| Element | Leaves to first show deficiency | Symptom |
|---|---|---|
| Nitrogen | Old | Leaves turn yellowish Older leaves die off quickly in extreme deficiencies. |
| Iron | New | Leaves grow in pale or yellow Greenish nerves enclosing yellow leaf tissue First seen in fast growing plants |
| Potassium | Old | Pinholes appear in older leaves, and slowly enlarge Yellow areas Withering of leaf edges and tips |
| Calcium | New | Distorted leaf growth cupped leaves twisted and bent leaves twisted and short roots Damage and die off of growing points Yellowish leaf edges I have seen an extreme Calcium deficiency which resulted in a sword plant where new leaves were growing in almost completely white. |
| Magnesium | Old | Yellow spots Often appears similar to iron deficiency since mg deficiency prevents a plant from properly using iron. Yellowing of old leaves starting from edges while major veins remain green |
| Boron | New | Dead shoot tips, new side shoots also die Brittle stems Similar to calcium |
| Sulfur | New | Similar to nitrogen deficiency |
| Manganese | New | Dead yellowish tissue between leaf nerves |
| Copper | New | Dead leaf tips and withered edges |
| Zinc | Old | Yellowish areas between nerves, Starting at leaf tip and edges |
| Molybdenum | Old | Yellow spots between leaf nerves, then brownish areas along edges. Inhibited flowering |
| Phosphorus | Old | Stunted growth. Sometimes leaves become darker green Also symptoms can be similar to nitrogen deficiency |