Q. Does Ironite help Italian cypress if they are turning
brown?
A. No. Ironite may help if the problem is an iron
deficiency or the plants can’t take up enough iron. Iron problems on plants turn
yellow first before they turn brown and die. If the cause of the browning was
from poor irrigation management and the soil staying too wet because of poor
drainage, then Ironite will not do any good. The same is true for browning due
to spider mites.
By the
way, Ironite only works if the soil is not too alkaline (pH above 7.6). Most of
our desert soils are closer to 8.0 or higher. Mixing in lots of compost and
adding water helps lower the soil pH close to the mid 7’s. But if the soil has
been covered in rock for a few years then soil pH (alkalinity) will be close to
8 or above.