Yes that’s correct …
Exactly.
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I would run with Olpea and not me on this one (and many others). I’ve never had to deal with Boron deficiency or excess, but distribute it at that rate in orchards every few years as a maintenance strategy. This is commonly done by growers in my area.
One year I mistook a bag of boron for a bag of urea and applied it at a urea rate at three, fortunately quite small, orchards. Worst mistake I can remember making (one virtue of a declining memory). Ended up bring compost and scrapping off the surface where the apps were made and replacing the contaminated soil with compost. It worked.
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Creeping Charlie is very sensitive to boron levels, so yes it is helpful in fighting it
Now if I only knew of an easy solution for bindweed (related to morning glories) I would be thrilled…
Scott
Where would you get this boron solution? Every time I asked locally the staff went ‘You need what?’.
Many water-soluble fertilizers contain micronutrients including Boron. Scotts is one example.
The stuff I’ve been buying has pretty much everything except boron.
Aack!
Check out Jack’s (JR Peters) 20-10-20 General Purpose or 21-5-20 depending on your phosphate and Mg needs.
Adding boron to the soil is very imprecise and as discussed above, too much can cause as many problems as too little. Commercial fruit growers are more likely to use foliar boron sprays like Solubor which can be applied much more precisely than soil fertilizers.
Perhaps that is true in many areas. The large orchards I’m familiar with west of the Rockies rely on fertigation.
Fertigation can work well in some soil types and in some climates. In areas where drip is not used at all, foliar sprays are the go-to.
Yes, although I think you meant irrigation instead of drip. Most of the orchards I’m familiar with in the west use flood irrigation – not drip.
I use several tablespoons of 20 muleteam borax in my sprayer every time I spray my fruit trees, foliage spray is best way!
Also serves as a surfactant
Dennis
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Several TBS in how many gallons of water?
2 Gallon sprayer
I use Boric acid roach poison . About 50% Boron. Available everywhere. Dissolves readily in water.
My 1.5 cubic yard of wood chips which I was turning to compost which tested at zero was brought up to speed by the addition of two tablespoons evenly spread throughout the pile.
Could have used three tablespoons, but Boron has a fairly narrow range before it becomes toxic so I was conservative. I’ve sprayed with it but I can’t remember the proportions.
I can definitely vouch for Borax as a laundry aid and household cleaner based on my time at home for the past several months. Like Oxyclean but cheaper and better.
Boron is only needed in micro amounts.
It’s deficient in the Puget Sound region.
Maximum amount to apply is only 5 pounds actual Boron/ Acre. Check out the sensitivity of your crop to Boron.
Apples and Walnuts love it
Berries, not as much.
Best fall applied.
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My TN soil report says apply 1oz of borax for every inch of tree diameter measured 1foot above the ground every 3 years
Per Google…
Boron fertilizers include borax (11 percent boron) and borate granular (14 percent boron). Solubor (20 percent boron liquid) is foliar applied and must be applied at recommended rate for specific crops. Application of 9 pounds borax per acre will supply 1 pound boron per acre.
Worm Castings… boost Boron nicely. Compost alone is good source, but Vermicompost, up a notch.
I put compost on basically everything I grow, including fruit trees, or I compost in place with mulches around the trees, canes, etc…
This was my experience in heavy clay with a thin layer of loam on top.
Boron deficiency / Blossom Blast?
Corrected the issue with boron
Boric acid is also an excellent ant killer! Had a home invasion of super tiny ants that were immune to every ant trap we tried for several months, made some homemade ant bait with this recipe; within about a week of feeding it, ants wiped out! Will now use it to paint the lower trunks of my aphid ridden plum tree this spring as soon as aphid and ants appear.
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