Gardeners today are raving about Ironite, a go-to color-enhancing iron supplement that’s formulated to help turn your grass lush, rich green!
But what exactly is Ironite, what’s in it, how does Ironite work, how much Ironite should you apply, and what are some alternatives to Ironite are some of the questions I’ll answer in this detailed Ironite guide.
Many homeowners are successful at achieving a healthy lawn and garden, mostly due to the tremendous effort they put into growing the best grass seed, applying the right fertilizer at the right time, checking soil pH, and replenishing any deficient nutrients and minerals such as potassium.
But several gardeners aren’t this lucky, and the one area they struggle with is greening up their turf.
If you’ve taken all the necessary steps for green growth in your cool-season turf or warm-season turf, but just can’t figure out why your lawn doesn’t look like a professional golf course, the answer may be an iron deficiency!
Before you head out to buy the first iron supplement product to fill the iron deficiency in your entire lawn, wait, because great chances are that your lawn is low on iron plus other essential nutrients like nitrogen and potash, so you’ll need Ironite and a fertilizer. Performing a soil test will help you determine the nutrients missing in your lawn.
Ironite – What it is and How to Use it?
Just as the name suggests, Ironite is rich in iron nutrients but also contains important nutrients to promote the quick greening of lawn grasses.
What is Ironite good for?
One of the reasons your turf turns orange and dead-looking is due to a pH imbalance. Most lawns thrive on a near-neutral pH, somewhere between 6 and 7, and having too low (acidic) and too high (alkaline) levels can result in poor growth and orange or yellow grass. Learn more about soil pH.
Applying iron to your lawn can regulate the soil acidity and help you achieve this green lush grass.
Pro Tip: Before using Ironite or any similar alternative product, you should perform a soil test to determine the level of nutrients in the soil, so that you can choose the right product, be it Ironite, a liquid fertilizer, or slow-release fertilizer, synthetic fertilizers, or organic lawn fertilizers.
How Does Ironite Work?
Ironite aids in the process of photosynthesis to transform your yellow grass condition to a rich green color.
Ironite features the right blend of micronutrients that work collectively to make your lawn a lovely forest vibrant green. Gardening enthusiasts claim Ironite works miracles on their turf and also helps in healthy, proper growth.
Types of Ironite Fertilizers
Just like there are a variety of regular fertilizers available such as organic fertilizers and synthetic fertilizers for lawns, there are two types and two forms of Ironite.
There are 2 types of Ironite fertilizers-organic and synthetic.
1. Organic Ironite Fertilizers
Organic fertilizers are made from animal or plant wastes as well as powdered wastes. There are several different types of Ironite organic fertilizers including chicken manure and fish emulsion.
With regards to the benefits of using Ironite organic fertilizers, the list is endless, but they aren’t perfect.
Starting with the good things:
Note: On a brighter note, stains from synthetic fertilizers can be easily cleaned with vinegar and water solution. Did you know that vinegar also kills weeds in lawns?
On the downside:
Milorganite is a great Ironite organic fertilizer and contains 4% iron. It contains a total of 15 growth elements, which are released to your lawn over 8 – 10 weeks.
- You don’t have to worry about streaks, stripes, or accidentally burning your lawn when you use Milorganite fertilizer!
- Milorganite contains virtually no salts, so it won’t burn your lawn, trees, shrubs, or plants, even in the hottest temperatures or driest conditions.
- Milorganite's iron greens without staining. Grass needs iron for the long-lasting, deep, vibrant green lawn you want. Milorganite delivers organically complex iron throughout the feeding period and won’t stain concrete, unlike iron salts in some synthetic fertilizers.
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2. Synthetic Ironite Fertilizers
Synthetic Ironite fertilizers are a type of fast-releasing lawn care product that provides almost instant results. Synthetic Ironite fertilizers are chemically manufactured usually with by-products of the petroleum industry.
