CHELATED IRON

[BurkTheMangoLover]

What will chelated iron do for my tropical trees? Specifically my mango and lychee trees. Will it help make the leaves look a healthier green?

[brian]

If they are iron deficient, yes if should make them more healthy and green.  I only use it on my trees when thet have a history of iron deficiency.

[Daintree]

When my greenhouse trees are looking pale and puny and I am not quite sure what is up, I hit them with some Southern Ag Citrus Nutritional Spray.

Carolyn

[BurkTheMangoLover]

When my greenhouse trees are looking pale and puny and I am not quite sure what is up, I hit them with some Southern Ag Citrus Nutritional Spray.

Carolyn

Ironically i just sprayed a round of that stuff on my trees the weekend before last.

[shpaz]

Chelated iron is used for iron deficiencies on high PH soils.

[Lumi-Ukko]

I have high pH limestone soil and groundwater (we use a well) here in Merida Yucatan, and suffer a lot from iron uptake issues particularly with container trees. I give a soil soak periodically with iron chelate solution and a little Epsom salts which seems to work well. However, prevention is better and I like to mulch with a lot of compost and use sulphur for acidic loving plants.

[cassowary]

The main benefit with chelated iron is that it WON'T react with Calcium in the soil and form Calcium sulphate and Iron oxide like Iron Sulphate will. Iron oxide is "not" absorbed by plant roots.

EDTA is C10H12FeN2O8, Iron in the +2 oxidation state is called the ferrous ion, while iron in the +3 (Fe3+) oxidation state is called the ferric ion.

EDTA is used to solubilize iron(III) eg. Fe3+ in water. In the absence of EDTA or similar chelating agents, ferric ions form insoluble solids and are thus not bioavailable. And that is mostly due to Calcium in the soil.

One issue with EDTA Iron is that the plant have to expend more energy in the form of enzymes in order to get the Fe3+ out of the chelation molecule.

Foliar Iron sulphate is a cheap good alternative.

Iron Ammendments to will help if the tree is missing Iron or In high does it will raise the soil EC level which can be good if your soil is low EC (bellow 200microSiemens). But a EDTA dose of Iron to the soiul won't change soil EC in any measurable way. But if you add heaps of Iron sulpahte it would, Iron sulpahte is very cheap.

[BurkTheMangoLover]

The main benefit with chelated iron is that it WON'T react with Calcium in the soil and form Calcium sulphate and Iron oxide like Iron Sulphate will. Iron oxide is "not" absorbed by plant roots.

EDTA is C10H12FeN2O8, Iron in the +2 oxidation state is called the ferrous ion, while iron in the +3 (Fe3+) oxidation state is called the ferric ion.

EDTA is used to solubilize iron(III) eg. Fe3+ in water. In the absence of EDTA or similar chelating agents, ferric ions form insoluble solids and are thus not bioavailable. And that is mostly due to Calcium in the soil.

One issue with EDTA Iron is that the plant have to expend more energy in the form of enzymes in order to get the Fe3+ out of the chelation molecule.

Foliar Iron sulphate is a cheap good alternative.

Iron Ammendments to will help if the tree is missing Iron or In high does it will raise the soil EC level which can be good if your soil is low EC (bellow 200microSiemens). But a EDTA dose of Iron to the soiul won't change soil EC in any measurable way. But if you add heaps of Iron sulpahte it would, Iron sulpahte is very cheap.

I appreciate the insight and recommendation.