Epsom Salt + Orchids

[JudyC]

Excuse me if this has been discussed prior, but is this quality advice or snake oil when applying to orchids? I read this a few days ago online.

I've used epsom salt with some of my vegies in my outside garden before.

[jayfar]

Epsom salt is magnesium sulfate and supplies magnesium, which isn't found in most fertilizers. About a teaspoon in a gallon of water maybe once a month should be sufficient. I generally just add a little to my diluted fertilizer weekly.

Magnesium Basics

[gnathaniel]

Quality advice, as far as I know. Epsom Salt is Magnesium Sulfate, and Magnesium is a macronutrient (though generally considered less important than N, P, and K) for plants. There's a really interesting discussion on another forum right now about restricting K and boosting Mg and Ca levels for orchids.

[Bolero]

It's great for greening up the leaves, I use it regularly.

Although my fertiliser already has added Magnesium so I am not sure if I really need to add Epsom Salts as well.

[JudyC]

Thank you all I'll have to go read my orchid fertilizer before venturing that route.

Learn something new everyday!

[vanda_obsession]

Wasn't it epsom salts the kind where stores were ordered to pull it from the shelves and was banned because of drug use? Or am I thinking of a different one?

[jayfar]

Originally Posted by vanda_obsession

Wasn't it epsom salts the kind where stores were ordered to pull it from the shelves and was banned because of drug use? Or am I thinking of a different one?

Different stuff. The hallucinogenics were labeled as some kind of bath salts.

[JudyC]

Originally Posted by jayfar

Different stuff. The hallucinogenics were labeled as some kind of bath salts.

Guess I'm out of the loop - never heard or know what that was about - thankful for it I guess

[Filb]

I tried googling the bath salts thing but am still confused.. Lol, maybe it's best I don't know.

It's good you brought this up Judy, I've been meaning to add epsom salts to my fertilizing regime but forgot.

[Ray]

Jayfar is right that most fertilizers don't have much or any magnesium, but he forgot that most water supplies do (along with calcium and iron, all as carbonates, which are primarily responsible for "hardness"). Magnesium is an essential part of the chlorophyll molecule, and like sulfur, is used elsewhere in the plants' anatomy. Adding Epsom Salts as a periodic shot to your fertilizing regimen is likely beneficial, and certainly cannot hurt anything.

I did a quick calculation based upon the amount in the original MSU RO fertilizer - the first to introduce Ca and Mg as "macros", since RO water has nothing in it - and if used on a routine basis, it provides about as much Mg as using Epsom Salts at one teaspoon per gallon of fertilizer, once a month.

I have used it as high as 2 tablespoons per gallon with no issues.

[Ron]

Hi here is an interesting link to professional cymbidium growers comments on useing Epsom Salts on his Orchids
Epsom Salts

[sunshine]

Originally Posted by vanda_obsession

Wasn't it epsom salts the kind where stores were ordered to pull it from the shelves and was banned because of drug use? Or am I thinking of a different one?

You are thinking of bath salts. We are having a huge issue with this drug up here in my area where I live.

1tsp Epsom salt per 1 gal.fertilizer. Am gonna have to try this the net time I fertilize.

[Johnny B]

I am going to give the epsom salt a try on a couple of plants I have that need water every 2-3 days. They have leaves that are a bit dark, maybe this will help them photosynthesize a bit better. I will let my fellow geeks know if I see a difference.