Epsom Salts lockout

ukdave

Well-Known Member
Can the addition of Epsom Salts for its Magnesium cause other deficiencies? I just read somewhere there should be a magnesium calcium ration of 10 to 1 so not sure if I've altered the balance. I think its addition to my soil has negatively impacted the plant, not badly but the leaves don't look 100% like they did beforehand, looks like mild interveinal chlorosis.
 

Rurumo

Well-Known Member
I've seen that 10 to 1 ratio before, but that just isn't enough magnesium in my experience. The two part complete nutrients are usually more like 2:1 cal/mag and they work like a charm.
 

PadawanWarrior

Well-Known Member
Can the addition of Epsom Salts for its Magnesium cause other deficiencies? I just read somewhere there should be a magnesium calcium ration of 10 to 1 so not sure if I've altered the balance. I think its addition to my soil has negatively impacted the plant, not badly but the leaves don't look 100% like they did beforehand, looks like mild interveinal chlorosis.
Any pics?
 

Forage

Well-Known Member
I've been running 120ppm calcium (from nutes and a touch of calmag) and 60ppm magnesium (almost none from nutes, lots of epsom salt) for the last few months and no deficiencies so far.

This is in veg. I'm running the same numbers in bloom but my bloom formula is a mix of bottle nutes and organics. The organics don't list cal or mag on the label so I should say I'm running a minumum of 120 and 60.

I don't maintain a ratio with the other nutrients. The 120 and 60 are steady even as the NPK go up and down with different strains and growing conditions.

This is in coco, if that matters.
 

ukdave

Well-Known Member
Thanks everyone, I trimmed away the affected leaves and the plant seems to be returning to normal, I've just added some Gypsum (Calcium Sulphate) to redress the magnesium/calcium balance, I'm convinced it was caused by adding the Epsom salts without taking into account the drop in calcium uptake. I guess that's why CalMag is supplied as a two in one treatment.
 
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