Table of contents
- Iron deficiency symptoms
- Often affected plants
- prevent iron deficiency
- Use coffee grounds
- Stale beer
- Green tea
- alum
- foliar fertilization
Iron is one of the most important minerals that a plant needs for healthy growth. But often there is an iron deficiency due to the soil conditions or the wrong fertilization. If the plant shows reduced growth or yellow leaves, immediate action should be taken. Various home remedies also help to supply the plants with enough iron again.
Iron deficiency symptoms
Plants show typical symptoms that can be traced back to iron deficiency. As a rule, there is enough iron in fertilizer and in the soil to prevent a deficiency. However, by over-fertilization of nitrates, with a particularly humus-rich soil, a pH value increase to 7.5, for For example, watering with very calcareous water can cause an iron deficiency in the soil and thus also in the plant develop. Iron deficiency is recognized by the following symptoms:
- yellow leaves
- characteristic here, the leaf veins remain green
- mostly young leaves affected
- Growth disorders in long-term iron deficiency
Tip:
If the iron deficiency is not counteracted when these symptoms are recognized, the plants can die off in the worst case.
Often affected plants
There are certainly plants that get by with little iron and are therefore less likely to be affected by iron deficiency. Other plants, on the other hand, need a lot of iron and therefore show the symptoms of iron deficiency more quickly. This includes the following plants:
- strawberries
- blackberries
- raspberries
- roses
- hydrangeas
- magnolias
- Rhododendrons and Azaleas
- apple trees
- paprika
- tomatoes
Therefore, especially with these plants, care should be taken to ensure a low pH value of 4.5 and thus an acidic soil so that they have enough iron available.
Tip:
Tomatoes are considered heavy feeders. Therefore, they have a particularly high requirement for all nutrients in order to ensure a good harvest. However, if tomatoes are cultivated in a mixed culture with other plants, iron deficiency can certainly occur in these due to the heavy consumption of the tomatoes.
prevent iron deficiency
The best thing is to prevent iron deficiency right from the start. Therefore, if the plants show the first symptoms of iron deficiency, it is advisable to carry out a soil analysis. In this way, it is determined whether there is a general iron deficiency or whether the soil can only release the iron poorly. If there is a general iron deficiency, it should be fertilized accordingly. If the iron absorption of the plant via the soil only needs to be improved, then the following measures are suitable:
- loosen up a compacted soil well
- create a drainage to prevent waterlogging
- do not use calcareous irrigation water
- it is better to use collected rainwater for watering
- this prevents the pH of the soil from rising
- do not fertilize with nitrates or lime
If the soil is compacted or waterlogged, the plants cannot absorb the iron that is still in the soil. This is because the iron is not soluble in water and the plants have to convert it first. This works best at a pH of 4.5.
Tip:
Potted plants are often affected by an iron deficiency. This is mainly due to the fact that many nutrients, such as iron, are washed out with the irrigation water. It is therefore advisable to completely renew the soil in the bucket once a year, at least every two years.
Use coffee grounds
If an iron deficiency has been observed in the plants, various home remedies can be used to add iron to the soil accordingly. This includes coffee grounds that are mixed underground. Coffee drinkers in particular have this natural fertilizer constantly at hand. Although coffee grounds do not contain iron, they are slightly acidic and can help to keep the soil pH low, which in turn promotes iron absorption.
Stale beer
A very good fertilizer is stale beer. Because of the yeast it contains, in addition to the necessary iron, it also contains calcium, sodium, potassium and phosphorus. Therefore, beer as a fertilizer is not only recommended for iron deficiency. When fertilizing, proceed as follows:
- the beer should no longer foam
- so open the bottle
- leave for a day or two
- mix with water
- give as irrigation water to the affected plant
Tip:
Of course, it is not enough to fertilize the plant affected by the iron deficiency only once or twice with a household remedy. This should be given daily over a longer period of time at the beginning and then every two to three days until the plant has recovered. After that, fertilization is continued as normal every two to four weeks.
Green tea
Green tea is not only very healthy for humans, but also for plants. Because this tea contains a lot of iron and is therefore also very well suited for the continuous fertilization of raspberries and blackberries. Therefore, if a plant shows the symptoms of iron deficiency, then it should be fertilized with green tea as follows:
- pour and let cool
- dilute with water and water the plant
- those who drink a lot of green tea should keep the tea grounds
- this is mixed under the ground
alum
Already the grandparents had alum as a household remedy for all imaginable things in the house. Whether for tanning skins, staining furniture or for stopping bleeding wounds. Alum is available in pharmacies and is now often used by gardeners on hydrangeas to color them blue. But alum can also be used as a quick solution to iron deficiency in plants. This is done as follows:
- Dissolve powder in water
- Pay attention to the manufacturer's information for the quantity
- then use to water the affected plants
- Repeat every two to three days for several weeks
- then fertilize the plant as usual
- once she has recovered from iron deficiency
foliar fertilization
Foliar fertilization, together with the home remedies used, can quickly remedy an iron deficiency. However, the special fertilizer for foliar fertilization must be obtained from a well-stocked specialist shop. In this way, the required iron is absorbed directly through the blades. However, the home remedies can still be used as regular fertilizer. However, foliar fertilization must be carried out exactly according to the manufacturer's instructions. Otherwise, the leaves of the affected plants could suffer further damage in the form of a burn.
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