John C Ballou

US Patent:

41166639, Sep 26, 1978

Filed:

Nov 19, 1976

Appl. No.:

5/743304

Inventors:

John McK. Ballou - Long Beach CA

International Classification:

C05F 1100

US Classification:

71 23

Abstract:

Iron (FE) may be reacted in the presence of an alkaline material with vegetable tannin by mixing water (H. sub. 2 O), comminuted iron in its elemental state and vegetable tannin to form an iron chelate which holds iron in a form available to and assimilable by plants. Treatment of plants with the iron chelate supplies iron thereto and corrects iron chlorosis. Comminuted cast iron and vegetable tannin extract may be used, respectively, as the Fe and vegetable tannin sources. Further, comminuted redwood, which is known to be poisonous to many plants in its natural state, is believed to be converted into a nonpoisonous growing medium which supplies iron to plants and stimulates plant growth by reacting the vegetable tannin naturally occurring in the redwood to form the aforementioned iron chelate therein.