Calcium Deficiency (plant Disorder) - Symptoms

Symptoms

Calcium deficiency symptoms appear initially as localized tissue necrosis leading to stunted plant growth, necrotic leaf margins on young leaves or curling of the leaves, and eventual death of terminal buds and root tips. Generally, the new growth and rapidly growing tissues of the plant are affected first. The mature leaves are rarely if ever affected because calcium accumulates to high concentrations in older leaves.

Crop-specific symptoms include:

Apple

'Bitter pit' – fruit skins develop pits, brown spots appear on skin and/or in flesh and taste of those areas is bitter. This usually occurs when fruit is in storage, and Bramley apples are particularly susceptible. Related to boron deficiency, "water cored" apples seldom display bitter pit effects.

Cabbage and Brussels sprouts

Internal browning and "tip burn"

Carrot

'Cavity spot' – oval spots develop into craters which may be invaded by other disease-causing organisms.

Celery

Stunted growth, central leaves stunted.

Tomatoes and peppers

'Blossom end rot' – Symptoms start as sunken, dry decaying areas at the blossom end of the fruit, furthest away from the stem, not all fruit on a truss is necessarily affected. Sometimes rapid growth from high-nitrogen fertilizers may exacerbate blossom end rot.