I had a friend tell me she uses a water/epsom salt mixture to treat BER. She says it works because epsom salt has trace minerals (I assume calcium?)
Does that work?
- stella1751
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I'm going to respectfully disagree with you on this one, TZ. I've used Epsom Salts to successfully forestall future BER on pepper plants that had it. A botanist friend, a professor and weed researcher at the University of Idaho, recommended it when I had BER on my pepper plants several years ago, and I am convinced it worked.
We had a discussion on this forum last year about the causes of BER. One member said that overwatering compromised the plant's ability to uptake calcium, and that this was what caused the BER. I think adding the magnesium sulfate somehow balances the soil's mineral content, encouraging calcium uptake despite the plant's weakened condition.
I know there are many minerals and nutrients that need to be in a specific balance for optimum health and growth. For example, if a horse's vitamin E and selenium balance is off, it can cause tying up. Another one is that a young horse needs the right balance of phosphorus and calcium to maintain steady long bone growth.
Based upon this rather unscientific approach to why the Epsom Salts my friend recommended worked, I really think Epsom Salts works because it balances the soil's minerals, enhancing the availability of the calcium or something like that. I'm not certain this is why it works, but it makes sense to me
We had a discussion on this forum last year about the causes of BER. One member said that overwatering compromised the plant's ability to uptake calcium, and that this was what caused the BER. I think adding the magnesium sulfate somehow balances the soil's mineral content, encouraging calcium uptake despite the plant's weakened condition.
I know there are many minerals and nutrients that need to be in a specific balance for optimum health and growth. For example, if a horse's vitamin E and selenium balance is off, it can cause tying up. Another one is that a young horse needs the right balance of phosphorus and calcium to maintain steady long bone growth.
Based upon this rather unscientific approach to why the Epsom Salts my friend recommended worked, I really think Epsom Salts works because it balances the soil's minerals, enhancing the availability of the calcium or something like that. I'm not certain this is why it works, but it makes sense to me
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Here are my observations on BER in my garden. Last year I made the switch to all natural gardening with no manmade chemical fertilizers and such. I have been adding compost and using some natural sources of NPK such as fish emulsion. I dug a couple of new beds also last year.
Last year I had great tomatos with almost no BER. In the past we had to pitch many of the first fruits, enough to tick me off!
This year I have an old bed and a new bed planted with 'maters. In the old bed, no BER. The new bed, suffering some losses. I'm convinced the compost and natural additives I've been using are working the trick!
Last year I had great tomatos with almost no BER. In the past we had to pitch many of the first fruits, enough to tick me off!
This year I have an old bed and a new bed planted with 'maters. In the old bed, no BER. The new bed, suffering some losses. I'm convinced the compost and natural additives I've been using are working the trick!
- stella1751
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Odds are against me running into this friend. I haven't seen him since I left Cheyenne for Casper in 2006. However, I jetted him off an email at his university address. He does research over the summer, so I believe he checks his email. Based upon what you wrote, maybe it's not the magnesium that enhances availability but the sulfate.TZ -OH6 wrote:If you run into your friend please get a reference because from what I understand of the chemical interactions (sulfate binding tightly to the calcium, calcium having higher binding strength, thus releasing magnesium etc) it is a counter intuitive result.
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Thanks for emailing him. I appreciate any extra info you can dig up.
I ran across a post about magnesium deficient leaves on another forum from one knowlegable tomato grower who does have to use magnesium on a regular basis, but not for BER. he lives in an area of the country that is rare in that it has low magnesium. In that case epsomes salts would boost overall plant health and help things out, but with normal soil ean exess of magnesium could cause problems.
Here is something from University of Illinois
Losses from blossom-end rot increase when the soil contains an excess of total soluble salts in relation to soluble calcium salts. An excess of soluble ammonium, potassium, magnesium, or sodium salts reduces calcium uptake by the plant.
https://ipm.illinois.edu/diseases/series900/rpd906/index.html
This is also good, but less specific to BER
https://www.puyallup.wsu.edu/~Linda%20Chalker-Scott/Horticultural%20Myths_files/Myths/Epsom%20salts.pdf
Note that both mention problems from high potassium, which is common from both organic and inorganic fertilization methods.
I ran across a post about magnesium deficient leaves on another forum from one knowlegable tomato grower who does have to use magnesium on a regular basis, but not for BER. he lives in an area of the country that is rare in that it has low magnesium. In that case epsomes salts would boost overall plant health and help things out, but with normal soil ean exess of magnesium could cause problems.
Here is something from University of Illinois
Losses from blossom-end rot increase when the soil contains an excess of total soluble salts in relation to soluble calcium salts. An excess of soluble ammonium, potassium, magnesium, or sodium salts reduces calcium uptake by the plant.
https://ipm.illinois.edu/diseases/series900/rpd906/index.html
This is also good, but less specific to BER
https://www.puyallup.wsu.edu/~Linda%20Chalker-Scott/Horticultural%20Myths_files/Myths/Epsom%20salts.pdf
Note that both mention problems from high potassium, which is common from both organic and inorganic fertilization methods.