Any clever trick to get iron?

Wycco

Wycco

Eat more pine trees
Apr 19, 2009
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34^N 81^W
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Kim Jong Il
So many clever tricks people have for getting "this" or "that" I was curious about iron.

I have one plant currently being shipped to me with strong iron dependency- and another in quarantine on my deck at the moment that needs iron.

Anyone have any clever tricks for getting iron in the right state to the plants using common household supplies- or is this really a case of "you just need to buy some Flourish Iron".

(I'd just hate to do that because it means one more thing I need to ship)
 
Wycco said:
Anyone have any clever tricks for getting iron in the right state to the plants using common household supplies- or is this really a case of "you just need to buy some Flourish Iron".
Click to expand...

just move to my house and use my well water,..lol sorry not sure i can help other than that,..lol
 
:)

Well we were joking about you having everything... maybe I need to have you start shipping me water!

Either that or a road trip this weekend- I'll travel up to PA and see how much water I can load up the minivan with!
 
Easiest method, would be purchasing Root Tabs and placing them under the gravel near the plants root mass.
 
Here it is ... wait for it ... STEEL WOOL! The finer the better (#000 or #0000?). How much depepends on the size of the container/tank. Won't take much. Boil in water for a couple of minutes to get any oil residue off (the oil prevents the wool from rusting while on the shelf). It start to rust right away (rust = iron). I've used this method for vegetable gardens and my lawn (a bundle sitting in a 45 gal drum all summer). The grass or plant turns dark green due to the iron intake. Ever see the rich green grass growing around some rusty object that had been laying on the lawn for some time. Too much can be upsightly , unless it serves a purpose. Start with a piece the size of a dime and go from there. Home Depot or any hardware store carries it, it is cheap and you get a lot. What kind of plant is it?

Hope this helps
 
Thanks everyone... see I knew people would have some ideas that didn't see me having to order something through the mail! ;)


I do have root tabs- picked some up on clearance. Do they have enough iron for iron loving plants though? My iron-lovers are stem plants- I don't know how much they grab nutrients from the substrate instead of the water column.

I'll look at iron chelate at Home Depot- it looks like it is used by terrestial gardeners as well so Home Depot may actually have some.

Steel-wool sounds interesting? Should it be placed in the filter or near the plant? I've got a 55gallon- so would that be dime sized still- or just judge if I need more based on yellowing leaves on the mayaca and non-red leaves on the Ludwigia?
 
My only concern with Steel Wool is, how does boiling remove oils or preservatives from the wool itself? Does the oil float is drained off before removing the wool from the water?
 
Oil and water! Boil it, any oil will float, change the water until there is no oil appears on the surface. Boiling once or twice should be fine. There is vary little oil , if you notice it at all. I would locate the piece at the root zone. That way it won't be disturbed. Try it in you quarantine tank if you are uncertain.

Glad you didn't ask me where to get an alternate soar of ammonia. You might not like the answer!
Who said, "tricks are for kids!"
 
Wycco said:
:)

Well we were joking about you having everything... maybe I need to have you start shipping me water!

Either that or a road trip this weekend- I'll travel up to PA and see how much water I can load up the minivan with!
Click to expand...

:lol:
 
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