From

Location

Message

Date Posted

Garden

Works great on the lawn. Anybody tried it on the pumpkins?

9/28/2003 11:52:17 PM

Garden State Pumpkins

No pro here FadeD but use it at planting time and late season. My thoughts were green leaves are working leaves specially as they start to go away...Many previous posts use the search engine here. Grow em Big! Chuck

9/29/2003 6:59:33 AM

Montoursville, PA

Ironite was made very attractive to pumpkin growers as Gerry and Larry Checkion used it in their plan that produced a world championship pumpkin for Gerry a few years ago.

I used Ironite as a soil ammendment for many years in rotation with Green Sand and other similar soil ammendments. There are three or four similar products out there for your consideration. The differ slightly in their make up or content. Each has their followers. Rotation of several is likely the best plan. Ask for so called equals at your garden centers.

The rate of use was about ten pounds both spring and fall added to my 1000 sq. foot garden. Walmarts has had a bag of Ironite weighing eight or nine pounds. Two bags a year is what I used. I never found more economical larger bags in this community.

9/29/2003 8:22:55 AM

Oz

there are claims of toxic heavy metals in ironite.
if there is a safer iron treatment,,use it....

9/29/2003 11:07:00 AM

Montoursville, PA

Yes that is somewhat like saying there are claims that there is no Christian religion with a God as the Master. If there is a better religion, use it. Your concern makes about as much sense about a really fine company. The very same state still permits the lawn and garden chemicals to be dumpped by non-registered users. Better get as much as you can and defowl your lawn and garden while you can. Makes even more sense. Likely would not have seemed so bad if the quality good things in the product would be shown by the possible bad things showing percentages and average permitted content by the average state accross America.
....Carrots contain carroteen. That will kill you. If there is a better carrot better use it. Would not surprise me to see that same state declair mother's milk unfit for human comsumption. They have over a hundred willy nillies running for the office of Governor as we speak. That is the present laughing stock of the world.

Burns me up when companies get trampled like the Ironite folks are being tampled in a national distribution by one small group, of controllers, within that distribution smoking cigars and drinking high balls as they ink their pointed claims. Next on the agenda is to stop char coal in the use of prepairing juicy yummy steaks. That is bad for your health don't you realize? Damn they missed one.

9/29/2003 2:32:10 PM

wilmington,ma.

The tree huggers abound!!

9/29/2003 3:13:58 PM

Oz

jesus doesnt come from toxic mine tailings,,,,
go to colorado near leadville.
and ask them what the tailing have done...

people got "burned up" about ddt and cloridane,,,,,

there are acceptable levels of nicotene,,
i dont put it in my body.
i did and after 15 years when i get near a lit marlborl light, the craving is as intence as when i smoked two packs a day.
as far as alcohol i never did drink much,,and now when im in a bar where i shoot pool i drink soda pop or spring water.

i dont hug my trees,,i do have lots of them,,,
and i dont put toxins on my land.

and i do keep in constant mind my intakes of nitrates/nitrites/preservatives/alumnimum,,etc,,,,,

warning someone that something may have real dangers is a good thing....hug that.

9/29/2003 4:28:43 PM

Appalachian Mtns.

gloves off!

9/29/2003 5:10:53 PM

Garden

Well, I did some research on Ironite, and there does seem to be a lot of concern regarding the safe use of this product. I do feel that my pumpkin patch does not fall into the profile of an area I need to be especially concerned about using Ironite a few times a year.
So, If I do try it out, any suggestions on the application rate for pumpkins? The metering was pre-set in the bottle I used on the lawn (liquid form). Do you think this same rate would apply for the pumpkins, or should I dilute down?

Thanks for the suggestions/warnings.

9/29/2003 7:25:56 PM

Tacoma, WA

I used 25# per 1000 sq.ft. I used Iron Safe this year because it had more nutrients in it. I would not hesitate
to use Ironite once again. As I had posted earlier, the sales of Ironite had fallen off to the point that they could no longer be a sponsor for the GPC. It will make a big difference in the payouts this year.

9/29/2003 8:06:19 PM

Montoursville, PA

Surely we are intellegent enough to not relate massive iron tailings as washed out and over the area in Colorado with the minute use as an additive to sane farm or gardening use.
Such comments should fall on alert ears but not be weighed for more than what it is.........another dogooder making unfounded grower fears and unrelated scare type noises.

Frankly the barnyard and chicken coop from which my manures are taken stink like hell and certainly I would not by choice place my home in the center of such tripe. The result of these fine products in my garden is quite another very healthy story.

I am in sandy loam with 17% humus per latest test. It has been my practice to alternate applications of Ironite, Greensand from New Jersey and Greensand from Texas. There are several similar products by other companies. When I find one I add it as an alternate or as a blend of several, in the same small amount twice yearly.

My choice of use comes down to four or five pounds in the Fall and like amount in the Spring, per a one thousand square foot patch. This might be called a very modest application.

Don't expect immediate improvement. Do something like this every year and the additive will be a part of the total improvement in due time. This is not a practice to treat a symptom. There will be no flash improvement. It is a building block that slowly carries it's weight and gets better in relation to your whole program getting better.

12/14/2003 8:51:54 PM