Hello!

Epsom Salts is magnesium sulfate !

Claude

"Wendy" wrote in message
news:Vh4Yd.29990$FM3.24034@fed1read02...
| Ok, I remember now it was Epsom Salts to up the colour in the flowers of
| Hydrangeas. You are all correct that it brings down the PH.
| Now I need to find out if Epsom Salts is sulfate of ammonia?
| Remove peterpan for email reply
|
| Cheers Wendy
|
| Aaron Hicks wrote:
| Offhand, I would say the crystals were probably ammonium sulfate,
| which is decent fertilizer that acidifies the soil. Dropping the pH to
| around 5 will turn 'em blue. Higher than that leads to pink.
|
| Bleach is a solution of sodium hydroxide (lye), which has a
| sufficiently high pH to hold dissolved chlorine gas. This is why mixing
| chlorine with just about anything else (particularly acids) tempts fate,
| as it may release chlorine gas as the pH drops.
|
| Of course, the sodium hydroxide solution has a very high pH, and-
| assuming orchid flower color is pH-related- could change the coloration
of
| the flowers. Remember that orchid bark and other media tend to be
acidic,
| as does their environment in general. Something with a high pH would be
| very unusual.
|
| That having been said, I have no idea as to whether orchid
| coloration is related at all to substrate pH. I don't recall ever having
| heard or read about this, and I've been growing for 23 years as of
april.
| I would think it likely that somewhere, SOME orchid has flower colors
that
| are at least somewhat variable with pH, but I don't think that garden
| variety phals, cattleyas, etc. vary too much with pH.
|
| Of course, if someone has information contrary to the conventional
| wisdom, I'd love to hear about it.
|
|
| The address in the header isn't valid. Send no email there.
|
| -AJHicks
| Chandler, AZ
|
|