Signs of Plant Deficiencies and Excesses

Murray

Earthbound
What amounts of chelated iron do you use for every 100 L of water?
I would like to know that also and where do you buy chelated Iron ? Is it sold with some brand name ?
I have some English Spinich and it is yellowing - I am guessing by the list put up earlier in this post by LB that my little system needs some iron.

Murray

Live Beyond

Hi Murray
My veggies have leaves with light green around the veins with darker edges.

neal_uk

Hi all,

I have added Fe-EDTA chelate to my systems at 2 ppm (mg/litre). This form of iron is not, I have since discovered, best suited to the higher pH ranges in most aquaponic systems. http://www.plantprod.com/EN/catalogue/0 ... ients.html

I'll see if it makes any difference in mine as I'm running some tanks with and some tanks without it!

Neal

earthbound

I don't add much of the chelated iron Muzza, only 2-3 spoonfulls in my drain tank, and my system is about 1500 litres.. I think it's made by Yates the one I have and I bought it at "B"...

Live Beyond

Thanks EB

Murray

Thanks EB I will go and get some.
Murray

Dave Donley

My newest leaves (like on the Basil) are coming out kind of wrinkly/folded-like. What does that mean? My green bean plants also had wrinkly new leaves. Otherwise the colors of all plants look normal. I will upload a picture later. Might not be anything serious (read the both symptom lists, only things that sounded similar were Boron deficiency or insect damage).

monya

Have a look on the underside of the leaves for "pods" may be insects

Daniel

with the chealated iron, correct me if im wrong but there is a chelate ion, which binds to the iron ion so the iron isn't too concentrated and doesn't poison anything. Once the plants take the loosely bound iron ion, what happens to the chelate ion. Is it left in solution with the concentration building up (would this be bad?). Or do the plants use the chelate ion as well?

Aquaddict

Chelated means that the mineral is chemically bound to another substance that can be more easily absorbed than the mineral itself. It acts as a vehicle for the absorption of the mineral.

Ferrous gluconate, ferrous fumerate, and ferrous lactate are considered the most easily absorbable forms of iron.

Chelated iron isn't very efficient at being taken up though, presense of phosphates will inhibit absorption.

Organic sources are much preferable adding and recycling iron in your fishes diet and ultimately your system with:

dark green leafy vegetables
dark turkey meat
eggs (free range much better)
organ meats (organic)

Without some iron in your source water these may not be enough but will certainly help.

Dave Donley

Now that it is getting colder I was thinking about planting spinach in the dirt garden. This is a good idea to grow some for the fish.

Dave Donley

Here is a picture of the basil leaves that are coming in wrinkly.

Aquaddict

I've seen that exact thing and never figured what it was, went away eventually and didn't affect harvest. I'm sure it's a micro-deficiency, but what?

Try, nitrogen excess. Test your N, over 150 ppm?

Dave Donley

Thanks AD,
I don't have a nitrate test, alas. I have been waiting for this system to tap out soon, as all this is being fed by only about two dozen goldfish. I am expecting the growth to slow down as it reaches equilibrium, perhaps this is a symptom that things are slowing down. The little new plants don't look bad though. I have also wondered if it has to do with the recent pH lowerings and upperings...

Aquaddict

I saw this with a rock steady pH. It's always puzzled me what exactly it was. It is going to be so nice this summer dealing with pests and disease etc with the team here to help me, was so hard trying to learn everything by myself...

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