North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

["Jim Fruth" <jfruth@tds.net>]

John McCuan asked, "How do supplement boron?  Do you just get borax at the 
hardware  store and sprinkle it on?  Is there some source that is designed 
specifically for agricultural use?"

   It is a challenge; I'll explain:  When I receive the results of my soil 
tests back from the soils lab, they tell me which nutrients are deficient 
and how much of which compounds to apply.  I send that to my fertilizer 
supplier and he converts the recommendation into the fertilizers he has on 
hand and that is what I use.  I figure out which patch needs how much of 
what and I do the mixing and spread with a broadcast fertilizer spreader.
   This year the soils lab told me that part of my one acre garden/orchard 
needs 1 pound per acre of boron.  When they recommend boron, they don't say 
which compound of boron to apply; the recommendation is for actual boron.  I 
(or my fertilizer dealer) have to figure out what percentage of the boron 
compound is actual boron and it helps to have taken Chemistry 202 or better 
in college.  Take boric acid, for example:  The empirical formula is H3BO3 
which means that it is composed of  three parts of hydrogen, one part boron 
and three parts of oxygen.  Each of these elements has a different weight so 
look up 'Periodic Table' in your dictionary.  From it, you can determine 
that hydrogen has an atomic weight of 1, boron has an atomic weight of 5 and 
oxygen an atomic weight of 8.  Extrapolating, (3x1) + 5 + (3x8) = 32 so 5/32 
of any amount of boric acid is the weight of actual boron in boric acid. 
That makes spreading one pound per acre a tiny bit easier.  To make it still 
easier, mix it with a weighed amount of fine sand and use a hand-held 
'Whirlybird" spreader.  Adding just a smidgeon too much boron can be toxic 
so do it carefully.
   There are less expensive forms of boron fertilizer than boric acid.  I 
bought a 50 lb. sack of a boron compound that is mined in Peru.  Fifty 
pounds is probably a 500 year supply for me but if I use it only just this 
once, I will have saved money over buying a grocery store or drug store 
compound.
   My recommendation?  Spend the $18 that A & L Laboratories charges for a 
soil test + fertilizer recommendation.  Then give the results to a farm 
store fertilizer dealer and let them figure out how much of which compounds 
your garden or orchard needs.  You'll be amazed how much increased 
productivity your crops will produce when the proper balance of nutrients 
are in your soil.  I have 3 or 4 soil tests done each year, one for each 
crop type I grow and I'm money ahead for doing so.

Jim Fruth
Brambleberry Farm
Pequot Lakes, MN  56472
For jams, jellies & syrups:
www.bberryfarm.com
(877)265-6856 [Store]
(218)831-7018 [My Cell]