• Do you need help identifying a 🌶?
    Is your plant suffering from an unknown issue? 🤧
    Then ask in Identification and Diagnosis.

Epsom Salts !

What are they used for exactly, and whats the best way to use them, like bottom feed or top feed or use it as a spray? Ideas? Thanks in advance.
 
Again, if you soil has adequate or high magnesium adding epsom salts is unnecessary and can throw the balance of calcium off. A soil test will show your levels. My quite sandy soil with a few years of organic matter added has super high P, high K, high Cal and high mag. It doesn't mean the soil is great but that some of the nutrients could be out of whack and that the soil has naturally high minerals especially phosphorous but not in a good way.
 
Again, if you soil has adequate or high magnesium adding epsom salts is unnecessary and can throw the balance of calcium off. A soil test will show your levels. My quite sandy soil with a few years of organic matter added has super high P, high K, high Cal and high mag. It doesn't mean the soil is great but that some of the nutrients could be out of whack and that the soil has naturally high minerals especially phosphorous but not in a good way.

I have no nutrients in my soil at the moment. So would it be okay to use on my plants if there about two inches tall?
 
I don't believe in Epsom Salts. I feel they're more of a perpetuated myth than an effective fertilizer regiment, but there are tons of growers who swear by them. Sulfur is never really lacking in soil, and Magnesium is something that is better added along with Calcium (at least for peppers and tomatoes). I recommend Cal-Mag instead. Two inches tall is a bit too early to use Epsom Salts or CalMag as it is anyway. Most who use the epsom salts will add them into the soil when they transplant to the outdoors or foliar feed once they start getting bigger. There is a reason that they call them micronutrients, they are only needed in incredibly small amounts. Peppers thirst for them more later in the season as the soil starts to get tapped out. I recommend trying out a cal-mag supplement instead, but that's just me and I'm sure I'll get grilled for saying it ;)
 
Being new to growing peppers, I am using comercially produced nutrients and fertilizers. They are already balanced and have the proper doseages already figured out. One less thing for me to goof up. I have had good luck so far with Botanicare products. When I compare thier price with heat mats, grow lights, potting soil, containers, and the like it is a small investment. It also gives me a base for future comparisons. Just my thoughts.
 
I don't believe in Epsom Salts. I feel they're more of a perpetuated myth than an effective fertilizer regiment, but there are tons of growers who swear by them. Sulfur is never really lacking in soil, and Magnesium is something that is better added along with Calcium (at least for peppers and tomatoes). I recommend Cal-Mag instead. Two inches tall is a bit too early to use Epsom Salts or CalMag as it is anyway. Most who use the epsom salts will add them into the soil when they transplant to the outdoors or foliar feed once they start getting bigger. There is a reason that they call them micronutrients, they are only needed in incredibly small amounts. Peppers thirst for them more later in the season as the soil starts to get tapped out. I recommend trying out a cal-mag supplement instead, but that's just me and I'm sure I'll get grilled for saying it ;)


Calcium, Mg, and Sulfur are actually all secondary macro nutrients. just to clear that up.... ;)

They use quite a bit of all three of those....
 
I agree about cal and mag together. When you take them as a supplement you should take them together or your digestion gets screwed up. It is the same in soil, if you add too much mag the cal will suffer. I used to use cal/mag tablets in the garden but had no idea on the recommended dose for a plant vs a person! Now I don't use any supplements but humus forms and fish emulsion that is only N.
 
Back
Top