Re: Epsons Salts
- To: pumpkins@mallorn.com
- Subject: Re: Epsons Salts
- From: P*@aol.com
- Date: Sun, 11 Apr 1999 09:32:26 EDT
In a message dated 4/9/99 6:39:18 AM Eastern Daylight Time,
sdeans@pcug.org.au writes:
<< Subj: Epsons Salts
Date: 4/9/99 6:39:18 AM Eastern Daylight Time
From: sdeans@pcug.org.au (Stewart Deans)
Sender: owner-pumpkins@mallorn.com
Reply-to: pumpkins@mallorn.com
To: pumpkins@mallorn.com
Can anyone advise what the benefits are of adding Epson's Salts to the soil?
I would have thought Mg is only needed in small amounts.
Stewart
Canberra Aust
the nation's capital
sdea >>
Stew,
There are two ways to get Magnesium into a plant....long term and a short
term, quick fix. Long term, if your pH is below 7. Add Dolomitic limestone.
It is a combination of Calcite and dolomite, that is making up the limestone.
Dolomite has magnesium in it. The analysis on the back of the bag should say
if it contains magnesium. Plant nutritionists will tell you to keep calcium
and magnesium in balance. In container growing or hydroponics, you must keep
track of all the essential elements and the proper amount of each is
critical. With field growing in regular soil, some can tend to overquantify
and fine tune their micronutrients. I'm not saying that it isn't important to
adjust your soil, but growth responses in plants grown in field soils would
normally not change if you had medium levels of magnesium or high levels.
Where you get into trouble with micronutrients is if you have an element that
is below the optimum range. At that point, you have your magnesium or lack of
it , acting as a limiting factor on your plant growth. If you have a soil
test and the magnesium is very low, by all means, add the dolomitic
limestone. If your pH is approaching 7 and you can't add more limestone, add
Epsom salts. Epsom salts is Magnesium sulfate and is water soluble. If you
had a tissue analysis on a growing plant and needed a quick fix, use the
Epsom Salts at one tablespoon per gallon, just like water soluble plant food.
Put it on the leaves and the roots. There is no reason why you can't use
Epsom salts to make a major correction to the soil if your pH is already
high. I would talk to the soil lab and ask them how much to add per 1,000
square. Even though it is water soluble, the magnesium will attach itself to
the clay particles and organic matter.
pumkinguy
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