Sponge gourd Nutrient Deficiency: Signs, Causes and the Fertilizer That Fixes It
Sponge gourd nutrient deficiency is one of the first things to check when the leaves of your patola (sponge gourd) turn yellow, purple or burnt at the edges. On Philippine farms the usual ones are nitrogen, potassium, magnesium, phosphorus and boron. 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 boron 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 sponge gourd nutrient deficiency you have, and a soil test confirms it. Each one below has its signs, its causes and its fix.
Sponge 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 | Older leaves turn yellow, vines grow slowly and fruits stay small and pale. | Urea 46 0 0, Ammonium sulfate 21 0 0 |
| Potassium | old, lower leaves, leaf edges and tips | Old leaf edges yellow, then brown and cup, while fruits fill poorly. | Muriate of potash 0 0 60, Sulfate of potash 0 0 50 |
| Magnesium | old, lower leaves, between the veins | Oldest leaves yellow between the veins while fruits enlarge, and the yellow tissue falls out. | Magnesium sulfate (Epsom salt), Dolomite |
| Phosphorus | the whole plant, old, lower leaves | Slow vines with small, dark leaves and late flowering. | Complete 14 14 14, Ammonium phosphate 16 20 0 |
Shows first on the young leaves
| Nutrient | Where it starts | What you see | Fix with |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boron | young leaves and the tip, fruit, grain or tubers | New leaves come out deformed and brittle, and young fruits drop or crack. | Borax, Solubor (sodium borate) |
Before you buy fertilizer for a sponge gourd nutrient deficiency
So use the table to pick the likeliest sponge 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 sponge gourd
Older leaves on the vine turn pale and then yellow, and the yellowing climbs as the shortage grows. Vines grow slowly and set fewer, smaller and paler fruits. You see it most at this stage: rapid vine growth and fruit set, when cucurbits most often run short.
Why nitrogen deficiency happens in patola
Sandy soils, heavy rain, low organic matter, and no side dressing before fruiting.
How to tell it apart
Magnesium shortage leaves 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
Before fruits form, side dress urea or ammonium sulfate in one or two doses at the soil test rate. For bottle gourd, a related gourd, give a urea leaf spray at 10 grams per liter of water (160 grams in a 16 liter sprayer) every 15 days. Side dress 5 to 10 grams of Urea 46 0 0 a plant, about 1 to 2 bags per hectare, every two to three weeks from flowering, and water it in.
- Urea 46 0 0
- Ammonium sulfate 21 0 0
- Complete 14 14 14
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, add manure to the hills before planting and side dress before fruit set.
Potassium deficiency in sponge gourd
Older leaves yellow and scorch along the edges, then brown and cup. Roots are weak and stems slender. Fruit filling suffers. You see it most at this stage: fruiting.
Why potassium deficiency happens in patola
Sandy or acid soils, heavy rain, and urea only feeding.
How to tell it apart
Magnesium shortage yellows between the veins first. To be sure, soil test for potassium and a leaf tissue test.
What to apply for potassium deficiency
Apply muriate of potash based on the soil test, in split doses. For bottle gourd, a related gourd, 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. A usual dose is 1 to 2 bags of Muriate of potash 0 0 60 or Sulfate of potash 0 0 50 per hectare, split from flowering to fruit fill.
- 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, include potash at planting and at flowering. Keep organic matter up with compost, manure or crop residues.
Magnesium deficiency in sponge gourd
Yellowing between the veins starts on the oldest leaves and moves up the vine. The yellow tissue may brown, die and drop out, leaving holes. You see it most at this stage: fast growth while fruits enlarge.
Why magnesium deficiency happens in patola
Sandy soils with low holding capacity, low pH, dry years, and heavy potash, lime or ammonium fertilizer.
How to tell it apart
Nitrogen shortage yellows the whole leaf. Manganese toxicity on very acid soil gives bronze spots. To be sure, soil test for magnesium, potassium and pH.
What to apply for magnesium deficiency
Hold soil pH near 6.5, and feed Epsom salt through drip lines when needed. Leaf sprays rarely fix a serious shortage. For bottle gourd, give magnesium sulfate in a band at about 80 kg per hectare. 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.
- Magnesium sulfate (Epsom salt)
- Dolomite
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 soil before planting. Test the soil every two or three years. Keep potash in balance with magnesium and calcium.
Phosphorus deficiency in sponge gourd
Growth is held back without yellowing. Stems are slender, leaves are small and darker green, undersides may turn reddish purple, and flowering and fruiting are delayed. You see it most at this stage: seedling and early vine growth.
Why phosphorus deficiency happens in patola
Acid or iron rich soils, low organic matter, cold or waterlogged soil, and no phosphorus at planting.
How to tell it apart
Root knot nematodes also stunt vines. To be sure, soil test for available phosphorus and pH.
What to apply for phosphorus deficiency
Apply phosphorus in the hill based on the soil test, and lime very acid soil. Follow the soil test for the rate. A usual basal dose is 4 to 6 bags of Complete 14 14 14 per hectare, 10 to 20 grams a hill, mixed into the soil at transplanting.
- Complete 14 14 14
- Ammonium phosphate 16 20 0
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, use complete fertilizer or 16 20 0 in the hill at planting.
Boron deficiency in sponge gourd
New leaves and stalks are light, brittle and deformed, internodes are short and the tips rosette. Young fruits drop, and fruits may show corky marks or cracks. You see it most at this stage: flowering and fruit set.
Why boron deficiency happens in patola
Sandy soils, overlimed soils, low organic matter and drought.
How to tell it apart
Fruit fly damage also drops young fruits but leaves stay normal and maggots are 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
For bottle gourd, a related gourd, give borax at about 10 kg per hectare in the soil, or a borax spray at 1 gram per liter of water (16 grams in a 16 liter sprayer). Do not repeat doses without a test. 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. Test the soil every two or three years. Keep organic matter up with compost, manure or crop residues.
A soil test is the surest check for any sponge 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 patola needs. That saves money, because extra fertilizer is money lost.
Open the Nutrient Deficiency Finder, pick patola, 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
Sponge gourd nutrient deficiency questions
Why are my patola leaves turning yellow?
What fertilizer fixes nitrogen deficiency in sponge gourd?
What fertilizer fixes potassium deficiency in sponge gourd?
What fertilizer fixes magnesium deficiency in sponge gourd?
How do I know which nutrient my patola 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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