why don't you do a soil test for kicks first.. and find out if magnesium is actually lacking ... before you go fiddlin with ma nature ....

ken

I thought it was considered a beneficial additive - like alfalfa - as opposed to a soil deficiency that you try to correct w/ the epsom.

it works great on tomatoes but I have not tried it on anything else.

I've done both sprinkle and pour. The sprinkle is general and I've used it around Roses and floweres. It may be wishful thinking but I think it helped the pansies not be so eaten by slugs? other bugs?. I decided (again maybe wishful thinking) it went up into the plant and made it tast bad. Last year I diluted it and watered the dark green ones to help with the color. I think it worked, they were beautiful anyway! Mct

or call the local soil conservation dist .. and ask if there is anything in your area that would make this generally good or bad ....

arent you on very shallow soil with lots of bedrock below ???? or am i more confused today, than normal .... though that sure doesnt sound like indy .. lol ....

wait... why couldnt you bury irrigation pipes????

on may sand.. i could probably pour bucket fulls of undiluted stuff.. and it would be gone in minutes .... if you add to much to soil that cant move the stuff ... then you might have problems ...

old wives tales dont work for everyone .. everywhere ...

if you just have to do it .... practice on some duplicate lancifolia or undulata .... and no matter what you do.. they will be bigger next year ... from the extra salt.. from the extra water... who knows .. may be a waste of money ....

ken

I would stick with mixing it with water and using it as a foliar application. You just want to give the plants a little magnesium boost, especially if you are seeing yellowing of the leaves between the veins, but you don't want to sour the soil by increasing the magnesium content too much. I don't really know how much it would take, but in moderation it shouldn't really hurt anything.

Or, it is a waste of money and time.

Go to the soil and compost forum and study!

Soil test are a waste of time because you CAN NOT change your basic soil in any real way. See soil organismÂs explanation below about root zone.

Nothing is worse than getting any, NEEDED, mineral out of balance in the soil.

If you want the plants to be pest and disease resistant and grow well add mixed organic matter to the surface of the soil. The soil organisms will break down this organic matter and make it available to the roots in forms the plant can use. The soil organisms will create little zones around roots that have the proper ph and nutrient balance. This is explained by what soil scientist call "selection" the plants select the organisms they need or the soil organisms select the plant roots they need. Now the magic they evolve to a symbiotic relationship that serves both, a small amount of our manipulation interferes with this symbiotic relationship.

Organic mulch is magic, it will loosen heavy soil and bind up sand, natural systems are always creating balance. The confusion about manipulating soil comes from two different systems, both rather unnatural, pot culture and vegetable gardening. Perennial gardening is more like creating a forest or meadow.

Mulch and get the hell out of the way, God knows how and will do it.

ken, when did I say I couldn't bury irrigation pipe? lol Did we have a conversation I don't remember?

My soil sucked when I first moved in b/c the people before us put in a swimming pool and so they took good topsoil and left a lot of gravel...etc etc blah blah blah.

when I first got here the soil was so baked (july) I literally couldn't dig. Since then (5th year coming), the soil has changed dramatically. It now is really great, loaded w/ earthworms, etc.

My method...?

1) Feed every animal in sight and encourage them to poop liberally in my yard. LOL

2) When the leaves fall...I leave them. If they are on the lawn, I mow them.

3) Mulch

4) Nothing else. *shrug*

I have always been a "mulch and get the hell out of the way" gardener (never fertilize and am chemical-free) but thought perhaps I would actually DO something this year and try alfalfa and/or epsom salts.

Guess not. LOL

I have always been a "mulch and get the hell out of the way" gardener (never fertilize and am chemical-free) but thought perhaps I would actually DO something this year and try alfalfa and/or epsom salts."
Ademink

Alfalfa is quite different; it is organic and reported to have a growth-enhancing compound. Placed on the surface like mulch it will go through the process. I don't think the advantage is worth the cost but I can't find a reason why not use it.

