Plants need a particular mix of elements to stay healthy, and the second-most widespread micronutrient deficiency is boron (the first is zinc). Boron deficiency can result in stunted root growth, empty pollen grains, poor pollen vitality and fewer flowers per plant. You might notice this deficiency if your plant has dying leaf tips, darkened fruit, stunted growth, darkened leaves, dead areas in the roots, black centers, or spots on root vegetables, cracked and hollow stems, and overall low productivity.
It’s important to get your soil tested if you notice these symptoms because they could indicate a number of soil deficiencies. Soils that are sandy, acidic often suffer from too little boron, and some plants, including cabbage, celery, strawberries and apples, require more boron than others. If your soil test reveals your amount of boron is lower than 1 ppm, you might want to use borax to add more boron to your soil. Because borax is derived from boron, mixing it into the soil can improve a plant’s health, growth and reproductive success.