bunched on short vines. | Zinc sulfate |
Before you buy fertilizer for a bitter gourd nutrient deficiency
So use the table to pick the likeliest bitter gourd nutrient deficiency, then read its section below. Also keep in mind that dry soil, standing water, cold nights, a pest or a disease can look the same. That is why it pays to check the roots and the whole field first.
Nitrogen deficiency in bitter gourd
The oldest leaves fade to light green, then yellow, and can die and fall. Vines are stunted, and fruits are pale, small and thick. You see it most at this stage: vine growth and the long harvest period.
Why nitrogen deficiency happens in ampalaya
Sandy soils, heavy rain, low organic matter, and missed side dressings. Side dress every two weeks in the rainy season, because nitrogen washes out faster.
How to tell it apart
Magnesium shortage keeps the veins green on old leaves. Downy mildew gives angular yellow patches between veins. To be sure, old leaves yellow first. Soil test and leaf tissue test.
What to apply for nitrogen deficiency
Side dress ampalaya with 10 to 15 grams of urea plus 10 to 15 grams of muriate of potash per hill once a month in the dry season. Every two weeks in the wet season. Give a urea leaf spray at 10 grams per liter of water (160 grams in a 16 liter sprayer) every 15 days for a quick green up.
- Urea 46 0 0
- Complete 14 14 14
- Ammonium sulfate 21 0 0
- Chicken manure
Sold here with nitrogen: Atlas Granular Urea (46 0 0) by Atlas Fertilizer, Crown Champion Ammonium Sulfate by Aqua Hydroponic Prime Ventures (21 0 0 with 24 percent sulfur), Agripower 46 0 0 (Locally Blended) Coated by Green Acres Agri Tech and Calcipro by Ramgo (15.5 0 0 with 18.8 percent calcium). Check the FPA registration on the bag and follow the label rate. For the how and when, see our guide to urea fertilizer, and the page on nitrogen deficiency in every crop. In anee.io, Anee, the smart farm technician, reads a photo of the leaf and tells you which nutrient is short.
To keep it away, apply 2 tonnes of processed chicken manure or vermicompost per hectare two weeks before planting and 10 to 15 grams of complete 14 14 14 per hill at planting. Let a soil test and the crop's color set the season's nitrogen. Split the nitrogen into two or three doses.
Potassium deficiency in bitter gourd
Older leaves yellow and scorch from the edges, cup and curl upward, and show sunken dead spots along the midrib. Shoots die back, stems are weak, fewer female flowers form, and fruit quality is poor. You see it most at this stage: flowering and fruiting.
Why potassium deficiency happens in ampalaya
Sandy or acid soils, heavy rain, and side dressing with urea alone.
How to tell it apart
Magnesium shortage yellows between the veins first. Fusarium wilt makes whole vines wilt and the stem inside turns brown. To be sure, soil test for potassium and a leaf tissue test.
What to apply for potassium deficiency
Side dress 10 to 15 grams of muriate of potash per hill together with urea, monthly in the dry season and every two weeks in the wet season. For immediate relief, give a morning spray of sulfate of potash at 10 grams per liter of water (160 grams in a 16 liter sprayer) with a sticker.
- Muriate of potash 0 0 60
- Sulfate of potash 0 0 50
- Complete 14 14 14
Sold here with potassium: Atlas Muriate of Potash (MOP) by Atlas Fertilizer (0 0 60), Simplot Sulfate 0 0 50 by Nutranta, Potassium Nitrate by Parafield (13 0 46) and Qrop Mix Production 14 0 23 plus 13 Cao by Farmtech Agriland (14 0 23 with 9.3 percent calcium). Check the FPA registration on the bag and follow the label rate. For the how and when, see our guide to potash fertilizer, and the page on potassium deficiency in every crop.
To keep it away, keep potash in every side dressing once flowering starts, and lime acid soils. Test the soil every two or three years. Keep organic matter up with compost, manure or crop residues.
Magnesium deficiency in bitter gourd
Fully grown leaves turn yellow in the middle of the blade while the edges stay green, with yellowing between the veins. The yellow areas can turn red with spotted dead patches, leaves drop early and yield falls. You see it most at this stage: fruit set and harvest.
