Chelated Iron like Fe 13% EDTA are use in agriculture as a supplement to ensure yellowing leaves don't occur and enhance production of chlorophyll in leaves. They can be use as a foliar spray either on its own or mixed with common pesticide. It can also be administered through fertigation solution.
Fe EDTA in aquaponics we add to growbed either to the growbed or the fish tank. I would recommend the earlier since it will not be directly available to the fish in it undissolved form that those hungry fishes think it's fish food.
How much to add? As home setup I must say, I add only as much as it's required. They are extensive post in forums about how much to add with volume of water in your system etc but I don't bothered about it.
In aquaponics, water is constantly circulating so like ammonia in the fish tank iron will be continuously circulated in the system and the plants will uses as it needs. It is not like the foliar or fertigation method that may be excessive hence wastage upon application.
I have four growbeds in this CRAFTS setup, I put one tablespoon into each growbed at the water inlet. Usually it will be enough, nothing is wasted since it will be circulating in the system.
This particular Fe EDTA works from ph range of 2 to 8. Most of my aquaponics set the ph is about 6.7 to 7.3, so it should work.
Ok.. that the small tips.
Where to buy;
Nine Top Trading
Drive there using Waze: http://waze.to/lr/hw284z42xf
GPS : 3.309613,101.558401
Got my EDTA Fe few weeks ago at Nine Top Trading
My strawberry plant was showing sign of iron deficiency as below.
The plants not that healthy.
That was two weeks ago on 12th Nov, today its show sign of recovery with encouraging result.
It is still not as green as it should but nevertheless it is good to see some progress made after applying the EDTA Fe even some says that Aquaponics water is too high in ph that EDTA will not work.
My advise to those that are too concern about EDTA Fe is - Don't read too much, practice then you will not get confuse over the information overload.
Comparison on these 2 photos showing, vegetable cutting from my earlier setup and present.
Above is the present setup Water Celery, show healthy growth.
This one are from my previous setup. The different is yellowing leaves in the later picture this is due to lack of Iron, the present setup I'm using nails and Iron rods to provide Iron to the plants.
Nutrient supplied to plants in Aquaponics are from the fishes and the fish food dissolved. These sources of nutrient lack Iron, in Aquaponics Iron deficiencies result in yellowing of leaves.
There are commercial products that address this and there also some methods that are practice of old.
Chelated Iron is one common commercial product use, it is added to water via grow beds every about 2 ~ 3 weeks or so, this will cure plants of the Yellowing Leaves symptoms.
Blood meal also a source of Iron can be added to provide Iron to plants.
Old Farmers practice rusty nails and scrap metals in a bucket of water, and pouring it near tree trunk that have yellowing leaves interest me.
Does it work, those old timer may not heard of Chelated Iron, but they sure do have a lot of nails and scraps.
To practice what those farmers did, I collected scrap iron from around my back yard and put it in the tank.
At first I put it in the filter, but recently I found some long iron rod, those that for construction work they are too long for the filter so I use PVC water pipe to hold them.
What’s needed is a PVC pipes big and long enough for the job and 2 end caps. Drill holes along the pipe and place iron rod inside, capped the pipe and throw it in.
You can attach a string to it for easy retrieval or just without.
Photo shows the PVC pipe and Iron inside and this one with it in the water.
