From the Greek chele which means “claw.”
Chelates are materials that are capable or inclined to bond, at a molecular level, to another material.
In gardening, it most often refers to iron chelates, which bond molecularly to other elements and to water molecules. This allows them to be absorbed easier by plant roots.
The copyright of the article What are Chelates? in Desert Gardens is owned by Robert Dailey. Permission to republish What are Chelates? in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
