Julie Milazzo on thu 4 apr 02
Hey all! Just wanted to drop a quick line and mention
that if you're into pit firings, or anything else that
copper sulphate is used for, I found some in the
gardening department of a hardware store the other
day. It's used to repell bugs, but I bought it because
five pounds cost eleven bucks; I hadn't bought any in
awhile, but am pretty sure that I paid around thirty
dollars for the same amount from a pottery supply
place. It comes in a yellow bucket (which could be
used for storage after the copper is gone). Okay, now
I'm wondering if I can use straight glaze type iron
for my iron loving plants. I don't know how much is
appropriate, but I think that a lot of the
manufactured iron bearing plant fertilizers are mostly
filler, and aren't cheap. Anyway, I don't know if
plants are happy receiving trace elements, or if they
really like to be doused, so that they can suck it
straight up. I bought Ironite a few months ago,
accidently left it out and open, and after the rain
got in, I realized that it is clay! I might try to
throw it, or at least stick a little in a bisque. I'm
beginning to see some parallels between this gardening
thing (at which I'm a six month newbie), and pottery.
I think that as long as I get dirty, I'm going to like
it. Anyway, I appreciate all the emails on tax advice
and other (taboo )topics. I'l try to personally
respond tomorrow...after my appointment at H&R Block.
I give up! It's too hard! It's like handing a deaf,
dumb, blind two year old a lump of porcelain, and
expecting a masterpiece. I felt like a dog chasing
it's tail, so for those of you who advised me to get
outside assistance, THANK YOU! Later! Jules
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Bruce Gioia on fri 5 apr 02
.>> Anyway, I don't know if
plants are happy receiving trace elements, or if they
really like to be doused, so that they can suck it
straight up. <<
>>Okay, now
I'm wondering if I can use straight glaze type iron
for my iron loving plants. I don't know how much is
appropriate<<
________________________________
Plants do need trace elements...
Iron, manganese, copper, zinc, boron etc.
But as stated these are in trace amounts.
Glaze experiments at worst can "kill" a pot.
But your plants will "die" from your experiments.
It can be recommended to put iron "nails"
into the soil or pot and the resulting rust
slow releases a safe amount of iron.
To illustrate the "trace" element requirement...
A nutrient solution giving full requirements of
iron need only be 1 ppm (part per million)
with upper limits of 5 to 10 ppm....
very minute.
So please don't go "dumping" anything on your plants.
Best to use organics,
with the slow release of nutrients to buffer
any over enthusiastic fertilizer application.
Though burning up your plants has a dramatic effect
on your desire to push things along with "concentrates".
Best to err on the side of caution.
If you feel your plants are nutrient deprived.
"Sucking it up" is best achieved via foliar feeding,.
Applying a nutrient solution spray (measured) on the leaf surface.
For Iron.. to one gallon water add half teaspoon of Sequestrene.
Spray three times at three day intervals.
Iron sulphate, iron citrate, and iron tartrate are
also suggested at recommended concentrations.
Iron deficiency is easy to recognize.
It will first be noted in the new growth at the top of the plant.
A scorched effect on new growth leaf tops...
in milder cases a bleached chloratic effect,
and milder cases a simple bleaching in colour.
The art of providing nutrients in usable safe amounts.
Is best discovered after many years of calculated applications.
Only then can one begin to go into an "intuitive" mode.
Guessing will soon lead to some sick plants.
Nutrient calculations are far simpler than glaze calculations.
An under fertilized plant is better than an overfertilized one.
As health can be created easily...so take your time.
Avoid toxic dumping.
play it safe.
All the best,
Bruce
ps calcium carbonate..whiting,
magnesium carbonate..dolomite,
are very good additions to your soil...
providing... you guessed it mg and ca,
in a non soluable form ie. slow release.
I tend to use it in small handfuls
Get a good gardening book
for a more exact application.
Martin Howard on sat 6 apr 02
Adding chemicals in an unnatural form straight onto the garden is going to
cause problems. That is what farmers have been doing for so long and why so
many people are now buying organic produce instead.
A better way is to use only natural materials and add them via the compost
heap. Let the compost heap organise them into compounds that are acceptable.
As an exception to that rule, I have just added the dried slop from a stone
workers yard to the garden as lime. It is the fine dust from the diamond
saws cutting through 6 different marbles, which are basically CaCO3.
That should be OK, but even then it would have been better to do it via the
compost heap.
Martin Howard, (former planner to HDRA)
Webbs Cottage Pottery
Woolpits Road, Great Saling
BRAINTREE, Essex CM7 5DZ
01371 850 423
martin@webbscottage.co.uk
http://www.webbscottage.co.uk
Updated 3rd March 2002
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