Stunted growth on Plants

Symptoms

Stunted growth shows up as growth that is atypically slow, and in some cases the plants themselves are stunted. New growth may be stunted or delayed, and what does appear can be sparse and undersized. Both shoots and roots can be stunted.

Leaves can change shape as well as size. Plant growth may be distorted and stunted, and the leaves can look needlelike, puckered, and undersized. Shoots and petioles may twist, while the foliage looks dwarfed, distorted, and discolored.

Look closely at the leaves for a needlelike or puckered shape. Check the shoots and petioles for twisting, and notice whether the foliage is discolored as well as small.

You may also notice that the plant produces fewer leaves or flowers. Severe nutrient deficiency or toxicity can cause stunting or dieback. In some cases a crop appears stunted, discolored, dying, or dead, yet you can find no visible pests or pathogens. Pests and pathogens may be absent from a plant that still looks stunted, discolored, or dying.

Causes

Several different causes are on file for stunted growth. Spray equipment contaminated with minute quantities of certain herbicides can damage plants. Carryover herbicide injury is another listed cause. Herbicide problems can come from contaminated equipment, from a neighboring tree, or from carryover.

Herbicide can also move between trees through root grafts. Natural root grafts are common between adjacent trees of the same species.

Soil can be the problem too. Nutrient deficiency or toxicity in the soil is a listed cause. Soil conditions can block nutrient uptake even when nutrients are present. An excess of one nutrient can reduce the availability of other nutrients.

Soil pH, salinity, and over- or under-watering also affect nutrient availability. Both too much water and too little are on that list. The wider list of causes includes environmental extremes, nutrient imbalances, physical injury, and phytotoxicity from chemical applications. Herbicide, soil nutrients, and physical injury are all separate causes on this list.

Diagnosis

Begin by looking for visible pests or pathogens. Some stunted, discolored, or dying crops show none. If you find none, work through the causes listed above.

Next, compare the leaves with herbicide damage. Distorted, stunted growth with needlelike, puckered, undersized leaves is described after plants are damaged by herbicide from contaminated spray equipment. Ask whether your sprayer ever held herbicide, and whether a neighboring tree of the same species was treated. Carryover herbicide injury is also worth ruling out.

Then turn to the soil. A soil test can help identify nutrient-deficient or toxic soils before you correct a disorder. Remember that nutrients can be present and still be blocked from uptake. An excess of one nutrient can also reduce the availability of others, and pH, salinity, and watering affect availability.

Last, look at the plant and its surroundings. Environmental extremes and physical injury are on the list of causes. So is phytotoxicity from chemical applications.

Treatments

The treatments on file for this problem are all cultural. Apply herbicides and other pesticides carefully, as directed on the label, to avoid phytotoxicity. Phytotoxicity from chemical applications is a listed cause, and careful application is the listed way to avoid it.

Use nonchemical weed management methods when feasible. Nonchemical weed management is described as the option to choose when feasible. Spray equipment contaminated with minute quantities of certain herbicides can damage plants.

Give the plant proper cultural care, especially appropriate irrigation, to aid recovery. Be diligent about it while the plant recovers. Over- and under-watering both affect nutrient availability.

Soil tests can help identify nutrient-deficient or toxic soils before you correct a disorder. A soil test can show whether a soil is nutrient-deficient or toxic. Adding nutrients to the soil in the form of fertilizer can solve some nutrient-related growth problems.

Nutrient problems can also come from blocked uptake, from an excess of one nutrient, or from soil pH and salinity. Severe nutrient deficiency or toxicity can cause stunting or dieback.

The product label is the legal instruction and must be followed for the crop and site being treated. Follow it for every herbicide or pesticide you use. The sources on file say nothing about any treatment being safe for pets, children, pollinators, or edible crops.

Prevention

Prevention starts with how you handle chemicals around your plants. Apply herbicides and other pesticides carefully, as directed on the label, to avoid phytotoxicity. Use nonchemical weed management methods when feasible. Spray equipment contaminated with minute quantities of certain herbicides can damage plants.

Keep up proper cultural care, especially appropriate irrigation. Soil pH, salinity, and over- or under-watering all affect nutrient availability. Soil tests can help identify nutrient-deficient or toxic soils before you correct a disorder. Soil conditions can block nutrient uptake even when nutrients are present.

Keep trees in mind when you use herbicides near them. Herbicide uptake through root grafts between neighboring trees of the same species is a listed cause of stunting.

Plants most often affected

No plant page in this build records this problem yet.