anyone use epsom salts on their plants

Discussion in 'Planting, growing, nurturing Plants' started by dreuky, Jul 28, 2015.

  1. dreuky

    dreuky Junior Member

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    Been reading about using Epsom salts to help plants to grow. Supposed to cure yellow leaves on citrus which I have wondered if anyone has used it. My soil tests were low in mg and sulphur. Comments from the soil tester said use super for the sulphur and forget about the mg. Not things I want to do
     
  2. songbird

    songbird Senior Member

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    i don't know what you mean by "use super"...

    are you talking about moderating and adjusting the soil for only a few trees or for a larger area?
     
  3. dreuky

    dreuky Junior Member

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    Sorry had to laugh. Cultural difference any Aussie who has any connection to farming would know what I mean by saying use super. In Australia super is super phosphate the cure all for any broad acre situation. Causes a lot of problems not the least of which is acidification of the soil. I'm only planning on treating a couple of small trees
     
  4. songbird

    songbird Senior Member

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    that is what i thought you meant, but i like to be cerain. :) always glad to make someone laught/smile, even at my own expense... :)

    phosphates are so overapplied here that many areas have a lifetime supply in their own topsoil if they can get the soil community restored.

    for a few trees, if the soil test indicates a lack i'd say give it a trial, but to only add a little each time, shifting the soil chemistry for any tree can be a shock and if it is during the hot time of the year it might also not be the best. so take it easy. :) i'd also add some organic mulches and/or worm castings, but not too much as you don't want to smother the tree roots.
     
  5. dreuky

    dreuky Junior Member

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    Not laughing at you just at how parochial the world is & we don't even know it. The main reason I don't want to use super is I don't think "experts" suggest it because it is needed. I think they suggest it because to suggest it doesn't require thought it is just the standard answer to ever question. It does work but it throws so much out of wack for so long. Also as far as pasture goes the grass it grows is good for cows but not horses & as I admit my horse is my first love I am most concerned to grow healthy grass for the horse. But I am asking about epsom salts in relation to mainly citrus trees, but also the veggie garden.
     
  6. DaveD

    DaveD New Member

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    I used Epsom salts when I planted tomatoes this year. The plants are doing great and there's not even a sign of blossom end rot, as opposed to last year when I lost half the harvest to end rot!
     
  7. JoeMerc

    JoeMerc Junior Member

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    Just a quick response because of a shortage of time.

    A good quality gypsum such as the manutech brand will provide both calcium and sulphur with the added bonus of combating salinity
    Epsom salt for magnesium

    https://www.manutec.com.au/default....PRODUCTCAT&catid=9&catalogue=6&prodid=MBP2511

    Personally I would use these and a holistic approach ie put old lemons and leaves around the tree. Be generous with compost. Keep it well watered but allow water to drain. Like you I would not use the superphosphate.
     
  8. BelindaKate

    BelindaKate Junior Member

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    This bloke has some good vids- one of them covers the use of epsom salt:
    [video=youtube;DaCVoCnzav8]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DaCVoCnzav8[/video]
     
  9. dreuky

    dreuky Junior Member

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    Thanks for posting that youtube clip. It answered a lot of my questions. My soil has been tested and is deficient in mg and sulphur, also it is very deficient in organic matter. So I think while I am building up the organic matter it would probably be a good idea for me to use some epsom salts. I think I will know when to stop using espom salts because my soil just looks deficient. Basically it looks like nice sand that is gagging for some organic material. The place I have left where I had had a vegie garden for 40 years had great soil by the time I left. It started as hard baked clay that would have been great if you wanted to make mud bricks. I think building up sand soil will be easier because I won't have the hard physical labour of breaking up the hard clay
     
  10. Bryant RedHawk

    Bryant RedHawk Junior Member

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    I use Epsom salts on: just about everything that indicates a low mg level by leaf inspection. This year and next I will be adding more of it to my Mulberry trees and fig trees. I have also started using a product called Sea-90 from the SeaAgri.com company. With a content of over 90 minerals, I use it for livestock free choice minerals, around all our plantings and I even have it in our salt grinder on the dinner table. In the few months since I started using this stuff everything is noticeably healthier, even we are noticeably healthier.
     
  11. Pakanohida

    Pakanohida Junior Member

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    I use it when making soil for the medicinal plants I have to grow. However I use about 3/4 cup in over 350# of soil.
     
  12. Flatland

    Flatland Member

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    I ended up using a mixture of epsom salts and iron chelates as a leaf spray on my citrus. The new leaves that were really very yellow are now a nice dark healthy looking green. But the older leaves, that sort of curled up at their ends at the same time as the new leaves turned yellow , have not got back to a normal shape. They look a healthy colour and texture. I have been told by a very good gardener who has lived down here for many years the problem with plants in Milang is the soil is very sandy and so minerals are very easily leached out of the soil. One problem i will never have here is water logging!.
     

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