Using Espom Salt?

[Maura]

When and why should I use espom salts in my waterings? How much and how frequent? My friend who has a nice orchid collection told me he has been trying it and I was wondering if I should integrate it into my routine.

[John D.]

Epsom salts is Magnesium sulfate and is used at a rate of 1/4 to 1 teaspoon per gallon of water to provide suplemental Mg (once a month or a couple times a year).
If your tapwater has some dissolved Calcium and Magnesium carbonates you probably are supplying enough, or if you are using a Cal-Mag type fert.
Some folks using RO water or rain water add a little (1/8 teaspoon) of Calcium Nitrate and Magnesium Sulfate on alternate waterings. Don't mix the two together in high concentration, the Ca ions will combine with the sulfate to form gypsum which will precipitate out.

[Tom-19951]

For me, One table spoon per gallon for root feeding or two table spoons per gallon for foliage feeding. I do foliage feeding every two or three weeks. Instead of foliage feeding, you can do root feeding once a month. Foliage feeding works better and easier for me.
PS, don't mix espsom salt with your fertilizer because they could have some chemical reaction when they are mixed together. Do the espsom salt feeding and fertilizing separately--one week for this one and next week for the other...

Plants need magnesium to grow strong and healthy, especially if you grow them under artificial light. Espsome salt can provide that very efficiently...

[orchidlady]

I use 1 tsp per gallon about once a month (not with fertilizer), and in fact watered some plants today with it.

Susan

[orchid-man]

I too use Epsom salts at the rate of 1 dessert spoon to 7 dessert spoons of Thrive.This mixture gets used 2 - 3 times per week during the growing season as an all over fertilizer(yes, foliar and root as its the main fert program. The reason for using this amount of Epsom salts this often is based on what a tomato told me.- Tomato are grown for fruit?,to get fruit? one must have flowers,Epsom salts also promotes flowers but also root growth.Also for plants to take up potassium they need magnesium to be equal to the potassium. This is the first year that I have really paid attention to the magnesium and have found that i have the best growth that I have ever had. As a side note , - if too much Epsom salts is applied then plants will flower younger than they should from flask.

[dawa sherpa]

It have been so may years I'm interested in orchids, actually I have been growing them because here in Nepal we have at least 500 wild orchid varities. I grow both domestic wild, never have enough time to get involve deeper into orchid growing but it seem I can't stop my self faling in love with orchids.
Dawa:-)

[Brutal_Dreamer]

It have been so may years I'm interested in orchids, actually I have been growing them because here in Nepal we have at least 500 wild orchid varities. I grow both domestic wild, never have enough time to get involve deeper into orchid growing but it seem I can't stop my self faling in love with orchids.
Dawa:-)

Welcome Dawa.
Cheers,
BD

[espranch]

Welcome, Dawa. I look forward to you telling us about the native orchids of Nepal. Can you possibly take pictures of some of them? That would be wonderful...Thanks, and again WELCOME! Betty in Texas U.S.A.