Yard care can be incredibly frustrating, especially if it dries out, browns, and dies despite all your efforts. While struggling grass can be a symptom of various problems, one that is often overlooked is iron deficiency in the soil.
While it may sound complicated, adding iron to soil is a simple and easy process that any homeowner can do on their own. So, what are the benefits of adding iron to soil, what equipment do you need and how exactly do you do it?
What are the Benefits of Adding Iron to Soil?
Having sufficient iron levels in your soil is essential to ensuring that your lawn stays healthy. Iron is required for the production of chlorophyll which is essential for photosynthesis. This means that if your soil doesn’t have enough iron, the grass in it won’t be dark green or grow properly.
Adding iron also helps improve the pH level of the soil, which makes it more hospitable for the grass that grows in it, allowing it to absorb more nutrients and resist disease and pests.
What Equipment Do You Need to Add Iron to Your Soil?
Adding iron to the soil in your yard is an easy and simple process that anyone can do on their own, but before you get started you’ll need to make sure that you have the proper equipment.
Iron Supplement
Iron supplements for lawns can be purchased at most hardware or lawn care stores, making them very for most people to find. They usually come as chelates, sulfates, or ferrous ammonium, but chelates are often the most effective and easily absorbed by grass.
Watering can or Hose-End Sprayer
In order to apply your iron supplement you’ll need either a water can or a hose-end sprayer. Hose-end sprayers are definitely more efficient but if you only want to add iron to a small area of grass, a watering will work just fine.
Protective Gear
Iron supplements can be harmful if handled incorrectly so make sure that you have gloves and a facemask to protect yourself during the process.
How to Add Iron To Soil
Test Your Soil
Before you decide to add iron to your soil, you should test it to make sure that iron deficiency is in fact the problem. You can buy a soil test kit from most garden centers, and testing your soil beforehand will give you a much better idea of how much additional iron your soil needs.
Prepare the Iron Supplement
Next you’ll need to prepare your iron supplement for application. This is usually done by dissolving the supplement in water but you should follow the instructions on the box of the supplement you buy.
Apply the Iron Supplement
Now that your iron supplement is ready, use your watering can or hose-end sprayer to evenly apply the supplement to your grass. But be extra careful not to over apply the supplement as having too much iron can be just as harmful to your grass as the lack thereof.
Purchase Sod Grown in Iron Rich Soil
Sod grown in Iron rich soils will easily provide an increased but balanced Iron level for your lawn for many years to come. Iron rich soils are found across the nation and are typically red (rust) in color. Red colored soils when combined with other soils will slowly release stored iron to your lawn for years.
Monitor Your Plants
Be sure to monitor your grass and look for signs of improvement after the application process is complete. Watch for your grass to get slightly darker green in color. Every lawn is different but if you don’t see improvement, try testing your soil again to see how its pH and nutrient levels have changed.