View Single Post
  #3   Report Post  
Old 29-10-2009, 08:58 PM posted to uk.rec.gardening
Jeff Layman[_2_] Jeff Layman[_2_] is offline
external usenet poster
 
First recorded activity by GardenBanter: Sep 2008
Posts: 2,166
Default Rhododendrons and rusty things

Spider wrote:
"David in Normandy" wrote in message
...
Is the iron beneficial to rhododendrons in rusting objects like nails?
Just curious, I had a handful of rusty nails and rather than putting them
in the rubbish wondered if such plants would benefit from them being
scattered at the base?

--
David in Normandy.
To e-mail you must include the password FROG on the
subject line, or it will be automatically deleted
by a filter and not reach my inbox.



Apparently it does help. I had always thought one could only use a
chelated iron product, but my book of garden wisdom and old tips suggests
iron nails for blueing hydrangeas. I'm sure it works better if buried
beneath the plant, but there surely must be some benefit from mulching
with them. Have a go.

Spider


I chucked a handful of Iron Sulphate around the base of some rather
chlorotic camellias. All looked much better the next year.

--
Jeff