All fruit and vegetable crops need a

constant adequate supply of nutrients to

sustain growth and yield a worthwhile
harvest. Good nutrition is ensured by
attention at the time of preparing the
garden and then continual maintenance.
Soil nutrients come from several
sources—weathering of minerals, the
breakdown of organic matter, chemical
reaction in the soil, and absorption
from the atmosphere. The gardener
can also inf luence nutrient levels by
applying additional fertilizers and
organic matter (see pp.20–23).
MAJOR AND MINOR NUTRIENTS
The essential plant nutrients required
in the greatest quantity are nitrogen,
phosphorus, and potassium. Nitrogen
is absorbed in quantity by plants to
promote growth; leafy vegetables
(see pp.123–128) use a great deal, as
do black currants, plums, and pears
among the fruit crops (see pp.146–237).
Phosphorus is necessary for chemical
reactions within the plant and is vital
for cell division and consequently
the development of shoots and roots.
Potassium is essential in plant
metabolism, giving hardiness, steady
growth, disease resistance, and color
and f lavor in vegetables and fruit.
Magnesium, calcium, and sulfur also
have essential roles, but are required
in smaller amounts. Magnesium is a
constituent of chlorophyll, needed to
convert light into energy for growth,
and has a role in the transport of
phosphorus within plants. Calcium
facilitates growth. Sulfur is a central
constituent of the protein in living
cells, and is usually in short supply.
There are also essential trace elements
or micronutrients, required in much
smaller quantities. The most important
of these are iron, manganese, copper,
molybdenum, boron, chlorine, and zinc.
DETERMINING NUTRIENT LEVELS
Total absence of a nutrient from the
soil is rare; low nutrient levels as a result
of leaching by rainfall or f looding, or
through depletion by successive crops
over time are more common. Another
significant cause of deficiency is reserves
in the soil becoming unavailable due to
the effects of acidity (see p.18), excessive
amounts of another nutrient, or poor
root growth as a result of waterlogging
(see facing page) or disease.
Measuring levels of nutrients such
as nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium
in a garden soil is not easy—especially
nitrogen because of its mobility.
Proprietary kits are available, but,
for accuracy, laboratory testing and
professional analysis are best; this is
inevitably less straightforward, and
expensive. Once initial testing of the
kitchen garden soil has taken place,
annual testing thereafter is not necessary,
provided the soil is well maintained.
LEVELS OF THE MAJOR NUTRIENTS
Nitrogen is used in quantity and is also
highly prone to washing out in rain.
Make regular supplementary dressings,
but avoid excessive amounts, which can
lead to rank growth and unfruitfulness;
and also lead to the pollution of water
courses. Follow directions on proprietary
fertilizers (see pp.20–21).
Phosphorus is retained quite well, and
sufficient levels are present in most soils,
an exception being old, grazed pastures
converted to garden. Supplements are
probably needed only every two or
three years in a well-maintained garden.
Potassium is usually held in clay soils
by a chemical reaction, but is easily lost
to leaching on sandy, free-draining, and
acidic soils. Dressings of potassium are
needed annually in the kitchen garden;
it should always be included in dressings
that are applied prior to planting, in
order to balance the effects of nitrogen.
LEVELS OF MICRONUTRIENTS
Because plant growth requires very low
levels of micronutrients, real deficiency
symptoms are rarely seen. The effects
of shortages most frequently occur on
alkaline soils (see p.18), especially light
soils affected by drought.
Plants on such soils frequently show
symptoms of iron deficiency, such as
severe yellowing of the growing tips,
with the mature leaves also yellowed
except around the small veins. Often
seen in fruit crops, this is known as
lime-induced chlorosis. Manganese
deficiency also occurs on alkaline soils,
causing yellowing of the older leaves,
starting at the edges; on acid soils,
levels of manganese toxic to plants can
occur. Boron deficiency may arise on
light soils after heavy liming and is
often seen in hollow stems in brassicas;
zinc deficiency can occur in similar
conditions, stunting shoots and leaves.
Molybdenum can be made unavailable
on acid soils, causing damaged growing
points and whiptail in caulif lowers, in
which the leaf blade does not develop.
Controlling the pH of the soil will help
to prevent these problems (see pp.18–19).