The official "Epsom salts is not a miracle cure" thread

[stinkyattic]

Well, it's NOT!

Lots of people are trying to use Epsom salts to fix their undiagnosed plant problems, thinking they will make the leaves turn green and healthy again. This is not logical. Why?

-Problems caused by overfert (burns, lockout, increased sensitivity to heat, soil salting) will be exacerbated by YET ANOTHER ionic substance entering the mix.
-Problems caused by overwatering can't be fixed by changing what is in the water.
-Problems caused by pH imbalance are not solved by the addition of another chemical, especially one that can interact with what is already there and make soil chemistry even less stable.
-Problems caused by insufficient Calcium in the water are not solved by adding a Magnesium compound. You have to add CALCIUM.

DIAGNOSE YOUR PROBLEM BEFORE THROWING 'SOLUTIONS' AT IT!!!!!
(no pun intended)

When is it okay to use epsom salt?
-When you have diagnosed your plant as being Magnesium deficient or locked out. The leaves appear evenly striped, with a pale streak running cleanly down the center of each interveinal region on the fan leaf.
-When you are already correcting the CAUSE of the initial deficiency or lockout. This means identifying and fixing all soil, water, fertilizer, and envrironmental problems and actively addressing them.

How should you apply Epsom salt?
-Using a Magnesium compound as a foliar spray is less risky than adding it to your fert solution (unless you have calculated what you need or are using CalMag Plus). Fill a spray bottle with lukewarm tap water. Add one drop of dish soap and 1/4-1/2 teaspoon of Epsom salts. Allow to dissolve. Mist lightly, not to runoff or beading, onto affected leaves just when the lights come on. Repeat daily until pale stripes disappear.

stinkyattic Reviewed by stinkyattic on 10-29-2008. The official "Epsom salts is not a miracle cure" thread Well, it's NOT! Lots of people are trying to use Epsom salts to fix their undiagnosed plant problems, thinking they will make the leaves turn green and healthy again. This is not logical. Why? -Problems caused by overfert (burns, lockout, increased sensitivity to heat, soil salting) will be exacerbated by YET ANOTHER ionic substance entering the mix. -Problems caused by overwatering can't be fixed by changing what is in the water. -Problems caused by pH imbalance are not solved by the Rating: 5

[the image reaper]

I soak my feet in it sometimes :jointsmile:

[Weedhound]

I soak my feet in it sometimes :jointsmile:

THAT mental picture is frightening enough.....thank you.

I am SO glad Cdot isn't one of those grow sections that not only does not advocate the good old fashioned "piss on your plants" style of gardening but Stinky actually knows and infoms WHY these types of things are not a good idea.

Whether folks LISTEN........well that's another story.

I personally want whats BEST for my plants. So the do at home, cheapest on the market nutes and lighting are simply not how I want to play. This post is an excellent example of why.

[FlyGuyOU]

When is it okay to use epsom salt?
-When you have diagnosed your plant as being Magnesium deficient or locked out. The leaves appear evenly striped, with a pale streak running cleanly down the center of each interveinal region on the fan leaf.

Ok this is EXACTLY what im seeing in one of my plants, she is 32days into flowering, I just thought it was a genetic thing. Should I add salt? None of the other 5plants are showing these same issues, and they all share the same water, should i let the one go for the health of the group? would adding salt possibly screw up the other plants?

[stinkyattic]

Read the post I took all that time to write out... IF you have identified Mg def accurately, SPRAY it onto the AFFECTED LEAVES. That's why I posted this thread in the first place... I found myself repeating the same instructions over and over and over.

But make your diagnosis 100% sure first. Post a thread with pics in problems and I will look at it. BTW, Epsom salt is not the same as table salt.

[Rusty Trichome]

I'm a little curious about using Botanicare Sweet. I'm all for carbs, but why is there epsom salt in the formula, and can it build-up to toxic levels? Is it simply a ph adjuster? Are there epsom salts in all of the carbo loads?

Using Fox Farms, I'm aware of the problems that salt build-up presents. I flush often enough for me not to worry, (monthly) but what about others out there...should they be concerned?

How about the interaction between Sweet and molasses? Does one synergetically improve or (on the other extreme) make toxic, the other?

Also...any clues why it's listed as epsom salt, and not magnesium sulphate? I have always thought that the epsom salts were for household use, and that magnesium sulphate was 'different' and intended for agriculture. Evidentally not, huh?

[stinkyattic]

Startign with the easiest question, it's for the same reason that table salt is sold as 'table salt' and not 'sodium chloride', and that lye is not sold as 'sodium hydroxide'. It's just easier to remember and shorter, and has been called that for a long time. Look at other simple substances like lime, borax, flowers of sulfur, etc... just a name.

Sweet, I didn't know there was MgSO4 in it. I doubt it is at worrisome levels though. You flush anyway so even less worry. Obviously too much of any fert solution is potentially dangerous so go by the bottle dosage.

I have run sweet and molasses together just fine; you just use a lot less of each. I'd cut the dosage of BOTH. However I prefer to combine topmax and molasses to take advantage of the fact that topmax is a high concentration of carb synthesizers, without a lot of sugar filler.

[Rusty Trichome]

Cool, thanks. Handy info. :thumbsup:

I wonder if the addition of epsom salts is to aid with carb uptake, or if it's just a ph adjuster...or something totally benign? Would love to find out that watering with a dash MgSO4 and a little glop of molasses, does the same thing as Sweet itself. Doubtful it could be that easy, tho.

edit: I hope this doesn't go against the grain, what with this being a post disuading arbritary use of MgSO4. (truly not my intent)

[stinkyattic]

You buy Sweet for the carb synthesizer ingredients. I'm not sure if it is an enzyme or a hormone or WHAT, but that's the secret to successful carbo loading.

[polishpollack]

You buy Sweet for alot of things.
Advanced Growing . COM :: Nutrients :: Botanicare Sweet