In a specialized store, you can buy a variety of drugs, the main task of which is to protect fruit trees from various diseases and pests. However, not all of these tools are highly effective and often have inadequate cost. In this regard, experienced gardeners advise using a time-tested drug for this purpose - iron vitriol.
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Iron vitriol - what is it?
Iron vitriol has another chemical name - ferrous sulfate. It is quite popular among gardeners and has been used in horticulture for many years. Outwardly, this tool looks like a crystalline powder, painted in a pale green color. In this case, the concentration of the main active ingredient is within 53 percent.
This tool is essentially a salt formed by the interaction of ferrous iron and sulfuric acid. This substance is a crystalline hydrate, and all because each of its molecules combines with 7 water molecules.
What is it used for?
This tool is a favorite among experienced gardeners. And iron vitriol owes its popularity to the fact that its effect is quite wide, and it also has a low price.
In horticulture, this drug is used for the following purposes:
- Spring and autumn whitewashing of the surface of tree trunks growing in the garden.
- For getting rid of lichen, moss and other diseases caused by fungus.
- For the treatment of grapes for preventive purposes against a variety of diseases.
- To eliminate black spot of roses.
- For strengthening trees that are already old enough.
- For the destruction of harmful insects.
- They can heal the wounds on the trunks of fruit orchard crops.
- In order to saturate the soil with iron.
This tool is used not only in gardening, as it is able to cope with the fungus present on the surface of the walls of the house or the room where vegetables are stored.
Features of use
This drug can be used to treat horticultural crops only 2 times per season, namely: at the beginning of the spring and in the fall.
Young trees should be treated only in early spring, before the buds open, while older specimens need to be re-treated in autumn.
Important! Iron sulfate is not mixed with lime (this is done only with copper sulfate).
For different purposes, the strength of the solution may differ:
- For the destruction of fungal diseases on fruit crops in early spring, a five percent solution is suitable.
- For prophylactic purposes, only a 0.5-1% solution is used.
- A 0.3 percent mixture is used to spray roses.
- For the treatment of berry bushes, a four percent solution is suitable.
- In autumn, plants are sprayed with a 7% solution.
On young trees, the bark is not as thick as on old ones, in this regard, the solution used to treat them should be less saturated. You should definitely pay attention to this, especially if the garden is processed 2 times per season.
Advantages and disadvantages
This tool, like all the others, has its advantages and disadvantages.
Benefits:
- has a wide impact;
- low cost;
- for a person it is a low danger during external exposure, since it is low toxic (if a highly concentrated agent gets on the mucous membranes or skin, then it just needs to be washed off with a stream of water, and then there will be no damage);
- highly effective in the fight against fungal diseases;
- differs in external influence, does not enter the plant.
The disadvantages include:
- it is ineffective in the fight against harmful insects (additional preparations will be needed to completely eliminate them);
- it can be used only at the beginning of the spring period (before the buds open) and after the leaves fall off, the fact is that such a drug can damage leaf plates and young shoots;
- it is quickly washed off by rain, after spraying it begins to act after a couple of hours, however, the maximum effect is achieved only after 24 hours, so if it rains outside, then you will have to spray the tree several times.
If it is wrong to process the garden with iron vitriol, then this will have an extremely negative effect on its condition. In this regard, before starting treatment, it is very important to carefully study the instructions attached to the tool.
