How can I tell which nutrient my plant is lacking?

So, you’ve heard about nutrient deficiencies. You might even be able to diagnose them, somewhat. But how do you know what your plant is lacking? Or what your plant has too much of? Well, I’ve looked and found some resources with quite a bit of information. It occurs to me, however, that it would be nice to just get a concise, consolidated answer to the most common nutrient problems. So, here we go:

Nitrogen: Obviously, Nitrogen is important. It’s in the NPK rating (it’s the N), so you want to make sure your plant is getting the right amount. The signs of a Nitrogen deficiency are yellowing of the leaves, which you’ll tend to see begin at the bottom of the plant, and also will start at the tips of the plant and work its’ way inward. Generally, you’ll also see the deficiency when the plant is young, since Nitrogen is primarily responsible for growth. This is nice, because you can correct the problem early. Also, you may not see much growth, or may see spindly stalks or weak root systems.

Now, if you happen to see an abundance of Nitrogen, it will be evidenced by the color of the leaves. They’ll be very dark green – almost black.

Magnesium: A deficiency of Magnesium is very easy to spot. You’ll see yellow leaves, but green veins. You may also see purple, red, or brown spots on the leaves. Magnesium is primarily responsible for supporting healthy veins and leaf production, as well as giving leaves their green color. You’ll notice symptoms first in the older leaves. Leaf tips can also turn upward as they discolor, and may fall off without wilting.

An abundance of magnesium leaves a salt residue, and will kill your leaves. Magnesium abundance can also lock out calcium. There are not otherwise visible signs of a toxicity of magnesium.

Iron: A deficiency of iron looks a lot like a deficiency of magnesium, only you’ll see it on the younger leaves, not the older ones.

An abundance is very rare, but you may see some bronzing, or even spots on the leaf surface.

So what do you do to correct it? Well, for your deficiencies, go ahead and add those nutrients! For a Nitrogen deficiency, I’d recommend our Extreme Blend.

For a Magnesium deficiency, I’d recommend our Organic Cal Mag.

For an Iron deficiency, the best bet would probably be our Micro Nutrient Pack.

EXTREME BLENDORGANIC CAL MAG MICRO NUTRIENT PACK

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh, sweet relief

We're back to homeschooling. Soooooooooooooo relieved! DH and I decided, due to Stevi's attitude and snarkiness (which hasn't been displayed in our home before - we are thinking this is due to the influences of the kids in her school), that we are done with public school.

So today has gone really well. We've been working for half an hour on each subject, taking a 10-minute break between each subject, and took a nice lunch break. Now, she's sad, we just talked about her missing her friends, which I do feel bad about. I've messaged our old Homeschool Co-op, and I'm hoping to hear back from them in the next day or two. Also, we went to story time at the library this morning.

Anyway, just thought I'd update! I'm one happy mama!

The faces we wear . . .

Watching an episode of "Face off", the makeup artist competition, has gotten me thinking. As a mother, we wear many faces. Housekeeper, first aid medic, snuggle administrator, audiobook, TV operator, educator, and, yes, window cleaner.

These many faces we wear and roles we play can lead us down many differing paths, some good, some difficult. Looking back over the choices I've made in my life, and the choices I've made for my girls, I can see where I've felt the need to fulfill a certain "role" or wear a certain "face" to satisfy others. Even putting Stevi (oldest DD) in public school was a need to fill a role. The role of a "NORMAL PARENT"(emphasis totally intentional). Now that I've done so, I'm severely feeling the absence of my role as Homeschooling Mom.

I'm feeling the need to examine my motives, and decide which role is more important. NORMAL PARENT, or Homeschooling Mom. And, honestly, it's something I have to consider. I've always hated the fact that my parents were "weird". And, trust me, they were. They didn't believe everything on the news, I wasn't vaccinated, I didn't have a social security number until I was 14 and had to get my driver's license, and, oh yeah, my mom went to jail for 4 years because she fought the IRS and, yeah, the law won. No surprise there.

It's kind of crazy to think of all the ways my childhood has affected me in my adult life. What saddens me is how it's affecting my children. I'm not really cool with that. I have to discern my reasons for what I'm doing, and whether or not they're good enough reasons. I enjoy my break while Stevi is at school. Not gonna lie. I like having quiet time while the baby naps. I didn't realize how much I needed it. I also miss that my daughter is learning things from someone else. And, let's be honest here, she's not really learning much. We started working on place values the first week of first grade. Now she's in public school, first grade, and they just start place values this week. Sooooooooo, I'm struggling with that. I told Stevi she could stay until Christmas . . . but honestly, I don't think she's going back after that.

Well, sorry about the rambling, but this was a post I felt needed written. I don't know how many other homeschool moms are out there struggling with this decision, but for me, I think the face I need to wear is Homeschool Mom. I think it's the best thing for Stevi.