# epsom salts for cyps?



## monocotman (Jan 12, 2012)

hi,

We know that Epsom salts is a useful food for paphs and phrags, but has anyone tried feeding it to cyps?
Some of my plants are a bit pale when they first start to grow quickly in the spring and it could be a good tonic for them at that time of year.
thanks for any thoughts,

Regards,

David


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## Hakone (Jan 12, 2012)

I use Osmocote

http://www.scottsprofessional.com/en/osmocote-exact.html


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## Dido (Jan 12, 2012)

If you never try you will never find out. 
A interesting Idea. 

What kind of epsom salt do you use for Phrag.


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## Eric Muehlbauer (Jan 12, 2012)

At the very least, epsom salts is completely harmless.


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## monocotman (Jan 13, 2012)

*epsom salts*

Dido - I thought that there was only one type of epsom salts. I tried it on all my orchids a couple of times late last year and they seem to really like it -some plants developed a much deeper green colour. The miniature cymbidiums that are still growing leaves quickly have done amazingly well.
Hakone - as I grow in pots I'm a bit wary of using osmacote. I prefer to feed with a dilute fertilizer twice a month. If I was growing in open ground then I'd be happy to use it.
Looking at the new shoots I have a feeling that my plants are short of nitrogen early in spring just as they start to grow. I feed them from the first watering but that may not be enough. It may be that as the buds grow underground slowly during the winter they have run out of food. I don't usually feed or water at all during this period but this year I've given them a bit. I also stop feeding in the autumn - maybe they should start the winter with a higher level of nitorgen in the mix. Just because they don't appear to be growing above ground doesn't mean they wouldn't benefit from some nitorgen.
Regards,
David


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## Dido (Jan 13, 2012)

I had really good experience with this new liquid fertilizer, I mentioned in the last days.
Feel the micro suplements benefit the plants too. 

Dont know to much about epson salt, thought there is more then one. 

Hakone is uisng asparus shelf, maybe this could help you. 

Psmocote is used by a lot of growers in pots too. 
The risk of too much is low, have the feeling that cyps like more then we think. 
We should try Vit. of the B ones too. 
A friend of me was lucky with trying this things, he uses Iron and other stuff too. At the moment there are trials running with seedlings. I am waiting on the results of him.


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## Hakone (Jan 13, 2012)

I spend more fertilizer, because I use inorganic substrate


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## Rick (Jan 13, 2012)

Magnesium is a critical nutrient for all green plants. Magnesium is the core atom in chlorophyll.

Epsom salt is nothing more than hydrated magnesium sulfate.

As long as you are not strictly using RO or rain water your irrigation water will have some magnesium in it. Also bark, moss, and other organic plant derived mixes will break down to offer some magnesium.

Magnesium is rarely found in the environment at concentrations greater than calcium. I use magnesium supplementation frequently with my orchids, but always ensure there is more calcium than magnesium when offered.

You might consider some "Cal/Mag" supplements if you are using RO water.

If your irrigation water is at least moderately hard then Epsom salt is a good supplement by itself.


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## monocotman (Jan 14, 2012)

*epsom salts*

Hi Rick,
I use tap water for most of the time with my cyps in pots. It is pretty hard so it sounds like a supplement with the salts will be just about right.
I do occasionally flush through with rain water when I have the time but as there are now about 90 pots it takes some time and a fair quantity of water. 
I've been using rain water for my indoor orchids virtually all the time so they may have been starved of magnesium and this is why they've responded so well.
The kovachii hybrid La Vingtaine (my avatar) is putting up a huge new darker green growth and even the old growth has greened up.
I will add a bit of tap water as well as epsom salts to the rain water for these to keep the ca/mg balance,
thanks for the help!
David


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