Calcium deficiency - Cabbage

Symptoms
The most obvious symptom of calcium deficiency is "tip-burn", which means necrotic lesions on leaf tips and margins. This symptoms develop on inner leaves. With ongoing Ca deficiency necrosis progresses from tips and margins inwards. In cabbage symptoms often increase when growth is finished and after harvesting.

Reasons
Calcium deficiency on red cabbage Many soils contain enough calcium, but restricted Ca uptake leads to calcium deficiency. High content of ammonium, potassium, magnesium or sodium in the soil and water stress (deficiency or excess) induce calcium deficiency.

Symptoms
The margins of the upper leaves of the cabbage head become necrotic brown, being sharply delimited towards healthy tissue. The outer wrap leaves are not affeected.

Reasons
Calcium deficiency Tipburn is a major concern on head forming, because it develops approaching maturity or during storage. The symptoms are visible on the inner layers of the head and cannot be seen without slicing open the cabbage. Tipburn is ralated to calcium and/or boron deficiency.

Symptoms
If calcium deficiency occurs during early stage of development, growth is severely stunted and no heads will be formed.

Reasons
Calcium deficiency on cabbage Many soils contain enough calcium, but restricted Ca uptake leads to calcium deficiency. High content of ammonium, potassium or magnesium in the soil and water stress (deficiency or excess) induce calcium deficiency. Once distributed in the plant, Ca cannot be remobilized and redistributed again. Therefore calcium supply has to follow plant growth.