I know i should know but I’m getting old. What doe purple sts on sucker leaves mean. And i will prob forget tomorrow. Thanks in Advance to
While purple coloration on stems and petioles can be one of the signs of magnesium deficiency in plants, it is also a sign that the plant is producing natural purple pigments (anthocyanin) in response to ultraviolet (UV) light.
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I have a purple question too. Has anyone ever had purple stems on a blueberry plant. It is in my raised beds now (3sister clones) and big. I did not notice it last year when I got the cut. But it is all I notice everyday now on the big sisters. It has been that way since it started growing this year. All the main stems and leaf petioles are this way. Not streaks but solid purple like a crayola crayon. I have never seen this before. It’s a dj short blueberry if that matters.
I have been adding magnesium twice a week to just these plants all summer to no change. None of the other 16 plants in my raised beds have a spec of purple stems. It is not a phosphorus or calcium deficiency either. Those are added by bones in my compost I add every winter. I am starting to think maybe it’s just the plants color.
I guess I should also say I have a good grow buddy who swears purple stems are a result of deficiency. Even if there are no discernible loss to the plants growth rate. I don’t know what to think now.
Has anyone else seen this before or have any thoughts? I will post pictures in the daylight tomorrow.
Genetics is in play here…not all red / purple stems, leaves, whatnot (I like that word, a good descriptive when you do not know what else to put in there but need a word that encompasses all else)…come from nutrient issues.
Take a look at my GDP…this is NOT the result of nutes
Now IR and UV do have a role in here as the plant tries to protect itself from exposure to these spectrum’s but it is still a genetic issue going back to the heritage / lineage of the plant
This is not under a burple light, this is daylight / flash from my camera
Look in nature…as fall brings in many colors. Some are due to nutrient absorption by the plant but much is genetics…that is why ash is usually yellow, maple get the orange / red, elm gets the purple / yellow…
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Thanks for your input. I can smell that plant from here. It is very pretty. I know who I want to visit next time I am in sin city.