The plants on our plots, whether ornamental or fruiting, often become almost members of the family. And it becomes a pity when they start to get sick. Unfortunately, they can’t talk about their problems, but we can almost always tell from their appearance what happened.
If you notice that the plant has lightened or even yellowed leaves, and only the veins are green, then it needs to be treated. These signs indicate that its leaves have been exposed to iron chlorosis. This occurs when the formation of chlorophyll in the leaves is disrupted.
Simply put, the plant lacks iron. That is, it is either not enough in the soil, or it is impossible to assimilate. The reason for the difficulty of assimilation of the necessary element can be large temperature differences at night and during the day. Other causes of chlorosis are highly saline or manure-saturated soil.
Spring this year (and all of June) has been extremely unstable and cold in many regions. Therefore, even summer residents who had not heard of it before faced with chlorosis. And plants of different genera and species are affected, ranging from hydrangeas and spirea to grapes and garden strawberries.
How to treat chlorosis
How to help sick green pets? This requires feeding the leaves and roots, containing iron. It is best to apply the spray on the sheet, as the effect is achieved faster in this case.
However, it is quite easy to make the necessary “medicine” yourself.
To do this, you will need to buy iron sulfate and citric acid. Take 1 liter of chilled boiled water, add 0.5 tsp of citric acid and 1/3 tsp of iron sulfate. Mix thoroughly and spray the plant with the resulting solution. This solution is suitable for watering, but it can be stored in the refrigerator for no more than 2 weeks.
In addition, our grandmothers used a good remedy for the prevention of iron deficiency. For example, they buried long nails, iron lids for canning or other unnecessary pieces of iron near fruit trees.