Why magnesium deficiency happens in ampalaya
Acid sandy soils, low pH, dry spells, and heavy potash or ammonium fertilizer.
How to tell it apart
Nitrogen shortage yellows the whole leaf. To be sure, soil test for magnesium, potassium and pH.
What to apply for magnesium deficiency
Try magnesium sulfate in a band near the plants at about 80 kg per hectare. Do not apply it together with potash. On acid soil, use dolomite. Put the soil dose in before planting or when the rains begin. Sprays show results in 10 to 14 days.
- Dolomite
- Magnesium sulfate (Epsom salt)
Sold here with magnesium: Dolomite by A6 Agrisource (24 percent calcium and 11 percent magnesium), Agsmart Kieserite Granule (20 percent sulfur and 16.3 percent magnesium), DDDD Planter's Choice Magnesium Sulphate Monohydrate by Modern Time (15.1 percent magnesium) and Zetryl MAG 9 by Zetryl Chem (9 percent magnesium). Check the FPA registration on the bag and follow the label rate. For the how and when, see our guide to complete fertilizer, and the page on magnesium deficiency in every crop.
To keep it away, apply 4 bags of dolomite per hectare after the first plowing or two weeks before planting, which supplies magnesium and corrects acidity. Test the soil every two or three years. Lime acid soil with Dolomite rather than plain lime.
Phosphorus deficiency in bitter gourd
Leaves and veins turn purplish, shoots are short and thin, leaves look dull and shrivelled, and vigour and yield are poor. You see it most at this stage: seedling and early vine growth.
Why phosphorus deficiency happens in ampalaya
Acid or iron rich soils, low organic matter, and no phosphorus at planting.
How to tell it apart
Root knot nematodes also stunt vines. Check the roots for galls. To be sure, soil test for available phosphorus and pH.
What to apply for phosphorus deficiency
Apply complete 14 14 14 at 10 to 15 grams per hill at planting. Use single superphosphate for a quick correction. Lime very acid soil so phosphorus stays available.
- Complete 14 14 14
- Ammonium phosphate 16 20 0
- Single superphosphate
Sold here with phosphorus: Philphos 18 46 0 (Di Ammonium Phosphate), Atlas Super Gro (16 20 0) by Atlas Fertilizer, Amigo Planters Granular Single Super Phosphate by La Filipina (0 18 0 with 11 percent sulfur) and Triple Super Phosphate by Newman Chemicals (0 46 0). Check the FPA registration on the bag and follow the label rate. For the how and when, see our guide to 16 20 0 fertilizer, and the page on phosphorus deficiency in every crop.
To keep it away, apply manure and complete fertilizer in the hill before planting. Test the soil every two or three years.
Calcium deficiency in bitter gourd
Young leaves show yellow stripes along the midrib, crinkle, scorch and become distorted, and new leaves are hooked and curled. The growing tip dies back, plants are stunted, and fruit set is poor or fails. You see it most at this stage: vine growth and early fruiting, in dry spells.
Why calcium deficiency happens in ampalaya
Very acid soils, uneven watering, high phosphorus and low boron. Heavy potash or ammonium fertilizer, salty soil and dry spells keep calcium from reaching fruit and young leaves.
How to tell it apart
Boron shortage also deforms young growth and drops young fruit. Check both. To be sure, soil test for calcium, pH and boron.
What to apply for calcium deficiency
On acid soil, lime by the soil test: usually 1 to 3 tons of Agricultural lime or Dolomite per hectare, mixed in 2 to 4 weeks before planting. Gypsum on soil that is not acid. Keep watering steady.
- Dolomite
- Agricultural lime
- Gypsum
- Calcium nitrate
Sold here with calcium: Micronized Activated Calcite by CMCS Agricultural Products (37.6 percent calcium), Dolomite by A6 Agrisource (24 percent calcium and 11 percent magnesium), Titon Pro by Vast Agro (27.2 percent calcium, 6.1 percent silicon and 3.6 percent magnesium) and Calcipro by Ramgo (15.5 0 0 with 18.8 percent calcium). Check the FPA registration on the bag and follow the label rate. For the how and when, see our guide to fertilizer for tomatoes, and the page on calcium deficiency in every crop.
