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Agree, no matter how beautifully houseplants bloom, the terrible appearance of their leaves will spoil the whole picture. And in general, there are quite a few flowers that do not bloom at all - all the beauty lies in their decorative leaves. In order for them to acquire a bright, rich color and look luxurious, special feeding is necessary. And these are not at all nitrogen fertilizers that many people use!
Why do leaves become dull and small?
Nitrogen is responsible for the normal development of green mass. Therefore, many flower growers begin to apply top dressing with the content of this element. However, this is the wrong approach. Let's figure out why.
When indoor flowers have rich emerald-colored leaves, this indicates that the plant has a sufficient amount of chlorophyll. And the main atom of green pigmentation is not nitrogen, but magnesium!
Darkening of the leaves indicates a lack of this trace element, which is accompanied by the following undesirable phenomena:
- slowing down the natural production of chlorophyll;
- loss of pigment, i.e. discoloration (leaves turn from emerald to light green);
- the roots become thinner (and this happens 3-4 days earlier than the leaves become discolored);
- the bush stops growing;
- The above-ground part turns completely yellow, and if timely measures are not taken, your plant will die altogether.
For reference! Sandy soils contain less magnesium, while heavy soils contain more. However, this amount is not always enough for plants, so additional fertilizer with this trace element is required.
The most effective fertilizers with magnesium
When choosing a fertilizer for their plants, many people look for nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. But they miss magnesium, although it is no less important. Because of this, indoor flowers experience magnesium starvation, in which not only the leaves but also the roots suffer.
To fill the deficiency of this element, you should use the following supplements:
- Magnesium sulfate. This is an inexpensive fertilizer that dissolves in water. It is applied foliarly. You need to dilute 1-2 g per 1 liter of water.
- Magbor. This is also a water-soluble fertilizer. You need to dilute 1,5-2 g per 1 liter of water and apply it to the bald area.
- Magnesium chelate. Use it less often, because the price is higher than that of the preparations described above. 0,5 g is diluted in 1 liter of water. This fertilizer is better absorbed by the plant if you spray it on the leaves.
- If the leaves have turned yellow, you don't need to buy fertilizers and apply them all at once. Choose one, because too much magnesium won't do your plants any good either. Apply magnesium fertilizers 2-3 times a week.
Another tip
In fact, magnesium is needed not only by ornamental and flowering plants. The fertilizers I listed are also suitable for seedlings, cultivated and coniferous plants.
Crops that lack magnesium not only lose the color of the aboveground part, but also stop developing. Of course, in this case, you can forget about normal fruiting. Most likely, you will not get a crop at all.
