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lindasewandsew

Too Much Epsom Salt

lindasewandsew
13 years ago

I used epsom salt with MG on my succulents a couple of days ago and added about 1 tablespoon per gallon of water, OOPS! The next day I found the correct amount here, 1/8 tsp. per gallon, and flushed them out pretty well. They're in something very close to Al's mixes, so drain very well. The plants don't look any different than before they were salted yet. Will this kill them? Does the soil need replaced or flushed more?

I've been dumping out old soil and started building these totems using the free draining soils recently, so the plants were planted in the last month, and just a few days ago in the face pots. Thanks for any help. Linda

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Comments (15)

  • meyermike_1micha
    13 years ago

    Oh my God..BEAUTIFUL..How did you do that? And where did you get those cute pots? Superb...What a way to save space and beautify..

    They should be fine..

    Mike..:-)

  • tapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)
    13 years ago

    Hi, Linda. Epsom salts, even sugar, affects plants in the same way that table salt or any other solute affects a plant's ability to absorb water through cell walls. A tablespoon of Epsom salts would have exactly the same affect on water movement as a tablespoon of fertilizer, assuming they weighed the same. A tablespoon of Epsom salts alone probably isn't enough to do any damage, unless you used it in your fertilizer solution, or there was already a high level of solubles in the soil solution. Being forward-looking enough that you thought to flush the soil thoroughly was probably a good move. It's not likely that it would have killed the plants outright - more likely you would have seen some burned tips/margins.

    I wouldn't worry about any change in soil pH, and the immediate effects on soil solution pH would be temporal and diminished after the flushing. Because it's unlikely that the end pH of the solution you applied was lower than neutral (I'm assuming you're using a municipal water supply which usually comes in at a pH raise the pH of the soil solution. Even so, the pH issue is nothing to be concerned about. The primary reason we use Epsom salts with the gritty mix is because it has no practical influence on media or soil solution pH.

    Great job on the planters. Everything looks extremely happy. Strong work! ;o)

    Al

  • tapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)
    13 years ago

    Sorry, Linda - I made a typo. Municipal water supplies are usually >8.0 (greater than 8.0).

    Al

  • lindasewandsew
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    Thanks Greg, Mike and Al. The plants are still looking ok today. I use city water and watered well before the salt and fertilizer (Miracle Grow-1 tsp. per gallon). The plants in the face pots may not have roots yet because they were planted so recently. I'll flush again today and a few more times soon. It's great to have such experts to help right away. Linda

  • tapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)
    13 years ago

    It's better to do all your flushing at once, then revert to your regular fertilizer supplementation program, though I would probably skip the next 2 Epsom salts applications.

    Al

  • puglvr1
    13 years ago

    Hi Linda, I also love your Beautiful pots and plants! Its really cool! Best of luck with your Succulents but I think they will be just fine. You have some great guys here helping you!

  • amberroses
    13 years ago

    I love your pots!

  • Yonatin 7a
    7 years ago

    can too much epsom salt turn the entire leaf brownish green?

  • tapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)
    7 years ago
    last modified: 7 years ago

    Yes. It's a salt, so the more there is in the soil solution, the harder it is for the plant to take up water. If there's much too much, it literally pulls water from plant cells by exactly the same mechanism curing salts pull water from meat cells (bacon, ham, etc). You should never dose with Epsom salts unless you have a very good reason to believe the only thing wrong with your plants, nutritionally, is a magnesium deficiency. In nearly 100% of all cases for plants in containers, it would be better to simply flush the soil and fertilize with an appropriate fertilizer containing magnesium and all other essential nutrients. Overdosing with Epsom salts because it has the potential to make your plants greener is very poor practice, and FAR more likely to be limiting than helpful.

    Hi, Linda! If you're still active of the forums. It's been a while since your name's popped up. I hope you're faring well.

    Al

  • Yonatin 7a
    7 years ago

    So is it going to kill my plants? How do I fix it?

  • tapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)
    7 years ago

    Any damage already done isn't reversible because plants don't work that way and the damage tears plasma membranes from cell walls as cells collapse, but to prevent continued damage you should pour a volume of room temp water equal to about 10X the volume of the pot the plant is in slowly through the soil.

    Al


  • Yonatin 7a
    7 years ago

    The plants are in the ground, do I just soak the ground.

  • tapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)
    7 years ago

    Affirmative.


    Al

  • Platinum Queen7
    7 years ago

    Hi Lindasewandsew...

    where did u get ur face pots is like to get some...

    tks