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Question
is it safe to put iron(chaving from a brake lathe) on bermuda grass to green it up
Mike,
The yellow condition of your bermuda may be due to an alkaline soil, as well as iron deficiency. There are balanced fertilizers for use on this condition with chelated iron. But without a lower pH, they will not activate sufficiently to make the iron available.
As far as I know, it should be safe to apply Fe from brake honings. I would add some elemental S (sulphur) to the mix to lower a potentially high pH.
The safe route would be to conduct a siol analysis and determine how much pH adjustment is necessary, if any. Then, after correcting the pH, apply iron.
The iron oxide from rusty brake honings may take a while, but they should be effective.
Best of luck,
Tom
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Tom Glendinning
Expertise
I can answer questions about biological issues, "organic" turf concepts, turf varieties in zones 5,6,7 (depending on date of zone map); basically for Piedmont North Carolina and similar zones' some experience in sandy type soils in eastern NC, mostly with Piedmont clays. Raised in Ohio, where I started my career, I have a good memory of lawns and landscapes from up north also.
Experience
My experience began in 1958 as a groundskeeper on a thirty acre hospital campus. In 1971, I started my own business focused on delivering landscapes organically and soon discovered the benefits of compost (BioDynamic)
Organizations
Past memberships in ALC, AAN, NCAN, NCLCA, ISTC (ISA), NC Turfgrass Assoc.
Education/Credentials
Univ North Carolina - Chapel Hill, caretaker Coker Arboretum (1973), NC Landscape Contractor Board 1974-7, contractor courses (NCLA) 1976-1984, published "Manual on Horticultural and Landscape Applications of Compost," 1993
Past/Present Clients
Performed commercial/institutional jobs at IBM, county and city government jobs in NC, US Army Corps job (Jordan Lake, NC), UNC-CH, Duke University, NC Central University, developments: Fearrington, Landfall, and many private jobs through association with landscape architects and architects
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