An example of problems; potassium from chemical fertilizer will cause problems with fungi that go get potassium from the soil and bring it back to the roots in a form the roots can use. Search Dr Sara Wright's work on humus.

The soil is as complex as the ocean, because you keep a few fish in an aquarium does not mean you have created an ocean.

Well, I'm not into spending money just for fun so I think I'll keep doing what I'm doing since I've had good results so far.

I definitely don't do chemicals. I have a 16,000 gallon pond and the last thing I want is a bunch of dead fish....not to mention 3 winged birds, dead toads or frogs, etc, etc, etc.

Feel the love, hug a tree. lol

I may end up w/ carpal tunnel and tendonitis from pulling weeds but, by golly, my animals will be okay! hehe

I did get a mantis twin composter last fall for 100 bucks...almost new...what a deal! Now I need to figure out the "recipe" and will throw compost on the beds. That makes sense to me!

Hmmm....I could throw alfalfa in there.

Doesn't matter what you put in the composter, time is the only factor, the best mix will be faster but the result is the same. Alfalfa in the composter is the same for me, a waste of money.

The ground is a composter with a name "sheet composting", so it also doesn't matter when you remove the composting material to spread. Composters are about as compulsive about composting as daylily collectors that's why hosta growers make fun of them.

Is it just me or did this simple request for information suddenly take a very condescending and demeaning tone?

Sorry I didn't know you were a daylily collector.

You may take me or yourself to seriously?

Welcome iahosta. I see you just joined today.....maybe you've been lurking for a while.

To answer your question...... I don't think Andrea's quest for info took a wrong turn. Andrea and Ester are friends and Andrea and Ken are friends also.........or maybe Andrea is just in awe of Ken because he has a gazillion hostas that we are all lusting after. Whatever, as we have all found out at one time or another sometimes the written word comes across differently than intended.

Hope to see more of you here! New folks always welcome.

Teresa

Teresa, you are partially right, but you miss the part about me being in awe of me. And I the one and only awesome is in awe of Ken and Andrea and you of course.

I remember when I was awe struck the first time, I was on the phone and felt a tingling in my feet then boom I was awe struck, melted the keys in my pockets.

Wherever I traveled the hordes turned their heads, then I found deodorant and declared deodorant awesome evermore. Some having heard my words still do not use deodorant, we call them awful. To be welcomed back into the fold the awful must declare deodorant awesome. Yet words are not enough, without deeds. Raise your arm, rub it on, and then come eat at the big table.

Some say I am awful others say awesome, here I stand I can be no more!

Wow...what on earth went on while I was gettin' wild and crazy, shopping at Meijer on a Friday night? roflol

now i am confused ... hosta and conifer collector.. large lot ... little bridge ... small stream .. tired of pulling hoses around.. thought irrigation had to be buried deep ... etc .. etc ...

that wasnt you???

hmmm .. ken

Half of that convo is me. LOL Large lot, large pond yes...no sream no bridge...tired of hoses, yes...maybe I thought irrigation had to be buried deep (??) but I'm not sure where bedrock comes in. lol

now I'm totally confused......I think we've scared iahosta away!

roflol

You seem supprised at being confused, I've learned to embrace it!

Andrea, I love that you ask a lot of great questions that get a discussion going...as there are always some good nuggets of info shared along the way... I have learned a lot from the questions you have posed, in addition to the info you have shared. Thanx!

Thanks! *grin* I can take some ribbing and am okay w/ asking the "dumb" questions. LOL

I remember someone saying "the only dumb question is the one you don't ask". Well, I'm not so sure about that statement....roflol

Guess I better jump in here so Ken and Andrea don't think they're losin' it. Ken, you and I had the conversation last Fall about the irrigation system. I'm in Bloomington, an hour south of Indy, with shallow soil, lots of rock, small bridge, stream, etc., and will no longer have to lug heavy hoses around 3 acres, thanks to Ken, and my DH!!

