Monday, March 3, 2014

20 Mule Team Borax

We talk a lot about Boron as a trace element that is lacking in many soils and how to provide that deficient Boron to crops.  20 Mule Team Brand Borax, sold as a laundry and cleaning agent is one way.

"Borax is the common name for sodium tetraborate: a naturally occurring substance produced by the repeated evaporation of seasonal lakes.
 
20 Mule Team® Borax is 100% natural, and 99.5% pure (there is about a half of 1% of naturally occurring trace minerals). Once removed from the ground it is washed, dried, and boxed for consumers.
 
Borates, borax and boron compounds are with us throughout our lives. Families use it to soak and wash diapers and other laundry, but it’s also an ingredient in cosmetics, medicines, ceramics and building materials.
 
The biggest industrial user of borates is the glass industry (especially fiberglass and gorilla glass). It’s an important ingredient in agricultural chemicals and fire retardants.
 
In earlier times, borax was proclaimed to be a magical crystal that was used to aid digestion, keep milk sweet and even cure epilepsy. Common sense and modern technology have brought us better solutions to these and other problems, but 20 Mule Team Borax still has a place in your home.
 
20 Mule Team Borax comes from California where one of the world’s largest deposits was discovered in 1913.
 
Absolutely nothing is added. No phosphates, peroxide, chlorine, or other additive chemicals."  The box I bought at the Dollar Store(one of my few visits!) I saw 20 Mule Team Borax and bought a box.  LuAnn remembered what it was and used it on a volcanic soil stain on her white pants, and voila, it took it out!  The interesting part was our box said it was mined in Scottsdale, Arizona, where we spent most of January!

The soils in our region are deficient in Boron so I've been adding it to my fertilizer and spray program for 20 years.  It took the 20 Mule Team to get me there!

One friend said Boron has not paid for him.  I teased him by saying take some of the detergent and mix it with water and spray it on your various plants and crops and see if you get a response.

My tissue test from Midwest Labs has been very helpful in proving to me my crops need Boron and it does pay for me.

Ed Winkle

 
 

2 comments:

  1. Thanks Gorges, this is one of those old things that is not an "old wife's tale." I took that picture in Arizona where that mineral was found. Sodium borate I think they call it.

    Ed Winkle

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