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Native Plant Synoptic Garden<br />
14<br />
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________<br />
Parts Per Million (PPM)<br />
1600<br />
1400<br />
1200<br />
1000<br />
800<br />
600<br />
400<br />
200<br />
0<br />
ALUMINUM<br />
68<br />
NITRATE<br />
5<br />
FIGURE 6:<br />
NUTRIENT LEVELS IN PPM<br />
AMMONIUM<br />
4<br />
MAGNESIUM<br />
443<br />
essential in the proper<br />
functioning of plant cell<br />
walls <strong>and</strong> membranes; it<br />
aids in the division <strong>and</strong><br />
elongation of plant cells<br />
(Chalker-Scott, 2004;<br />
UMASS, 2004).<br />
Calcium is typically not<br />
a limiting nutrient in the<br />
Western Washington<br />
region (Chalker-Scott,<br />
2004). If calcium levels<br />
were low, leaves of<br />
plants would become<br />
chlorotic <strong>and</strong>/or stunted<br />
(Chalker-Scott, 2004;<br />
Harris, 2004).<br />
Although magnesium<br />
levels tend to be low for the Puget Sound region (Chalker-Scott, 2004), there are adequate<br />
magnesium levels in the soils on site. “Magnesium aids in <strong>photo</strong>synthesis because magnesium is<br />
the main atom within the chlorophyll molecule” (Marschner, 1995), which is a vital substance in<br />
<strong>photo</strong>synthesis. Enzymes <strong>and</strong> enzyme reactions also require magnesium, <strong>and</strong> in some reactions,<br />
magnesium is used as a “bridging element” between the enzyme <strong>and</strong> the soil (Chalker-Scott,<br />
2004; Marschner, 1995). Deficiencies of magnesium are generally noticeable after leaves exp<strong>and</strong><br />
fully <strong>and</strong> then become chlorotic (Marschner, 1995). Magnesium deficiencies in soils can be<br />
alleviated by the addition of lime, organic matter, or fertilizers, but which treatment depends on<br />
other soil factors; for example pH <strong>and</strong> soil texture (Harris, 2004).<br />
CALCIUM<br />
1481<br />
POTASSIUM<br />
In Figure six, yellow represents potassium <strong>and</strong> aluminum which are both at medium levels in<br />
the soil. Potassium is one of the most utilized nutrients by plants along with nitrogen, <strong>and</strong> it is<br />
generally characterized by being highly mobile in plants (Marschner, 1995). Potassium<br />
88<br />
stimulates enzymes <strong>and</strong> is usually associated with stomatal functions (Chalker-Scott, 2004;<br />
Marschner, 1995). Plants that become potassium deficient are unable to utilize nitrogen <strong>and</strong><br />
water efficiently, <strong>and</strong> can become more susceptible to disease (Marschner, 1995; UMASS, 2004).<br />
A potassium deficiency can be fixed by adding a potassium rich fertilizer (Harris, 2004). Having<br />
PHOSPHORUS<br />
8