Kim

Wow am I confused or what. What bizarre turns this thread has taken.

As far as Epsom Salts, I bought a container several years ago with every intention of sprinkling them around... and never got a round toit. Any suggestions what to do with a 5 lb brick of Epsom Salts? I can probably mix them into water and do my whole neighborhood now.....

I actually don't use anything beyond compost, mulch and alfalfa on my shade beds either. IT seems to work just fine. Oh, and coffee grounds that I get from Staryucks. The Worms seem to love the grounds and leave castings instead. I also have really hyper robins from eating those high test worms LOLOLOL!

I do feed the roses and clemmies with RoseTone - they are such heavy feeders they really do benefit from the boost. I understand roses will benefit from Epsom too, but again, I have never done it.

If you decide to use the Epsom Salts, please post what you did, what strength and any results. Even though your growing conditions are different from mine, it is still interesting to hear what others are trying.

Alexa

Alexa how do high test a worm, do have them turn their little heads and cough?

Well thank God. Ken was crazy, not me. LOL

Hey Alexa, I'll take your epsom salts if you don't want 'em. BTW, that was a very funny email....made my day. :))))

BTW again, I'm a major daylily collector. I am in total awe of my collection.

i think my brain may have just exploded...after working 12 hours and trying to keep up with this thread...whew!!! lol

Wow, a thread that sounds like "the old Hosta forum" Interesting and fun.

I have used Epsom salts on my roses (I have two in my front garden - some sun there), I just scatter a handful around the plant - if I'm feeling ambitious I scratch it into the soil a little. Can't really say if it does any good or not.

June

This is a little scary. I am a 'seldom' poster here. Think I posted about HVX a while back. As to 'pour' or 'sprinkle' the epsom salts...

After a long day of gardening, if your epsom has not clumped, sprinkle it into extremely warm water, gently lower feet. Stir and schmoosh with toes.

If it has clumped, drop chunk in container, run really warm water. Gently lower feet, stir and schmoosh.

Read gardening book, look at hosta catalog. If you are in my garden this year it will be the only great looking hostas you will see (post Easter freeze).

You'all are slap happy...

To answer the original question, I've just sprinkled a handful (my medium sized hand) around the crown of each hosta. Did it help? Well, the colors looked great that year (but its hard to compare one year to the next via memory, or pictures for that matter). Did it harm? No. I have been told that too much salt will leave those white deposits-- like the ones you see on terracotta pots that get fertilized and too much could be harmful to your plants.

Anyway, you are adding Magnesium, so if you know your soil is deficient in this mineral.... Did you know that Epsom Salts is named for Epsom England where this naturally occurring compound was first found?

M-A

I've been watching this thread and I agree with June, it reminds me of posts gone by. Really makes me smile.

And Kathy, I'm with you and using it for a wonderful foot soak after a long day in the garden! LOL!!

But I digress...So Andrea, what are you going to do? Are you going to try it, keep notes and let us all know the results? Perhaps sprinkle on one hosta bed, pour on another, and leave a third untouched. It would be interesting to see what affect, if any, it has. Of course there are variables with each bed, but it may be fun as well as informative.

Donna

LOL...I don't know anymore, Donna. My hostas don't seem to be deficient so maybe I'll just leave them alone. "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" kinda thing. ;D

"If it ain't broke, don't fix it" kinda thing. ;D

Also, if it ain't broke, don't BREAK it!

Also, if it ain't broke, sell it on EBAY and get more money for hostas!

Errrr... I was going to do alfalfa or alfalfa water...

And then learned it attracts rabbits and groundhogs.

We have a hungry groundhog in the neighborhood, I don't want him moving into my hosta garden!

I lost my nerve.

Teresa,

regarding your comment above "....sometimes the written word comes across differently than intended".
A beautiful piece of writing. You are to be admired!
Manfred