Epsom Salt or Vinegar to help Blooms
bradley787
15 years ago
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russ2009
15 years agolast modified: 9 years agoRelated Discussions
Anyone have experience with using epsom salt on succulents?
Comments (30)Magnesium issues can be a problem on some plants and a cause of chlorosis on unfertilized or underfertilized ones occasionally and hardly a myth, but certainly quite uncommon. You can look up the symptoms online, but as a general rule, any time plant leaves start to yellow, it's time to do some digging (so to speak!) So I keep a small bag around and have for the last decade, but I can absolutely state I've used about five ounces out of it in that decade, including the entire property of 12,000 square feet total. If you're using most versions of Miracle-Gro to fertilize, Mg shortages shouldn't be much of an issue, nor should any lack of green leaves. But still, underfertilization may occasionally rear its ugly head. As a general rule, low nitrogen, iron, or magnesium problems can all be a cause of yellowing leaves (among many others, but those tend to be the primary resource-related ones, in that order), so definitely go investigate if these are showing up on your plants. But never, never blindly toss Epsom salts or any other resource on plants just to cure a problem that isn't there. Magnesium can cause tightening of soils, even very loose and sandy ones, and that's the last thing you want in a succulent pot or any other soil. Too much magnesium also make it harder for the plant to absorb some other resources if amounts rise too high due to simple resource antagonism. I tend to follow the "feed weakly, weekly" method on most plants during their growing seasons because simply put, it works and maintains a constant regular flow of nutrients. If the plant doesn't want it, it has ways of letting you know. If it does want it, it also has ways of letting you know--usually by not growing and turning funny colors. I'd rather avoid that, thanks. But I also tend to avoid that on anything but N, P, and K and only allow maintenance levels of anything else to avoid some of the discussed problems above. So you can walk a fine line over the years even feeding regularly. That's why regular repotting is recommended--and why some of us do some organic feeding even in our pots....See MoreVinegar and epsom salts and osmocote ( Oh My)...!
Comments (18)Manderin 1, Most people do not check the Ph of their container soils..I do not, and my plants are fine. It is the Ph of the water that most concern themselves with. I have pasted a nice article for you to understand more from my quest to know more... It (water pH) affects the solubility of fertilizers; and generally speaking, the higher the water pH, the lower the degree of nutrient solubility. I would add vinegar.... GG..It should be about 1 tablespoon per gallon..Sorry.. I would not add any lime to your soil if the soil Ph is that high. As for the water PH, mine too is that high and that is why I use vinegar at every watering when using my hose or faucet water. iT is a life saver. I would add vinegar to the water and lower it, which would help your soil become more acidic..How did your soil have a Ph that high if you made it from scratch? It is always very low when it is made fresh, unless you bought it pre made...I mean fresh pine bark and peat. How much did you spend for your Ph meter? Are you sure that your soil has such a high PH? That is container right? You might like the article I linked here also...Enjoy.. Also, if you really would like to know the science behind Ph, how it works, and how soil works, I would suggest you visit the "container" forums..I am still learning from there, through very expwerienced growers, and from reading books, and sharing all I can and what I have learned, but I too am still learning and hopefully many here can add to these very informative discussions.. I'll bet that plant54 knows the workings of soil and water work and how peat, coconut,bark, and many other ingredients realate to Ph values, PWT, and gas excahnge in the soil in the root zone...I am dying to learn from many more here while I help to the best that I can.. I take NO credit for all the help I give you, but owe it all to the very helpful members on the container side..If it is outside my realm, I will always direct you to a good source..;-) Hope this helps... Mike..:-) Here is a link that might be useful: A wealth of understanding...See MoreEpsom Salts???
Comments (7)I asked one of the board veterans a similar question (further down the threads) and Teddahlia gave this answer below. You can read the previous questions by going to the thread regarding "Question for Ted(dahlia)". Epsom Salts has been call a "folk remedy" for gardeners for over a hundred years. One scientist at WSU believes that ES is effective only on plants that have a magnesium deficiency. My soil was tested and was deficient in Magnesium. In hanging pots, the use of liquid fertilizers can create excess salts and phosphorus in the planting mix and a decline in growth. Greenhouse plant growers use ES to "revive" the plants. I believe in this case the magnesium ties up the excess phosphorus and allows the plants to use nitrogen and iron to produce green leaves. It worked for my hanging pots last year. I had tried additional iron, additional nitrogen and the plants did not respond. When I used ES they turned green again and put on lots of new growth....See MoreEpsom Salts
Comments (2)Oops sorry bout that Mike. I meant to ask about the epsom salts. I do keep it watered during its dormancy...just enough to keep it hydrated but not enough to get any growth till spring. i am going to bring it up this week. I found the post that I needed about the epsom salts. I also have Stokes plumeria blend fertilizer. I am sure I will have good results. As far as the dwarf singapore pink I was trying to give it sufficient light under lights to get it to bloom year round but no luck. I am going to get the epsom salts but I wanted to know if there was a specific form for plants. Andrew...See Moreandser
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