What are Epsom salts?
It is crystallised magnesium sulphate. It is a naturally occurring mineral that is used by all living things.
Chemical name: Magnesium Sulphate Heptahydrate ( or Hydrated).
Chemical Formula: MgSO4 + 7H2O , (Hydrated Magnesium Sulphate).
Mineral Name: Epsomite (MgSO4 + 7H2O).
Similar minerals: Kieserite (MgSO4 + H2O, Hydrated Magnesium Sulphate)
Hexahydrite (MgSO4 + 6H2O).
Magnesium Sulphate is found in 95% mineral waters! Up to 2% of ocean sea salt is Magnesium Sulphate.
Human body needs Magnesium Sulphate!
This simple mineral is often in short supply in modern grown foods and people are often deficient in it. Raising the levels of it often help to reduce severe acute asthma attacks, its used to manage seizures associated with toxemia of pregnancy. It is helpful with all sorts of muscle contraction problems, also several dysrhythmias problems. Has been used for hundreds of years as a liver cleanser and as a purgative.
When used external such as in a bath, magnesium sulphate is absorbed through the skin, it draws toxins from the body, sedates the nervous system, reduces swelling, relaxes muscles.
As a foot soak: Soothe aches, remove odours, and soften rough skin with a foot soak. Add 1/2 cup of Epsom Salt to a large pan of warm water. Soak sprains and bruises: Epsom Salt will reduce the swelling of sprains and bruises. Add 2 cups Epsom Salt to a warm bath, and soak. Or locally use a warm epsom salt-soaked compress to reduce swelling from scrapes, use a cold compress to take the sting out of insect bites.
Epsom salts are named for the mineral rich waters of Epsom, England, where they were known at least as far back as Shakespeare's day. The salts were originally produced by evaporating the spring water where the mineral occurred.
For plants epsom salts can supply two essential chemicals that they need, ie Magnesium and Sulphur in a soluble form absorbable through both the leaves and roots. At the dilution plants need it, it is also friendly to the soil/compost micro flora and stimulates the micro herd.
Overdone like anything it will cause harm to the soil and its fauna. Like everything its about balance. If the plant does not need it don't give it.
With a large plant outdoors in cultivated soil with a good balance of nutrients will never show/have an Mg deficiency. The reason is that its root system is unlimited, a large plant will have a feeder root mass occupying 1 to 2 thousand litres of top soil. The Cannabis plants use of Mg increases as it matures and will be at its peak at around the third week of flowering on 12/12. A plentiful supply at this time is critical to facilitate the transformation into full flowering mode. Because indoor plants grown in containers have a restricted root mass, this is the time where you are most likely to see a problem. It needs dealing with at this early stage.
With cannabis Mg deficiency shows on the lower sunleaves first, the green between the veins becoming a little lighter green as the very early symptom. Seeing it at this stage means the plants are telling you I need magnesium now! In the picture below on the left shows lower leaves of a plant that is starving and short of all three of the main elements ie nitrogen phosphorus and potash but not Magnesium, on the right show lower leaves short on Magnesium only.
Reduced 72%
560 x 539 (58.65K)
Dosage for misting:
1 level teaspoon to a heaped teaspoon per litre of water.
Dosage for watering:
1 level desert to a heaped tablespoon per 5 litres of water.
Dissolve the epsom salts in some hot water first to make sure it has all dissolved properly.
Applications:
1. As a foliar misting just before lights out. Repeat this every three days until you see an improvement.
2. Use when watering/feeding in compost: Once in the vegetative stage, & twice when in flower (day 10 & day 35).
