Malabar spinach Nutrient Deficiency: Signs, Causes and the Fertilizer That Fixes It
Malabar spinach nutrient deficiency is one of the first things to check when the leaves of your alugbati (malabar spinach) turn yellow, purple or burnt at the edges. On Philippine farms the usual ones are nitrogen, potassium, phosphorus, magnesium and iron. 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, phosphorus and magnesium move inside the plant, so a shortage shows on the old, lower leaves first. But iron 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 malabar spinach nutrient deficiency you have, and a soil test confirms it. Each one below has its signs, its causes and its fix.
Malabar spinach 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 | Older leaves fade to pale yellow and new shoots come thin and slow after cutting. | Urea 46 0 0, Complete 14 14 14 |
| Potassium | old, lower leaves, leaf edges and tips | Older leaves get bronze, brown edges that curl down. | Complete 14 14 14, Muriate of potash 0 0 60 |
| Phosphorus | the whole plant, old, lower leaves | Cuttings root and grow slowly, with small, dark green leaves. | Complete 14 14 14, Ammonium phosphate 16 20 0 |
| Magnesium | old, lower leaves, between the veins | Older leaves yellow between the veins, sometimes with a reddish purple tint. | Dolomite, Magnesium sulfate (Epsom salt) |
Shows first on the young leaves
| Nutrient | Where it starts | What you see | Fix with |
|---|---|---|---|
| Iron | young leaves and the tip, between the veins | On limed or alkaline soil, the newest leaves turn pale yellow between green veins. | Ferrous sulfate, Iron chelate |
Before you buy fertilizer for a malabar spinach nutrient deficiency
So use the table to pick the likeliest malabar spinach 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 malabar spinach
Older leaves fade to yellowish green and then yellow, and new shoots are thin, hard and slow to regrow after each harvest. Leaves stay small and the plant flowers early. You see it most at this stage: mid growth and the regrowth after each harvest.
Why nitrogen deficiency happens in alugbati
Repeated harvests that remove nitrogen with the shoots, sandy soils, heavy watering and low organic matter.
How to tell it apart
Root knot nematodes, which alugbati is weak against, also stunt and yellow plants. Check the roots for galls. To be sure, soil test for organic matter and nitrogen. Get a soil test for N, P and K.
What to apply for nitrogen deficiency
Top dress urea at half to one bag (25 to 50 kg) per hectare after each harvest. Once a month, side dress 20 to 30 bags of manure or compost per hectare. Or drench with manure tea, 1 part to 20 parts water.
- Urea 46 0 0
- Complete 14 14 14
- Compost or 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, when preparing the plots, work in 3 to 5 tonnes of compost or manure per hectare. 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 malabar spinach
Older leaves turn greyish green then bronze or yellowish brown, and the edges brown and cup down with specks along the veins. Stems are slender and roots weak. You see it most at this stage: later harvests.
Why potassium deficiency happens in alugbati
Sandy soils, heavy watering that leaches nutrients (so do not over irrigate), and feeding with urea only.
How to tell it apart
Leaf spot from Cercospora or Colletotrichum makes round spots across the leaf, not edge burn. To be sure, soil test for potassium.
What to apply for potassium deficiency
Use complete 14 14 14 or muriate of potash based on the soil test. A usual budget is 6 bags of 14 14 14 per hectare. Follow the soil test for the rate. Split it on sandy soil.
- Complete 14 14 14
- Muriate of potash 0 0 60
- Compost or manure
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, feed complete fertilizer, not only urea, and keep adding compost.
Phosphorus deficiency in malabar spinach
Growth is held back without yellowing. Stems are slender and leaves are small and darker green, and some leaves show a reddish purple tint underneath. Cuttings are slow to establish. You see it most at this stage: establishment of cuttings or seedlings.
Why phosphorus deficiency happens in alugbati
Acid or iron rich soils, low organic matter, and no phosphorus at planting.
How to tell it apart
The red stemmed alugbati is naturally purplish. Judge by growth, not color alone. To be sure, soil test for available phosphorus and pH.
What to apply for phosphorus deficiency
Use complete 14 14 14 at planting based on the soil test, and add compost. Follow the soil test for the rate. A usual basal dose is 4 to 6 bags of Complete 14 14 14 per hectare, about 10 grams a hill, mixed into the soil at transplanting.
- Complete 14 14 14
- Ammonium phosphate 16 20 0
- Compost or manure
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 compost or manure at 3 to 5 tonnes per hectare during plot preparation. Lime acid soil to pH 6 to 6.5.
Magnesium deficiency in malabar spinach
Older leaves turn yellow between the veins while the veins stay green. Leaves become brittle with upturned edges, and some plants show reddish purple color instead of yellow. You see it most at this stage: after several harvests.
Why magnesium deficiency happens in alugbati
Acid soils, heavy potash, and liming with plain lime only.
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
Spray magnesium sulfate on the leaves and correct acid soil with dolomite. Follow the soil test for rates. A usual dose is 100 to 150 kg of Kieserite or 150 to 200 kg of Magnesium sulfate per hectare at planting. On acid soil, 1 to 2 tons of Dolomite mixed in before planting both limes and feeds. For quick help, spray Magnesium sulfate at 1 to 2 percent (160 to 320 grams in a 16 liter sprayer) two or three times, 10 to 14 days apart.
- 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, use dolomite on acid beds. Keep potash in balance with magnesium and calcium.
Iron deficiency in malabar spinach
New leaves turn light yellow between the veins, then over the whole leaf, usually without dead spots, while older leaves stay green. You see it most at this stage: any stage on alkaline or heavily limed soil.
Why iron deficiency happens in alugbati
Alugbati is grown on soils up to pH 8. Iron shortage comes mostly on alkaline soils or on soils given too much lime. Waterlogging can also bring it on.
How to tell it apart
Nitrogen shortage starts on the older leaves. To be sure, soil pH test. A soil pH test and a leaf test of the young leaves confirm it. In a soil test, less than 4.5 ppm of iron is low.
What to apply for iron deficiency
Stop liming and spray ferrous sulfate or iron chelate on the leaves. Follow the product label. Spray Ferrous sulfate at 0.5 to 1 percent (80 to 160 grams in a 16 liter sprayer), or an iron chelate at the label rate, two or three times 7 to 10 days apart.
- Ferrous sulfate
- Iron chelate
- Compost or manure
Sold here with iron: DDDD Planter's Choice Ferrous Sulphate Heptahydrate by Modern Time (19 percent iron), Ferrous Sulfate Monohydrate by Zetryl Chem (30 percent iron), Ferrous Sulphate Monohydrate by Newman Chemicals (30 percent iron) and Liquid Chelate Iron with Sulfur by Sagrex (5 percent iron and 3 percent sulfur). 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 iron deficiency in every crop.
To keep it away, do not overlime, and add compost, which helps keep iron available. Test the soil every two or three years.
A soil test is the surest check for any malabar spinach 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 alugbati needs. That saves money, because extra fertilizer is money lost.
Open the Nutrient Deficiency Finder, pick alugbati, 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
Malabar spinach nutrient deficiency questions
Why are my alugbati leaves turning yellow?
What fertilizer fixes nitrogen deficiency in malabar spinach?
What fertilizer fixes potassium deficiency in malabar spinach?
What fertilizer fixes phosphorus deficiency in malabar spinach?
How do I know which nutrient my alugbati 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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