The Rusty Nail Secret: A Forgotten Village Wisdom for Fruitful Trees

The Rusty Nail Secret: A Forgotten Village Wisdom for Fruitful Trees
If you walk through an old orchard in a rural village, you might notice something peculiar: large, rusty iron nails driven deep into the trunks of the oldest fruit trees. To a modern observer, this looks like an act of vandalism or a strange superstition. However, as the saying goes, “It turns out why people in villages used to drive rusty nails into fruit trees; ever since I found out, I’ve been doing it too!”
What seems like a myth is actually a fascinating blend of traditional folklore and basic chemistry that has helped generations of farmers save their harvests.

The Problem: Iron Deficiency (Chlorosis)
Fruit trees, especially citrus, apple, and pear trees, are highly susceptible to iron deficiency. When a tree cannot absorb enough iron from the soil, it suffers from a condition called chlorosis. You can spot this easily: the leaves turn a pale, sickly yellow while the veins remain dark green. Without enough iron, the tree cannot produce chlorophyll, its growth stunts, and most importantly, it stops producing fruit.