Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Chelated iron from Yates is very easy and readily available toooooo!
comes pre-packaged with a convenient measuring device (plastic)

I get what you saying steve about changeing one thing at a time
it will be a lot easer

I got some chelated iron today but how much do i use for 400gall

some plants are growing while

on other the leaves are yellow, only the new leaves, these plants are not growing at all

CG, why not start with sml amounts and go from there.
P.S what does the packaging say?

I'd be very curious to know what concentration it recommends for a foliar spray. That might be a good concentration to start with--seems to me that it would be fairly dilute. But yes, what does the packaging say?

Instructions on my packet (abbreviated):

Dissolve 25 grams in 10 litres and apply over 10 sqare metres to the root zone.

A level measure (plastic spoon) is supplied which holds 5 grams.

I work on 10 grams for 1,000 litres (~250galls) and add every month - have not had any iron deficiency symptoms

There you go CG

Do it - like 'Ell

my packet says the same thing

now i got to hope the problem is iron,

one thing that got me is that the viens are transparent and the leaves are allmost white.

heres a look at to best and the worst

if you dont got a box of AP stuff around your not a true AP er

A box full - I've got a bloody 3 bay shed full

does a room count?

CG, i'd go with les's rates, i think the standard soil application budgets for a LOT of wastage.

Here is a trick, look up a aquarium plant website or fourm and see what ppm iron they suggest for a plant only tank.

.5 ppm sounds vaugely familiar but may be completely wrong

They don't need much

i hate to say it but that looks like a lack of all nurients not just iron.

My basil is the first thing that shows me the lack of iron and that is not what mine look like. normally a lack of iron is shown in my system by having fading between the veins of the leaf with the vein being the standard dark green.

I think IMHO that you are still lacking nutrients. Unfortunately the only way to determine this is the aforementioned nitrate test, sorry.

That is interesting Nick. I have a number of basil plants in my system (though they are getting smaller cause the stems have been breaking due to the weight of the leaves - the bushes are huge) and they have never shown deficiency in anything. I'm sure my other plants have shown iron deficiency and I add chelated iron now and again (though haven't thougt to recently ). The more I think about it the more I reckon my system is deficient in potassium.

I think we are growing two different types of basil mine have large leaves where as yours from what I remember had smaller leaves. I am very sure that it is iron deffieciency they are suffering from as after I add the chelated iron they perk up and they go back to being the beutiful dark green. And it is always more in the new leaves not so much the old leaves.

on the issue of potassium I think we really need to be looking at joel for leadership on this issue. He has the oldest system and thus should be suffering the worst from any defficiencies.

Forgot you had seen my system Nick. You must have an unusual basil then, cause mine is just the stock standard sweet basil and has proper size leaves.

Re: the potassium, I agree re Joel. I will PM him and ask him to comment on the potassim thread.

will post a pic to my system thread