Laura, I mix it in with my fertilizer and have had no problems. I have used ES for extra Mg for many years on fruits and roses.. Make sure to flush your pots out so you don't gets any salt buildup.

Thanks Jinny! I will do that then. I just wanted to make sure it was ok.

Jinny, how often do you feed your trees the ES?

Laura, I feed my trees twice a week at full strength since my trees are in the gritty mix and drain well, and I add a tbsp epsom salts to my mix. I flush out my pots once a week..

So Jinny, let me make sure I got this right...you give them FP and ES twice a week. How much for each? Mine are in the 5-1-1, so I give them 1 tbsp FP and lately I have been mixing that with FE and, of course, vinegar. If I were to add the ES, should I add less?

That is good to know John. My Meyers seem the most affected. I did give them 1 tbsp/gallon today (no FP) a bit ago. Should I follow up in a couple of weeks only on the trees that show the deficiency?

Let me make myself a bit clearer.. I add the extra ES only when my trees are showing signs of a Mg deficiency. I will add it twice a week, along with my usual fertilizer for at least a month.. I flush my pots well..

Thank you John for the information about mg..

Oh...that makes sense Jinny. I will do that until the trees are recovered. Thanks guys!

I have never had to add Epsom Salts when using Foliage Pro Laura..Are you sure that that is what it is? I am afraid to add more Mg when Foliage Pro already has plenty of it...You also added Dolomite Lime to your mix which provides Mg...I would be afraid to off set the balance of my trees...I have killed a many in the past using Epsom Salts even when not using Foliage Pro...

Have you made sure all things are lined up so that your trees are happy?

Please, let us know if the Epsom Salts work if they do..I would love to know)

Mike

I will Mike. From what I have heard (from Silica's description of Mg deficiency), it looks exactly like that and it is occurring in the older leaves. I wonder if I have not added enough lime to my 5-1-1....that could explain it. I will watch them and see what happens. Mike...if you want a fragrant and large flower, get a baboon lemon - see my post about it. I thought of you bc you love the flowers and scent...right up your alley.

Silica and Mike make some good points. I had a Mg deficient tree I bought off Craigslist. I gave it Epsom salts, meant to repeat the treatment but forgot. That one treatment was all it needed. But I guess the FP and the lime in the 511 must have helped.

Thank you guys...it's pathetic how much I think about these trees. I just came inside from giving a few trees some extra lime...in my nightgown! My neighbors (if they saw me) will think I'm nuts. There is one Meyer in particular that has some badly affected leaves. I've been thinking of what Mike said...I think that was one of the first trees I put in the 5-1-1 and I did not add lime. Later on, I did add some (a couple of weeks later perhaps), but I just scratched some into the surface. It probably did not get as much as my others with the proper 5-1-1. There is another Meyer that is not as bad as that one, but I gave lime to that one also. I also scratched in a little Oscomote plus for good measure even though it is late in the season. All of my Meyers (and most of my trees actually) started to actively grow again. I want them to have what they need to grow what they will before it gets cold and they have to come inside. I will let you guys know, but I kid you not, this evening, the leaves on the most affected one already appeared a little better.

Oh, Laura, you have the citrus bug bad. Is there any cure?

I don't know Vladimir!! Hey, you are not one to talk...you beat me with the greenhouse ;-). I just worry about them! They are my other, non-talking, children.

Lime has nothing to do with it. There is no magnesium in lime. Lime can be either the chemical calcium oxide (CaO) or calcium hydroxide Ca(0H2), neither of which contains magnesium. If originally when making your 5-1-1 medium you actually added a chemical called dolomite (CaMg(CO3)2.) then yes, there is some magnesium in that product. In a 5-1-1 medium there should be no need to apply Epsom salts more than 2 - 3 times a year, or unless the tree shows a deficiency. It is never a good practice to apply more of any chemical then is sufficient (required) by the plant. Applying Epsom salts with FP should not be a problem. - Silica

If you're going to do it, start with 1/4 - 1/2 Teaspoon per gallon of water. Less is more, in my opinion. Silica is right on in this.

Josh

I am glad to hear you all are as crazy about your trees as I am. Before meeting you guys I thought I was one of a kind. : )

Cory

Thanks Silica, Josh, and Cory! Silica is right about the lime. I looked at my bag and it says it is derived from dolomite lime...here is a pic of the back and front. According to the analysis, it should be 10% Mg.. Josh, I applied what Silica said (1 tbsp/gal warm water) and my trees are fine, in fact, the one with the deficiency I think already looks a little more green. The green in the middle of the leaves appears to have spread out a little toward the edges overnight. I will water thoroughly today and may give it another application of ES. This one has some pretty bad leaves. Those of you who do not add lime (dolomitic) to the 5-1-1, learn from my mistake.

Great advice. That's the lime I was talking about. Shoujd if made that clearer. To me Dolomite Line as a lot to do with it for my trees. Please keep us updated Laura. I'm curious to see how much you use and how often. Thanks

Thanks Mike. It was your comment about the lime that reminded me that I had not initially added it to that tree when I repotted it. I think that was my first 5-1-1 mix. If you had not mentioned it, I would not have made the connection!

Laura, the your trees should do ok if you add a little..Just don't over do it...You don't want more Mg than it can handle since too much will cancel out other nutrient like Ca...My trees use to react quite rapidly to E.S and then weeks later go right down the tube...It was from adding too much and using a fertilizer that had no Ca at all...That is why I love Foliage Pro because it has both!

You could be missing Mg and 'other' nutrients because your mix may be too acidic...I would still mix in a bit of lime..

By the way, guess what tree I'm getting next week?? Lol

Post a pic when you get it Mike!! Lol

Nitrogen, potassium, and magnesium are the elements most readily leached from a container growth medium. Therefore, they are the most difficult to manage and require the greatest attention or monitoring. The ideal quantity of any one nutrient element is not an exact specific level, but rather a range. The reason that leaves turn yellow when magnesium is deficient, is because magnesium is the central element in the chlorophyll molecule. - Silica