Where it is certain boron is needed (otherwise shouldn't be applied because of the danger of toxicity), the rate per acre according to this and other ag sites is 0.5 to 1 lb per acre of actual boron.

http://corn.agronomy.wisc.edu/...

According to this page, borax is typically 11% actual boron (does it say on the box?). On that basis my math, which should be checked, suggests the amount per 1,000 sq. ft. would be roughly 2-4 oz. That was rounded to assume 10% rather than 11% actual boron to make it easier.

How I calculated: 5-10lbs of borax is needed to supply 0.5 to 1.0 lb per acre of actual boron. An acre is 43,560 sq. ft. So divide 5-10 by 43,560 for amount per sq. ft. and then x 1000 gives 0.11to 0.23 of a lb. of borax per 1,000 sq. ft. At 16 oz. to the pound that would be (roughly) 2 to 4 ounces. Am I right?

Edited to remove inappropriate % signs - see next post

Sue,

I agree, with just one quibble: these "%"s are are not needed. Just a typo, right?

WAS:
and then x 1000 gives 0.11% to 0.23% of a lb. of borax per 1,000 sq. ft.

Should be:
and then x 1000 gives 0.11 to 0.23 of a lb. of borax per 1,000 sq. ft.


P.S. That was a great link. Note this:
"There is also a very narrow range between boron deficiency and toxicity
as more than 5.0 ppm available boron can be toxic to many agronomic crops."

As with many kinds of chemical fertilizer, "too much" is much worse than "not enough".


If someone is adding Boron without a soil test, I would urge them to add only to one small square, and only add a fraction of the total tolerable boron. Like 1/4 or 1/2 ounce per 1,000 sq. ft. Keep adding that much each year until you either see improvement (boron deficiency) or toxicity.

Then decide how much to add to the rest of your yard. "Less is better", because you can always add more next year.

But you can't go back next year and "take away" some that you already added.

1.8 oz to 3.7 oz = 52 to 104 grams / 1,000 sq. feet

I would dissolve borax in water and then spray the soil, if I were trying to add that little of something uniformly, to avoid toxic spots.

RickCorey said:Sue,

I agree, with just one quibble: these "%"s are are not needed. Just a typo, right?

Yes, typo, thanks for catching that, Rick. That's what comes of trying to do calculations before breakfast (although admittedly I could just as easily have messed up after).

I wouldn't even try to count to six reliably, before breakfast. There is no life before coffee!

re: coffee
I do plan on double checking all of my math before mixing my ingredients, converting from an acre to 1000 sq ft.

So mostly I just pile leaves on as thick as I can in the Fall in my backyard veggie garden bed. By the spring it settles down. I will plant my tomatoes in there just as it is. Simply scrape aside a spot to plant each plant and leave the rest as is. The earthworms come and help break down the leaves. My really simple method of composting but it works!

I will definitely be reapplying last fall's leaves to the garden beds. Removed temporarily for mineral applications. I like that they don't turn gray like wood mulch.

I like the look of leaves plus the price is right as they are free each fall for the collecting.

I like the look of straw in the veggie garden also and will mulch with a nice thick layer of straw if I don't have leaves.

I always save more leaves than I can use. I am going to wait for a rainy day though to put them down so they don't blow away.

This as I was chopping up Spearmint and Burdock , raw whole plant ,
The effect on Turnip greens
All mulched now only one days difference in pictures
Day before yesterday , with Mint and Burdock





Without ,



I think I will try some mint and Burdock juice on a few more plants and I realize these are easy greens ,,

Nice, Jim!

Happy clover, happy soil and happy gardener

I just ordered 2 pounds of white dutch clover seed with I intend to spread around as soon as it is cool enough in the Fall to fix up the so called lawn. Many weeds but at least it is green. I love clover and my lawn is full of it.

G'day Rita, I can just see you skipping bare foot through that clover --nice to be ''on clover'' as they say.
What is your plan of action to sow it? The seed is so tiny, so will you bulk it up with some dry sand, thus enabling a better spread?Or just broadcast it as it comes.Will this clover seed come inoculated?

I like clover in lawns.
When I put down weed killer I try to avoid the area of the two lawns I do that have clover but up North the spurge can be such a problem, and I simply no longer spend hours pulling it by hand, that sometimes I have to hit that area which is hard on the clover, but I have never totally eradicated it .
It seems to spread slowly to not at all though.

Down South after I do a major weed killing, I paid the price for not treating for weeds last year, I am going to try seeding some again next year at the same time I replace some sod I put in that was weed infested and part of my current problems.
Sod, you get what you pay for , OFTEN, be picky .

As an aside: I though moss needed acidic soil. Down South we have acidic soil and until they put in the osmosis system , acidic water, so to see it there was not a surprise, though it was uncommon.
Up North we have , water loaded with calcium and non-acidic soil but I have removed far more moss than I ever expected.

vanozzi said:G'day Rita, I can just see you skipping bare foot through that clover --nice to be ''on clover'' as they say.
What is your plan of action to sow it? The seed is so tiny, so will you bulk it up with some dry sand, thus enabling a better spread?Or just broadcast it as it comes.Will this clover seed come inoculated?

Yes, it is really tiny seed. But I just toss it around by hand the old fashioned way. I figure it will grow just fine.