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January 2, 2007
UofA Publication on Iron Deficiency Available
Home gardeners who are struggling with iron deficiency in their yards may be interested in a new Cooperative Extension bulletin: Recognizing and Treating Iron Deficiency in the Home Yard.
The brochure can be downloaded at http://cals.arizona.edu/pubs/garden/az1415.pdf.
Iron deficiency is a frequent problem for some ornamental plants in the low desert areas of Arizona. The underlying cause is the high pH soil level. Calcium carbonate (CaCO3) builds up in desert soils because precipitation is not sufficient to wash or leach these naturally occurring materials out of the soil.
Calcium carbonate deposits are often visible as light colored lumps which range in size from less than 1 inch to several inches across or as a solid layer, ranging from a few inches to several feet in thickness. When these deposits form solid layers they are known as caliche. In this high pH environment, iron solubility is minimized. In desert soils there is usually plenty of iron; it just is not soluble enough to provide adequate nutrition to certain plants.
The three-page extension bulletin suggests ways to treat iron definciency by acidifying the soil, applying iron fertilizer to the soil, or applying iron directly to the plant foliage.
Posted by hbraun at January 2, 2007 9:09 AM