Everything You Need to Know About Tree Iron Deficiency
Everyone loves having some form of nature in their outdoor spaces. especially trees that provide optimal shade and privacy to your home. Even though trees are typically easy to care for, it’s important to be mindful of a few common tree diseases, including iron deficiency. Iron is an essential nutrient for all plants and animals. Iron deficiency in trees can cause the yellowing of leaves, significantly impacting your plant’s health. If you notice any signs of iron chlorosis in your plants or trees, this article is for you! Our team of Edmonton arborists will discuss how to detect tree chlorosis, what the causes of iron chlorosis are, how to treat a tree iron deficiency, and how to prevent an iron deficiency in trees.
Keep on reading to find out everything you need to know about an iron deficiency in trees.
What Causes Tree Iron Deficiency, and What are the Signs?
Iron chlorosis is a specific term for an iron deficiency in plants or trees. Plants need iron for their process of chlorophyll production, which makes the leaves green. This causes the yellowing of your plant leaves, and with severe chlorosis, it can lead to the deterioration and death of the tree.
Here are a few of the deficiency symptoms and common signs of chlorosis:
- Gradual yellowing of trees
- Dark green veins on leaves
- Hindered or poor growth
- Leaf loss
- Fruit yields from blooming
- The outer edges of the leaves appear scorched
If you catch any of these symptoms of iron chlorosis, don’t ignore them. Iron chlorosis can affect the entire tree or just a few branches; however, if left unaddressed, it can spread to the entire tree. Are you unsure what causes this deadly tree disease?
There are a few leading culprits to iron chlorosis in trees, including:
- High PH soil levels of 7 or higher: If you suspect that your tree is suffering from an iron deficiency, it is best to get your soil tested to see if you have high PH levels in your soil.
- Insect infestations: You should inspect your tree carefully to see signs of pest infestation.
- Fungal diseases: See if any fungi-related diseases may also be related to your tree’s iron deficiency.
- Overwatering: Make sure to slow down on your watering if you suspect iron chlorosis.
How Do You Treat Tree Iron Deficiency?
Now that you know the signs and causes of a tree’s iron deficiency, it’s time to find out how to resolve this problem. There are a few options to take control of iron chlorosis, including:
- Soil treatments: Soil treatments are one of the primary options for a tree with an iron deficiency. This method is most effective in the fall or spring seasons. Using a mixture of iron, sulphates, and elemental sulphur, professionals can make sure to thoroughly penetrate the soil by aerating small holes into the ground to ensure it gets extra supplemental nutrients. This can help neutralize the high PH levels over time and allows plants dealing with a lack of iron to eventually absorb these nutrients.
- Foliar treatments: Foliar treatments are another effective way to alleviate iron chlorosis in trees or plants. By spraying liquid fertilizer made of iron additives directly onto the surface of the leaves, this method is particularly effective during the growing season and can have a quick, long-lasting effect. However, applications of foliar sprays made of chelated iron may need to be repeated until the symptoms subside. The application of iron sulphate can be done by yourself, but using it incorrectly can lead to further damage to your plant or tree.
- Trunk implantation: For any infected trees dealing with iron chlorosis, trunk implantation is another way to get green leaves again. By inserting iron compounds directly into the trunk of the tree, it can make the iron soluble for the plant to absorb. This injection of iron is an extremely successful treatment, although it cannot be done without the assistance of a professional arborist. This is because you can incorrectly puncture the tree, causing significant damage. Also, while this method is highly effective, it is not recommended to perform this treatment more than once every couple of years to prevent excess tree injuries.
Regardless of what method of effective treatment you take, you can tackle leaf chlorosis with a bit of patience and time. If you’re looking for a professional team of arborists to perform any of these tree iron deficiency treatments, count on Trusty Tree Services.
How Do You Prevent Tree Iron Deficiency?
Given the complex nature of trees, it can be hard to prevent tree iron deficiencies every time. To prevent chlorosis in plants, it’s best to:
- Regularly get a proper soil sample to ensure the PH levels aren’t too high
- Reduce watering to improve soil conditions, including soil temperature and moisture levels
- Get your lawn regularly aerated to prevent soil compaction and poor soil drainage
- Avoid using plastic sheeting for mulching
- Seek annual application of iron chelates
- Keep an eye out for leaf yellowing
The yellowing of plant leaves is never a good sign. Don’t wait until your plant is dealing with a complete lack of nutrients, and be proactive with your tree care.
Do You Need Professional Tree Care? Call Trusty Tree Services!
As yellowing of leaves is the primary symptom of iron chlorosis, don’t leave this issue of tree iron deficiency unaddressed. If you need help eradicating the presence of chlorotic leaves, count on our trusted team of professionals at Trusty Tree Services to perform a variety of tree treatments, including foliar sprays, ferrous sulphate solutions, and trunk implantation. We can tackle excess quantities of unwanted high PH levels in your soil and ensure the production of chlorophyll in your trees once again. Our professional tree care service team is ready to help promote plant growth in your yard, so you can say goodbye to the frustrating stages of iron chlorosis in trees. Yellow leaves when it’s not autumn? Let’s have it checked out!
Call us today to schedule service with our team of professional arborists.