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GLT's Grow: When Plants Need Nutrients

Google Images via Creative Commons

Just like people, plants need nutrients to stay healthy.  However, unlike people, plants can't do a Target run to grab a bottle of multivitamins to stay in the pink.  With a sharp eye, you can maintain the health of your plants, and they'll thank you by looking great.

  • Patrick Murphy, host of GLT's Grow, said that there's four areas in our yards where we would most likely encounter nutrient deficiencies:  lawn, veggie gardens, woody plants and trees.
  • The main way you can tell there's a nutrient deficiency is there's a lack of greenness in your plant. 
  • When the deep green of leaves or grass gradually turns lighter, that means something is going on.  
  • Other things can cause discoloration, so it's best to have your soil tested to see if any key ingredient that your plant needs, like potassium, iron or nitrogen,  is missing.
  • Lack of density is another sign of nutrient deficiency.  You'll see this in lawns when bare spots appear and then weeds move into those vulnerable areas.
  • Try your local extension office to get your soil analyzed for nutrient deficiency. 
Reporter, content producer and former All Things Considered host, Laura Kennedy is a native of the Midwest who occasionally affects an English accent just for the heck of it. Related to two U.S. presidents, Kennedy appalled her family by going into show business.