To keep it away, apply dolomite before planting and water evenly. Keep potash in balance with magnesium and calcium.
Boron deficiency in bitter gourd
New leaves are malformed and the vine grows bushy and stunted. Young fruits drop or abort, and fruits that stay show yellow streaks, corky skin, cracks and small size. You see it most at this stage: flowering and fruit set.
Why boron deficiency happens in ampalaya
Sandy soils, overlimed soils, low organic matter and drought.
How to tell it apart
Fruit fly attack also drops young fruits, but the fruits show puncture marks and maggots inside. To be sure, soil test for boron and a leaf tissue test. In a soil test, less than 0.5 ppm of boron is low.
What to apply for boron deficiency
Try borax in the soil at about 10 kg per hectare or a borax spray at 1 gram per liter of water (16 grams in a 16 liter sprayer). Do not mix borax with calcium or ammonium fertilizer. Give boron before flowering: flowers and fruit set need it most.
- Borax
- Solubor (sodium borate)
Sold here with boron: Etifert 11 (Borax Decahydrate) by Zetryl Chem (11 percent boron), Fertibagra 15G by Unilox Far East Resources (14.6 percent boron), B17 (Boric Acid) by Newman Chemicals (17 percent boron) and Better Yield by Bacphil Planters Fertilizer (0 0 0.9 with 10 percent boron). Check the FPA registration on the bag and follow the label rate. For the how and when, see our guide to foliar fertilizer, and the page on boron deficiency in every crop.
To keep it away, add a small boron dose to the basal fertilizer on sandy fields, without repeating it. Test the soil every two or three years. Keep organic matter up with compost, manure or crop residues.
Zinc deficiency in bitter gourd
Young leaves yellow between the veins and can turn white, leaves are pale with green veins and smaller, the spaces between leaves are short, and leaves form distorted rosettes. You see it most at this stage: vine growth.
Why zinc deficiency happens in ampalaya
High pH or overlimed soils, heavy phosphorus, and waterlogged soils.
How to tell it apart
Mosaic viruses also give small, mottled leaves, usually with aphids or whiteflies around. To be sure, soil test for zinc and pH, and a leaf tissue test. In a soil test, less than 0.8 ppm of zinc is low.
What to apply for zinc deficiency
Try zinc sulfate in the soil at about 20 kg per hectare. In severe cases a morning spray of zinc sulfate at 2 grams plus calcium carbonate at 2.5 grams per liter of water (40 grams in a 16 liter sprayer). Do not apply zinc together with phosphate. Give the soil dose at planting or when the rains begin, and sprays on young growth.
- Zinc sulfate
Sold here with zinc: Harvester Zinc Sulphate Heptahydrate by Universal Harvester (22 percent zinc), Tierramino ZN by Unilox Far East Resources (7 0 0 with 10 percent zinc), Semia by SCL Filipinas (20 percent zinc) and Omex Zynergy by Jardine Distribution (3.8 percent zinc and 2.1 percent copper). Check the FPA registration on the bag and follow the label rate. For the how and when, see our guide to fertilizer with zinc, and the page on zinc deficiency in every crop.
To keep it away, keep soil pH between 5 and 7.5. Test the soil every two or three years.
A soil test is the surest check for any bitter gourd nutrient deficiency. Before you buy, ask your Municipal Agriculture Office where to send a soil sample. The DA regional soil laboratories test soil, and the result says how much of each fertilizer your ampalaya needs. That saves money, because extra fertilizer is money lost.
Open the Nutrient Deficiency Finder, pick ampalaya, say where the leaves changed first and what you see, and get the fertilizers sold here that fix it.
- Anee, the smart farm technician, reads a photo of the leaf
- The cropping calendar dates every fertilizer application of your season
Bitter gourd nutrient deficiency questions
Why are my ampalaya leaves turning yellow?
What fertilizer fixes nitrogen deficiency in bitter gourd?
What fertilizer fixes potassium deficiency in bitter gourd?
What fertilizer fixes magnesium deficiency in bitter gourd?
How do I know which nutrient my ampalaya lacks?
Find the missing nutrient and fix it
With Libre + Anee, read the whole guide: how to tell the deficiency from look alikes, how to be sure, what to apply, and the fertilizers sold here that supply it.
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