Iron deficiency in plants is widespread despite iron being the 4th most common element in the world. Iron deficiency affects many types of plants and trees, which can be very frustrating. It causes unappealing yellow leaves in plants and eventually kills them. Because of this, it is essential to correct it. In this article, we’ve discussed everything you need to know about Iron chlorosis and how to fix it.
What is Iron Deficiencies (Chlorosis)
Iron chlorosis is when plant leaves turn yellow due to iron deficiency. One of the first symptoms of iron chlorosis is interveinal chlorosis. The leaf turns yellow, but the veins are still dark green. When the condition is severe, the entire leaf becomes white or yellow, and the edges start scorching and turning brown. It means the plant cells are dying.
Iron deficiency can affect one branch or half of the plant while the remainder looks normal. In some gardens, the entire area might be affected. In others, it can be seen in a few plants.
What causes iron chlorosis?
Iron chlorosis causes are complex and not fully understood. Below are some of the common causes:
High pH in soil: This mostly happens when pH is higher than 7.0. Although these soils have vast amounts of iron, high pH results in chemical reactions, which turns the iron solid, meaning the plant roots cannot access it.
Overly wet or compacted soils
Too much clay in the soil
High phosphorous levels in the soil
How do you correct Iron chlorosis in your garden?
1. Correct soil pH, which is very high
Getting an expert to test the soil's pH level in your garden is the first step. If it’s above seven, then you need to lower it. Two products usually used to lower soil pH include sulfur and aluminum sulfate. You can find them at your local garden supply center.
Aluminum sulfate is an instant solution because it produces acidity immediately after you introduce it to the soil. Sulfur takes some time. Its conversion rate depends on soil moisture, sulfur fineness, bacterial presence, and soil temperature.
Correcting the PH in your soil is a low term solution that you will want to monitor over time. If your plants or trees need immediate help, try Iron Chelate or Chelated Iron. This is a synthetic form of iron designed to allow the plant to absorb it almost immediately.
Helpful Tip: Look for Iron Chelate with (EDDHA) in the label. This will specifically work more effectively in high PH soils.
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2. Fixing the soil with too much clay
Soil with too much clay doesn’t have organic material, which prevents your plants from getting iron. You can correct this problem by adding materials like pine bark, organic compost, gypsum, and composted leaves. It eliminated compaction and drainage issues and enhanced its structure. Don’t add peat moss or sand to clay because it’ll worsen the problem.
3. Correcting overly wet or compacted soil
Such soils don’t have sufficient air for roots to absorb iron effectively. If your garden soil is too wet, you need to improve its drainage. For compacted soil, the best solution is to ensure it doesn’t happen in the first place because reversing it is very hard. You’ll need to employ other methods of introducing iron to your plant. One of the best solutions is spraying foliar or using a soil supplement like chelated iron .
4. Improving Phosphorus in your soil
High amounts of phosphorous block the iron uptake in a plant which causes iron chlorosis. Mostly, the problem is a result of using fertilizers with high amounts of phosphorous. Correcting this problem includes avoiding the use of these fertilizers. If you have to, use those with low phosphorous.
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