Supplying Nutrients toFloriculture Crops

Interest Approach

• What do vitamins do for you?• What do you feel like when your sick?• What are essential elements in fertilizer?• What do they do for the plant?• What does a plant look like when it’s

deficient in this nutrient?

Interest Approach

– Vitamins:

• C – health• D – strength• A – eyesight• Calcium-bones• Iron-blood

– Elements

• N – growth• P – blossoms• Ca – cell strength• K - roots

Student ObjectivesAfter this lesson you CAN

1. Name the nutrients needed for plant growth.

2. Describe pH and how it is modified.3. Describe the components of a fertilizer.4. Explain the methods of applying

fertilizers to floriculture crops.

Macronutrients - elements that are needed by the plant in the largest amount.

• Primary macros• nitrogen (N)• phosphorus (P)• potassium (K)

• Secondary macros• calcium (Ca)• magnesium (Mg)• sulfur (S).

Micronutrients -Needed in Smaller Amounts by the Plants, but Are Still

Essential• Boron (B)• Copper(Cu)• Chlorine (Cl) • Iron (Fe)

• Manganese (Mn)

• Molybdenum (Mo)

• Zinc (Zn)

Soil Tests

• can be performed on the soil to determine which nutrients are present or deficient (absent or lacking).

• Are only as accurate as the test – you get what you pay for

• Can confirm nutrient deficiency shown by plant leaves.

Chlorosis

Generally begins in older leaves

Symptoms include poor plant growth, and leaves that are pale green or yellow because they are unable to make sufficient chlorophyll.

Nitrogen

Undersides of tomato plant leaves, and the veins and stems, may turn purple

often overlooked or misdiagnosed as a nitrogen deficiency

weak thin stalks

may cause the plant to stop producing blooms

Phosphorous

brown scorching and curling of leaf tips as well as chlorosis(yellowing) between leaf veins

Purple spots may also appear on the leaf undersides

Potassium

Fertilizer

• Material provided to supply nutrients needed for plant growth. – 2 types of fertilizer

• Complete – contains the 3 Primary Macros• Incomplete – missing 1 or more Primaries• Fertilizer analysis states the percentage of

primary nutrients.

16 – 4 – 8

• 16 % N• 4 % P2O5

• 8 % K2O• Equals 28%??? Where is the rest?!?

• Salts and other fillers make up the remaining 72%

Fertilizer

• Available in three phases– Liquid, solid, gas (rarely used in floriculture)

• Applied by several methods• Premixed into soil.• Sprayed onto foliage.• Injected into irrigation water.• Slow release – dissolves over extended

period of time.

Organic vs. Inorganic

• First off, what does this mean??– Organic is naturally occurring– Inorganic is man made or produced

– CLIP

Review           

What are the nutrients needed for plant growth?

• Name the 3 primary macronutrients.• NPK• Name the 3 secondary macronutrients.• Ca• S• Mg• The micronutrients?• Fe., Cu B, Zn, Cl, Mo, MN

What is pH and how is it modified?

• Define pH.• Measure of acidity / alkalinity

– potential of Hydrogen• Add limestone to _________ pH?

• Add sulfur to ___________pH?

What are the components of a fertilizer?

• Incomplete vs. complete?• Complete has the 3 primary macros• Incomplete is missing some primaries• What is fertilizer analysis?

How are fertilizers applied to floriculture crops?

• List the 3 phases of fertilizers.• Liquid, solid, gas• List the application methods.• Irrigation injection• Slow release• Premix into soil • Spray onto foliage