Chlorine

Chlorine is found in nature as chloride. Chloride is readily soluble, highly mobile, and easily taken up by plants.

In Ontario soils, chloride levels are kept low due to leaching, but can be elevated due to water accumulation or fertilization of chloride containing fertilizers such as muriate of potash (0-0-60).

Chlorine deficiencies are extremely rare in Ontario, but crops such as tree fruit, cane fruit, and tobacco are sensitive to chloride. In these crops, applications of fertilizers containing chloride should be limited or avoided.