Next experiment

Couldn't take a nap after all. Wasn't sleepy.

Went out and started cleaning up the yard. Not much in the front necessary but lots of trash in the back yard. Half a garbage can of trash, almost every bit blown into the yard from the church parking lot.

On to the next experiment. More iron. This time in a different form. My experience last year said Ironite works really well. However, the price is ridiculous for a common element so easily found. If you look at the spray bottle, you find it contains only 1% iron. Then it seems that the form of iron contained in it is not even the most effective and available form. One expert horticulturalist says it doesn't work at all. At least not in comparison to other forms. Then it must deplete quickly because it can be reapplied every few weeks. Yet iron helps soil retain some acidity and helps plants absorb other minerals. Just like in the human body, it acts as an enzyme which helps basic functions of life and energy. Very important in photosynthesis as an element of chorophyll. That's why it helps plants become greener.

I researched but information was conflicting. So I tried crushing four iron sulfate (vitamin tablets) and dissolving them in water. Let it sit for a couple of hours. Then used the hose mounted sprayer to apply it to the front yard. The front yard didn't get any iron the other day because the applicator ran empty too quickly. Back yard has been turning green while the front has remained brown. I have watered the front. Not as much as the back but not so little it should be completely brown still. Give it a few days and then report back on results.

If this works, the difference will be considerable. The bottle of Ironite cost about $8 for one application which did not cover the whole yard. The iron applied today came from Dollar Tree, so cost $1 for 30 tabs. I figure around 10 tabs would treat the entire front and back yards. So it would be $1 for three applications as opposed to $24 if using Ironite or a similar brand. Though I did leave the price of the pill crusher out of the equation because I've had that for several years. I think it's worth a try.