Epsom salt

Ste

Epsom salt

Post by Ste »

I bought 5 x 1kg packs of Epsom salt last year. Never got round to using any as I put it in the garage and forgot about it. As far as I'm aware it has iron, magnesium or something like that in it and should help with yellowing. How and when should this be used? i.e should it be used in summer and not winter? Should the salt be mixed with water and watered in or just sprinkled around the palm? How much should be used, spoon full, hand full........ ?
sanatic1234

Re: Epsom salt

Post by sanatic1234 »

Good topic ste, i would like to know this. :wink:
kata

Re: Epsom salt

Post by kata »

You won't believe me but,

I was looking at some fronds on my Cycas and then I remembered Epsom salts in the cupboard.

Now I hope some kind person answers this overnight.

Thanks Ste for asking the question.
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billdango

Re: Epsom salt

Post by billdango »

I tried this on a T Fortuni that keeps getting yellow leaves but so far it has had no effect.

The palm next to it always has nice green leaves with no sign of yellowing?

I find this very strange.

rgds billdango icon_scratch icon_scratch icon_scratch icon_scratch
Darlo Mark

Re: Epsom salt

Post by Darlo Mark »

Epsom salts= Magnesium Sulphate

This is soluble so can applied any time but I would have thought spring would be a better time as most of it will leach out.It helps with Magnesium deficency in soils, which can lead to yellowing of leaves.
Andy P

Re: Epsom salt

Post by Andy P »

I grew some Tomato plants a few years ago which had very yellowing leaves. Read somewhere to use Epsum salts. Mixed a large tablespoon of it into each watering can as i watered but it didn`t seem to do a great deal. Bought it from a local chemists as it`s quite often used as a laxative. That`s all i know about it sorry Ste. I`m sure some others on here will know a lot more.
Ste

Re: Epsom salt

Post by Ste »

I've defiantly read online before that Epsom salts are good for plants. Hopefully someone with more knowledge than me will comment on this as I'm curious, that's why I bought 5 packs last year
Conifers
Posts: 13147
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Re: Epsom salt

Post by Conifers »

It'll work wonders on soils that are deficient in magnesium, but whether that includes your soil or not, no idea. Try getting a soil test done (sorry, no idea how or where you'd get one, nor how much it'd cost!!).
Ste

Re: Epsom salt

Post by Ste »

All my palms are in pots which are all filled with MP compost........... Surely it won't do any harm watering some in
Andy P

Re: Epsom salt

Post by Andy P »

I`ve found that quite often the reason plants get yellow leaves is down to either overwatering or underwatering and nothing to do with a magnesium deficiency. Sometimes i see yellowing leaves and immediately think of using Epsom salts but am probably missing the real reason for their malaise. Like you say though Ste, i don`t think mixing a bit in with the water when watering them will do any harm. i`d be inclined to only do this when they`re actively growing though - as with any fert.
Trudytropics

Re: Epsom salt

Post by Trudytropics »

One of my trachys has a yellow tinge, did the epsom salt treatment about 6 weeks ago, couple of handfuls mixed with 10litres of water, watered it in expecting miracles, guess what still waiting for a miracle. My Trachycarpus still looks the same, I will repeat in the spring time. I don't think you'll do much harm, epsom salts have been used by generations of gardeners, loads of info on the inter web :D
GoggleboxUK

Re: Epsom salt

Post by GoggleboxUK »

Maybe they're not liking the position they are in now that the sun is lower in the sky and aren't photosynthesising as much.

Possibly they are building new roots after being repotted rather than upkeeping a healthy crown.

Either way, wrong time of year to do much about it with any confidence of getting to the bottom of the cause.
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karl66
Posts: 2646
Joined: Mon Jul 11, 2011 6:39 pm
Location: halesowen. west midlands

Re: Epsom salt

Post by karl66 »

Ste, a small dose of Sequestrene iron in 5litres of water or you can buy a bottle of sequestrene iron with seaweed. It works well on anything that is lime hateing. Nigel gave me this advise & it has bought some colour back to my butia erispathia. In my experience ste you are always going to be up against it keeping trachys in pots unless they are smallish. karl.
Vagetarian

Re: Epsom salt

Post by Vagetarian »

If you want to give Mg in the form of Epsom salts, the best way (with normal plants) is to foliar feed a lower dosage, quicker results and less chance of over doing it.

Why is it though that yellowing leaves must mean magnesium deficiency when it could be just about any nutrient deficiency? They pretty much all cause some kind of yellowing so you have to be rather a bit more specific with exactly how (and where) the yellowing is happening.

Mg is a mobile nutrient and the plant will strip it from the older leaves to supply to the new leaves. Therefore Mg deficiency will manifest itself on the oldest leaves first. Also, Mg deficiency does not cause a uniform yellowing of the leaves (that would be N) but starts off as marginal chlorosis (yellowing of the leaf edges) and possibly progresses into necrosis.

Of course, this all varies with species.
kata

Re: Epsom salt

Post by kata »

With my Revoluta its the whole frond except the petiole,

Bookmarked this page for next spring.

Found this:

http://www.rhapisgardens.com/sagos/

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