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Calcium and Magnesium fondly known as Cal-Mag are two major plant macro nutrients besides Nitrogen (N), Phosphorous (P) and Potassium (K) fondly known as NPK. These seem to have overshadowed their importance, when in fact plants typically take up more calcium than phosphorous. Cal-Mag nutrients are needed in high quantity by plants for proper growth and development of plants all through their life span.
Cucumber plants are known amongst crops to have high requirements for these essential nutrients. As such, needed in high quantity not only in the soil but also when using hydroponic garden technique. This article gives you 5 exclusive importance of the supplements “Cal-Mag” on your cucumber plants.
1. Structure and Shape/Energy Production:
Just as calcium is essential for the human bone and teeth, calcium is essential for the shape and structure of your cucumber plants. Calcium helps cucumber plants build strong stems and leaves. When calcium is absorbed by the plant it forms what is called pectin which glues cell walls together. In a case where there is a steady supply of calcium, the vascular system of the cucumber plant produces thicker stems and builds new cell walls. Magnesium on the other hand plays a vital role in chlorophyll known for its importance in photosynthesis (absorbing sunlight energy). This makes the leaves appear green, converting it to high-energy sugars used up by the cucumber plant.
2. Disease resistance
Subsequently a cucumber plant with a healthy vascular system helps the cucumber plant take up more water and every other essential nutrient. The thicker stems makes it tough for pests and pathogens to penetrate the cell walls more efficiently making it disease-resistant. As for magnesium, it counters toxins in acidified soils thereby protecting the cucumber plants.
3. Growth and Development
Calcium is important for healthy cell division and formation in cucumber plants. Without calcium, the overall growth in the different parts of the cucumber plant becomes stunted. In terms of development, magnesium is important at the time when the high energy needs of cucumber plants are at its peak. Such as during the time of its rapid vegetative growth, flowering and subsequently fruiting stage.
4. Prevention of other deficiencies
Calcium and magnesium helps prevent other well known deficiencies. Calcium is involved in many metabolic processes such as nitrogen metabolism and translocation (the movement of organic molecules in plants). This affects the absorption of other essential nutrients such as Nitrogen and Potassium. Magnesium also helps in the absorption of essential nutrients like Phosphorous and Iron, producing a healthy cucumber plant.
5. Coping with temperature and Humidity stress
Calcium helps cucumber plants cope well with temperature and humidity stress by helping the stomata function well. The stomata is the tiny pores on the leaves of the plant essential for exchange of gas and transpiration. Calcium helps the stomata open up efficiently during these processes.
These benefits of Cal-Mag are not just limited to Cucumber plants alone but many other vegetables like Tomato, Pepper, Watermelon etc. But as much as they are beneficial, take into caution the directions of application stated on the labels.
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