Quote:
Originally Posted by aclum
This is no doubt a crazy question but.....
Can you increase the iron available to plants by adding a newly rusted (so the rust rubs off on your hand) nail or screw to your water? I'm thinking specifically about Kratky buckets but it could also be in watering can water for the plants. I've read about people being able to get some iron from using cast iron pans FWIW and I don't have anything like Ironite but I do have a bunch of rusted screws. Just an  idle thought ....
Anne
P.S. Bill, your garden is so beautiful! |
Iron Oxide (rust) is not soluble and therefore not plant available.
Iron sulfate or a complexed iron with amino acids and organic acids or a chelated form like Iron lignosulfonate are examples of bioavailable forms of iron.
Iron is common in most soils and not typically a limited micro in most complete fertilizers but other factors like a high PH (8.0 or greater) or excessive amounts of Nitrogen or Phosphorus can inhibit iron uptake also.