Made in the USA, Ironite features a 1-0-1 N-P-K and allows your grass to use nutrients found naturally in the soil.
- The nation's leading mineral supplement
- Greening up America's lawns for over 50 years
- This product is made in United States
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It is safe for all soil types including clay soils, alkaline soils, loose soil, sandy soil, and nutrient-deprived soil, and doesn’t damage plants, shrubs, or grass.
Forms of Ironite
Just like fertilizer such as Scotts Turf Builder, Ironite is available in 2 forms namely:
- Liquid Ironite
- Granular Ironite
Application tips:
- You can spread granular Ironite with a broadcast spreader and should water the grass immediately after spreading.
- Liquid Ironite can be applied with a sprayer or garden hose on your flower gardens and lawns.
Liquid Ironite is a good choice if you’re looking for almost instant results and alkaline sandy soil, whereas granular Ironite is an ideal option for loamy or clay soil.
When Should I Use Ironite on My Lawn?
If you have a yellow lawn, then it’s probably a deficiency of iron issue that’s causing this pale yellow color. The best time to apply iron content with Ironite to your lawn is in the spring when the temperature is between 60 degrees F to 70 degrees F.
How Do I Know if My Lawn Needs Ironite?
One of the biggest signs of lack of iron on your lawn is the yellowing of grass blades. Also referred to as iron chlorosis, the absence of iron or lack of iron first affects the youngest grass blades, and can give them a mottled appearance.
How Much Ironite Should I Use?
The answer depends on how much your lawn is deficient in iron and other nutrients. Therefore, the first thing to do is a soil test to determine nutrient deficiencies in your lawn.
If your lawn could use a boost or iron, you can apply roughly 1 pound of Ironite per 1,000 square feet to supply 0.7 ounces of iron but don’t go overboard and apply more than 2 lbs per 1000 square feet.
You also want to refrain from adding too much Ironite to your lawn as it may have adverse effects on your turf.
Getting carried away with adding a large content of iron nutrients can be detrimental to your lawn’s health, and can cause myriad different issues.
When trying to green up the current condition of your lawn, it’s easy to add excess soluble iron or granular iron to your turf, but doing so may cause grass burns.
A healthy turf should be lush and green, but if your lawn appearance is burned, scorched, and brittle, great chances are that your turf is suffering from too much Ironite or another similar iron supplement.
Adding to this, iron toxicity has far-reaching consequences when it spreads to other areas of your property such as pavements and driveways.
And applying iron to the wrong type of grass can turn the grass brown rather than green color. Take for example Kentucky Bluegrass, which thrives in soil with a pH between 6 and 7, and applying a large dose of iron can make the soil acidic.
How Often Can I Use Ironite on My Lawn?
You can apply Ironite to well-established lawns 4 times per year. Remember, even though iron is one of the crucial nutrients for healthy plant growth and keeping your lawn green, other nutrients plants a pivotal role in lawn performance.
Sometimes Ironite may not be the solution for poor plant performance, but you may need to top up your lawn with proper lawn fertilizer, organic plant food fertilizer, or supplementary fertilizer. Further, you will also have to stick to a regular fertilizer program for good turf health.
How Long Does It Take for Ironite to Work?
Similar to applying lawn food like Pennington, the amount of time it takes for Ironite to work depends on the current condition of your iron-deficient grass.
If you have yellow grass on your lawn, you should see results within 2 weeks. But if your grass is green and with the right application rates, the results from Ironite will be visible much quicker.
The Benefits of Using Ironite
Apart from greening up your lawn, there are several benefits of using Ironite, starting with versatility. Ironite is loaded with ingredients that work collectively to balance your soil pH, so you can use it for your lawn and as fertilizer for flowers.
Additionally, Ironite works for all soil types, making it an effective lawn care product for a wide variety of plants.
The Drawbacks of Using Ironite
I can’t think of many reasons to apply Ironite to your lawn, but one mistake to avoid is using Ironite when your lawn is deficient in other nutrients like nitrogen.
