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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link="#0563C1" vlink="#954F72"><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Topic not entirely suitable for ExI, but perhaps entertaining for those who are entertained by this sort of thing.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>About 20 yrs ago, I planted two orange trees in the back corners of my yard. California grove-man’s trick: intentionally go light fertilizer and light water at first, to encourage the roots to go down rather than out. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>A coupla years after those were planted, with just enough water and fertilizer to keep them alive, a neighbor replaced the rims on an old car. I showed him how to refurbish ratty old rims, but he thought it was a lot of work, so he offered me the rims. I put them in back out of sight under one tree, (fence on two sides, lots of leaves and branches obscuring the remaining view.) I forgot about them (outta sight, outta mind.) <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Several years went by, the trees started bearing, I increased the fertilizer to get more fruit. Over time I noticed one of the trees seems look more healthy than the other: no indication of iron deficiency in the tree where those ratty old rims are stacked. I went back there yesterday and noticed those rims are completely rusted, way beyond practical refurbishment by now. Then it occurred to me: the rust from the rims might be supplying iron to the one tree. Car parts do rust away, and the iron hasta go somewhere. The only where available is straight down. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Those old rims have been under there for about 18 years. It would be easy enough to estimate the iron needs of a citrus tree, but I have no good way to estimate how fast an iron rim loses mass to the soil. Perhaps I will move some or all the rims to the other tree. Any ideas?<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>spike <o:p></o:p></p></div></body></html>