# Immobile nutrient

> An immobile nutrient stays where it is first deposited, so its deficiency shows on young leaves and growing tips first: Ca, S, Fe, Mn, B, Cu.

- Canonical: https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/immobile-nutrient.html
- Also written: immobile nutrients, immobile elements, non-mobile nutrient, phloem-immobile nutrient
- Glossary category: Nutrients · Evidence: Established
- Status: Draft: awaiting expert review · Updated: 2026-10-31
- Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/), attribute "GenetixBay cannabis glossary"

An immobile nutrient is an element that, once built into a leaf, cannot be readily moved through the phloem to other tissue. New growth depends entirely on current supply from the roots. Calcium, [sulfur](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/sulfur.md), iron, [manganese](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/manganese.md), [boron](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/boron.md) and copper are usually classed as immobile or poorly mobile.

## In practice

When new growth is pale, distorted or dying while old leaves look fine, suspect an immobile nutrient. [Interveinal yellowing](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/interveinal-chlorosis.md) on the newest leaves points to iron; distorted, spotted new leaves to calcium or boron; even pale new growth to sulfur. Calcium is a special case: it moves only with water in the xylem, so low [transpiration](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/transpiration.md) under high humidity can starve new growth even when the feed holds plenty. Because these elements depend on root uptake, [pH](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/ph.md) problems often show up here first.

## Don't confuse with

- **Mobile nutrient**: remobilised from old leaves; symptoms start low.
- **Unavailable**: a nutrient can be present but [locked out](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/nutrient-lockout.md) by pH; mobility is about movement inside the plant.

## Related terms

[Mobile nutrient](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/mobile-nutrient.md), [Calcium](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/calcium.md), [Iron](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/iron.md), [Boron](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/boron.md), [Nutrient deficiency](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/nutrient-deficiency.md)

## Read more

- [Mobile vs immobile nutrients: reading old vs new leaves](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/nutrients/mobile-vs-immobile-nutrients.md)
- [Yellow new growth on cannabis: a differential](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/diagnosis/yellow-new-growth.md)

## Sources

1. Marschner P (ed.). 2012. Marschner's Mineral Nutrition of Higher Plants, 3rd ed. Academic Press. https://doi.org/10.1016/C2009-0-63043-9
2. Cockson P, Landis H, Smith T, Hicks K, Whipker BE. 2019. Characterization of nutrient disorders of Cannabis sativa. Applied Sciences 9(20):4432. https://doi.org/10.3390/app9204432