These factors tie up the iron available in our soils. The lime content and pH are especially bad. If they get too high, the available iron sharply decreases. Another factor contributing to iron chlorosis is excess water, he says. Since we live in an arid area, people tend to over-water their plants.
Excess water reduces the ability of many plants to take up iron.
Trees planted in lawns suffer because the lawn is watered too often and not deeply enough. Preventing and controlling iron chlorosis can be a difficult problem to solve, Goodspeed says. The best option is to avoid plants that struggle with iron chlorosis. Some of the more common plants susceptible to this problem include silver maple, red maple, pin oak, catalpa, raspberries, peach, and birch trees. Many of these plants are favorites though, and are already planted or will be regardless of this challenge.