ABSTRACT
The ability to identify nutrient disorders correctly is extremely helpful in diagnosing plant health problems. The problems will mostly arise in pot plants where the compost may have been mixed on the nursery or where supplementary overhead irrigation also supplies some nutrition. Typically, a fertilizer such as phosphorus will have been omitted from the compost mix and the plants will grow with purple leaf edges or other symptom of the deficiency. In soils, over-cropping and soil texture variations may induce a deficiency. In either case, the problem must be identified and corrective action taken.
