Late November Iron

I wasn't quite happy with the lawn color in the Thanksgiving Day photos, so I've added iron twice since then for a grand total of 12 ounces per thousand. That would be very high for a non-elite bluegrass, although elite bluegrasses just turn very dark greens.

That's the last for the year, and this shot should last right into early spring.

As always, click on any photo to make it larger.

The standard shot:


Across the back:

Ironing the Lawn

I added a huge amount of iron to the grass yesterday as temperatures are supposed to be reasonable, and rainfall is expected today and tomorrow. The amounts added were 21 ounces of ferrous sulfate per thousand, or about five times normal rate.

I don't recommend trying this if the following day will be sunny, temperatures exceed 85, or the dilution levels you use aren't pretty high. The burn potential from this is extraordinary.

Color's improved, although not as much as I had hoped. Growth rates are still extremely high, and the grass could use mowing again. I just mowed two days ago.

Here's the photo. As always, click to embiggen it:

It's Been A While

Sorry for the delay folks.

Here's a recent image of the lawn. I think the iron levels are finally starting to come up! This is post adding 4 pounds of sprayed iron sulfate from Bonide (the bagged, powdered stuff you can get in most stores). A week later, the color still hasn't faded.

The last 350 pounds of corn went down August 25th with a bit of Milorganite. So far in September I've fed twice with 150 pounds of soybean meal. I've moved 5,022 pounds of organic material this year, or about 775 pounds per thousand.

For the remainder of the year, Milorganite is the heavy-hitter. It works better as soil temperatures cool a bit.

Chelated Iron

I picked up some Bonide #299 Liquid Iron Complex quite cheaply (about a third the usual price), so I've applied that to the lawn.

The recommended rate for bluegrasses is 2 to 6 ounces per thousand square feet in enough water to apply it, and then spray to runoff. I diluted 2 ounces in 1 gallon of water and found it made a slightly thin spray. Next time I'll dilute half that in a gallon and go 500 square feet.

The hydrangea, which was a touch yellow, is showing a response in just a few hours. The grass should take 1 to 4 days to show any change at all. Since I went at 1/3 the normal rate, I may also have to apply more to achieve the color I want.

Iron Oxide

Since iron oxide (Fe₃O₄) is so incredibly cheap, I've added 20 pounds over six thousand square feet, or about 3.3 pounds per thousand square feet. I'll report back later on the results.

One minor note is that if you can get it in granular form somehow, do so. The powdery stuff goes everywhere, even when mixed with Milorganite to even out the distribution.

Adjusting Micronutrients

I've ordered a pound each of manganese sulfate, zinc sulfate, and copper sulfate to shift my soil levels slightly. Although not far out of the normal range, I'd like to adjust those into the sweet spot for optimal growth of the lawn and gardens.

The chemicals are kind of festive. Zinc sulfate is white, copper sulfate a blue-green, and manganese sulfate a faint pink.

The iron I've dumped (around 5 pounds per thousand) is already binding and the color is decreasing. It looks like I need to add either iron oxide or ferrous sulfate, depending on which one I determine will do the best job. Given my pH of 7.2, I suspect it'll be the ferrous sulfate.

Given that pure ferrous sulfate is around 30% iron, it doesn't require much--no more than a pound or two per thousand square feet at a time, never to exceed 10 pounds per thousand per year. That must never be applied to a wet lawn, and should be thoroughly watered in immediately after application.