Knowledgebase
Home Garden Boron Deficiency #884937
Asked September 11, 2024, 7:53 PM EDT
Montgomery County Maryland
Expert Response
If you find that adding boron is needed, our Garden Fertilizer Basics page notes that "if a soil test report shows a low boron level, dissolve 1 Tablespoon of Borax in 1 gallon of water and apply the solution evenly from a sprinkling can over 100 sq. ft."
If you are using only homemade compost to amend planting beds and the plant material added is all boron-deficient (possible, but some plants might be better at absorbing low levels than others), then yes, it could be a poor source of supplementation, but commercial compost won't necessarily be deficient. (Like Leafgro, for example; as it happens, they do share a lab analysis of the product(s) online, but they don't appear to measure for boron content, just heavy metals, salts, and a basic N-P-K, under the "tested for safety and quality" FAQ listing.)
Miri