In most cases, Ironite works well to help achieve greener lawns but it’s important to check the weather forecast before applying Ironite, and not apply it if there are rainy days ahead. You want to apply Ironite to a fairly dry lawn for optimal effectiveness.
Adding to this, you have to use Ironite carefully because it can stain your pavements, driveways, or concrete areas.
Why Choose Ironite?
Well for several reasons including its versatility to work with all different soil types. Ironite isn’t just a great option for lawns but for trees, flowers, vegetables, and shrubs.
But that’s not all, lawns that are fed Ironite require less watering for good turf health and to stay green.
Is Ironite Worth the Money?
Ironite is worth every single penny if you want to make your pale yellow grass greener, but only if your lawn is short of an Ironite mineral supplement.
Although many gardeners say that adding too much Ironite to your lawn won’t cause grass burn, I beg to differ because applying too much iron to any type of soil can stimulate fungal diseases and make grass brown.
Ironite is also a great choice for regular fertilization of grass and flowers at an affordable price, making it a multifaceted product to have in your gardening arsenal.
Is There a Cost-Effective Alternative to Ironite?
To check the price of Ironite to get the best deal, you can visit several online marketplaces, but I feel the price of Ironite is highly cost-effective, to begin with.
That said, I couldn’t find any cost-effective alternatives for Ironite, but I did find many regular alternatives for Ironite lawn applications.
Southern Ag Chelated Liquid Iron
The Southern Ag chelated liquid iron contains a slightly higher iron content (5%) than Ironite and works well to correct the iron deficiency in lawns, vegetables, flowers, trees, and shrubs. Before application, mix Southern Ag with water, after which apply as a drenching spray.
- 1 Gallon Jug
- Corrects Iron deficiency in flowers, vegetables, shrubs & trees.
- Also, use in the lawns for a deep, rich green color.
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Harris Insta Green Chelated Liquid Iron
The Harris Insta Green is another popular iron booster product for your lawn and garden and offers quick results within 24 to 48 hours.
It is a perfect choice for sunny lawns and can be used as a type of supplemental fertilizer in your lawn and main central garden. Harris Insta Green not only improves plant color, but corrects yellowing, helps in building a stronger root system, and lowers plant stress.
- Fast Results - Expect to see results in just 48 - 72 hours after application
- Versatile - Lawns, turf, golf courses, potted and ornamental plants, InstaGreen does it all!
- Easy to Apply - Simply dilute according to instructions and apply using tank or hose end sprayer
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FAQs
Q: Is Ironite better than fertilizer?
A: The words Ironite and fertilizers are two completely different lawn care products, where the former is an iron supplement for plants and soil and is not a substitute for fertilizers.
Q: Can I Apply Fertilizer and Ironite Together?
A: Since Ironite and fertilizers contain different nutrients, you can apply Ironite and fertilizer at the same time. But make sure to perform a soil test first to gauge whether your lawn can benefit from Ironite and to buy the right fertilizer.
Q: Should I Water in Ironite?
A: It’s a good idea to water in Ironite to prevent the burning of your turfgrass.
Q: How Vital Is Iron to the Soil as Opposed to N-P-K and Lime?
A: Iron helps produce that vibrant green color that lets you know that your turf is healthy. Adding lime maintains the right pH for grasses to thrive, and N-P-K is a mixture of three primary nutrients for healthy grass growth – Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Potassium.
Final Thoughts
Ironite has become increasingly popular among homeowners looking to achieve that lush green color in their lawns. It is completely safe and easy to use and can make your grass green in as little as two weeks.
Hi, Alex Kuritz here. Growing up I remember that my family had one of the best lawns in the neighborhood. Richly green and lush. I did a lot as I grew up in terms of caring and tending for not only my family’s lawn but also my neighbors. I can say I have years of experience, and I am here to share it with you.
