Advanced stages of the disease can cause the leaves to turn brown and limbs to die.
Trees are often admired for their beautiful, lush green canopy
Iron chlorosis often occurs in the early to mid-summer, causing discolouration on sections of the canopy or even on the entire tree.
How to Treat Iron Chlorosis in Tree
However, when iron chlorosis strikes, it can wreak havoc on the tree’s majestic green leaves by turning them yellow or light green.
However, tree experts claim that low acidity in the soil can trigger this problem.
The discolouration of the leaves is a sign of iron deficiency in trees.
Even trees planted in red clay soil can still suffer from iron chlorosis due to high alkaline levels in the soil.
While it is a common disease, treating chlorosis is easy and relatively affordable.
The cause of iron deficiency in trees can be difficult to determine.
If you plan on keeping your tree long-term, be sure to address the problemASAP.
What Is Iron Chlorosis?
Chlorosis in trees can only be fatal if left untreated for multiple seasons.
On the other hand, soil rich in alkaline tends to bind up the iron and lock it to the soil particles, making it unavailable to the tree roots.
Trees can suffer from a lack of iron due to various factors, such as weather conditions, changes in soil, and other changes in the environment.
Acidic soil can easily transfer iron between the tree roots and the soil.
Despite a healthy level of iron, high soil pH can trigger chemical reactions that result in iron becoming less available.
Many manage the problem by simply governing the availability of iron.
These restrict the movement of air in the soil.
Most trees suffer from iron chlorosis because of the presence of lime and high alkaline level (pH greater than 7.0) in soil.
For many tree owners, understanding the cause of iron chlorosis can be difficult.
Unless the condition of the soil changes, the tree will be at risk of iron chlorosis.
Iron deficiency can also be triggered by cool soil temperatures and conditions, such as plastic sheet mulching, compaction, and water saturation.
What Causes Iron Chlorosis?
● Does not cause injury to the plant
● Relatively quick response treatmentto
● Costly
Luckily, there are various methods that can be used to treat leaf chlorosis: application of elemental sulfur and ferrous sulfate in the soil, soil application of iron chelates, foliar sprays that contain chelated iron or ferrous sulfate, or injection of ferric ammonium citrate or iron sulfate on the trunk.
● Requires extensive labour
SoilApplication of Iron SulfurSulfate-Elemental
● Affordability
TreatmentApproach Advantages
● Slow response to treatment
SoilApplication of Iron Chelates
Iron Chlorosis Treatment for Trees
The problem can worsen with the removal of the topsoil since this exposes the lime-enriched subsoil.
Pros and Cons of Iron Chlorosis Treatment Methods
● Treatment is easy to carry out
● Results are sometime variable
Disadvantage
● No risk of injury to the plant
● Results may only last less than 1 season
● Can be relatively costly for large area
● Simple proceduretreatment
● Protection for several years
● Results can sometimes vary
● Treatment procedure can be relatively complex
● Expensive when used on trees
Thespring.combination
● Fast response
● Can cause injury to the tree trunk
● Soil Treatment
● Can lead to temporary leaf burnts
● Easy treesexceptprocedureforlarge
● Can cause temporary leaf burnts
● Results can be sometimes variable
● expensiveModerately
● Treatment recommendednot to shrubs or non-woody plants
● Protection can last for several years
If you opt for this method, make sure to use an inorganic iron with a high concentration of iron and one derived from ferrous sulfate.
Soil application of iron sulfate-elemental sulfur or iron chelates can help treat iron chlorosis in individual tress and shrubs or small landscape areas in the fall or early
Make sure to check the labels to determine the concentrations and forms of the product.
FoliarApplication of Iron Chelates or Sulfate
of equal parts of elemental sulfur and iron sulfate can deliver long-term results and is relatively affordable.
Tree Injection or Implantation
● Treatment is only practical for field crops
Using a hoe, dig up a small trench about 4 inches deep, 12 and 24 inches away from the plant’s base.
However, all other chelates sold in the market are inefficient in treating the soil with pH above 7.2.
Also, this treatment can be used in gardens with small shrubs.
It is not recommended to cover the entire landscape with elemental sulfur-ferrous sulfate combination.
Iron sulfate-elemental sulfur treatment can last up to 2 to 4 years, depending on the Whileconditions.ironchelates can be used to treat soil, their effect is only temporary (lasting only a Theyear).use
Be sure to read the instructions on the label for application guidelines.
Chelate that contains FeEDDHAmolecule works well under high pH soil conditions.
Over time, this treatment method can result in the acidification of the soil, neutralizing the alkalinity and lime in the treated areas.
Apply an inch of equal parts of elemental sulfur and ferrous sulfate mixture to the bottom of the trench and fill in the rest of the trench with soil.
of this treatment is also relatively expensive.
Spray foliar treatment directly on the leaves of the affected trees during the growing Unlikeseason.soil
You can spray the foliage in the evening or on a cool, cloudy day to prevent the burning of Addingleaves.afew drops of liquid soap can help the solution cling to the tree leaves.
● Foliar Treatment
However, it requires the repeated application for persistent symptoms of chlorosis.
Iron chelate is often used in foliar sprays due to its efficiency in treating iron chlorosis in Betrees.sure to check the recommendations that come with the product.
application, foliar sprays respond more quickly, often in a matter of days.
You can use various types of capsules, plastic tubing and tees or a hypodermic-like tool to perform the treatment.
Avoid treating the tree on hot, dry, windy days as it can burn the tree leaves.
The result of the treatment can last for 2 or more years.
Make sure to provide the tree with sufficient water for several days before and several weeks following the injection treatment.
This treatment method involves placing or injecting dried or liquid iron compounds directly into the holes drilled into the lower trunk of the tree.
Additionally, the trunk injection treatment is most efficient when applied in early spring during the bud break.
To reduce the risk of injury, use methods and formulations that require drilling of small holes and avoid methods that require frequent injection in a year
Dave LundTree Service & Forestry Co Ltd helps preserve the health and beauty of your Iftrees.you
While this treatment method is extremely efficient, it can cause injuries to the trunk and should be carried out with care.
are in need of a trusted tree care expert, call us at 905-884-0511 to book a tree service in Markham.
● Trunk Injection or Implantation