Nickel Deficiency in River Birch

Witch’s broom symptoms can occur
Young leaves emerge as brown around the edges, and are smaller and curved in on themselves (“mouse-eared” or “little leaf”)
Symptoms: Leaf chlorosis, dwarfed foliage, blunt leaf tips, leaf necrosis, brittle shoots, injuries that look like cold-injuries, and dead and fibrous roots
Rarely will nickel deficiencies occur in mineral soils
When planted from a container into mineral soil, existing symptoms will usually disappear
Caused by the tree having a difficult time removing excess urea, resulting in acid buildup
Heavy metals compete with nickel for uptake in the roots of plants
Accumulation of other elements from previous fertilizer applications can cause nickel uptake to be limited
Root damage by root-knot nematodes or dry and/or cool soils at bud break can also cause nickel deficiencies
Keep container media pH below 6.8
To treat it, apply nickel sulfate (foliar or drench application), being sure not to over-apply
Host plants: River birch (Betula nigra) in soilless media containers when pH s greater than 6.8