I have a plant that has the darker veins on the leaves problem and also
redening of the leaves. I am presuming the first bit is magnesium
defiency and the second is an iron problem? Its a new to us garden,
and a foot or so down is a great chalk collection. I am trying to
improve the soil, but need to sort this problem out.

Is epsom salts the same as I have in the bathroom, if so how much
should I put on?
I used a general purpose fertilizer as it seemed to be the only one
listing trace elements(especially as I wasn't sure if it was a few I
was missing). If it is going to work when should I see a difference?
Is it work using a fertillizer for acid soil to try and make more of
the trace element avilable?

thanks in advance
amber

In article .com,
Amber wrote:
I have a plant that has the darker veins on the leaves problem and also
redening of the leaves. I am presuming the first bit is magnesium
defiency and the second is an iron problem? Its a new to us garden,
and a foot or so down is a great chalk collection. I am trying to
improve the soil, but need to sort this problem out.

What's the plant?

Is epsom salts the same as I have in the bathroom, if so how much
should I put on?

An ounce or so in a square metre - but don't panic, as it is not a
major problem if you get it wrong.

I used a general purpose fertilizer as it seemed to be the only one
listing trace elements(especially as I wasn't sure if it was a few I
was missing). If it is going to work when should I see a difference?

It depends on how fast the plant is growing. It will only sometimes
help with existing leaves.

Is it work using a fertillizer for acid soil to try and make more of
the trace element avilable?

No. Definitely not on chalk!


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

Well its on 4 plants atm. A tree that was here when we arrived - think
its a lilac? (pretty purple flowers). A newly planted tree
(rowan/mountain ash), a mahonia x media (this has been in two years and
redder bits on the leaves) and a another plant I have lost the lable
for, this has also been in two years.

I know of a guy that mixed one or two tablespoons of it in a gallon of
water, and then sprayed it on the ground around the plants and on the
leaves. He used it on roses and sweet potatoes and produced a sweet potato
that weighed nearly 4 kilo. It was featured on a TV show. He applied it
once a month during the growing season. You might want to take a sample of
your soil first to make sure it needs it. If it does, you could use it on
anything in the garden that requires magnesium.

Dwayne

"Amber" wrote in message
oups.com...
I have a plant that has the darker veins on the leaves problem and also
redening of the leaves. I am presuming the first bit is magnesium
defiency and the second is an iron problem? Its a new to us garden,
and a foot or so down is a great chalk collection. I am trying to
improve the soil, but need to sort this problem out.

Is epsom salts the same as I have in the bathroom, if so how much
should I put on?
I used a general purpose fertilizer as it seemed to be the only one
listing trace elements(especially as I wasn't sure if it was a few I
was missing). If it is going to work when should I see a difference?
Is it work using a fertillizer for acid soil to try and make more of
the trace element avilable?

thanks in advance
amber

how would I find out if it needs it? I know you can do ph but lack of
Mg?

Try to locate someone there that can do it for you. The cheapest might be
at a University that teaches horticulture, or someone who makes his living
selling things for the garden. I am in the U.S. and just take it down to
the University Extension Office that is located in just about any town with
a population of 4000 or more.

Dwayne


"Amber" wrote in message
oups.com...
I have a plant that has the darker veins on the leaves problem and also
redening of the leaves. I am presuming the first bit is magnesium
defiency and the second is an iron problem? Its a new to us garden,
and a foot or so down is a great chalk collection. I am trying to
improve the soil, but need to sort this problem out.

Is epsom salts the same as I have in the bathroom, if so how much
should I put on?
I used a general purpose fertilizer as it seemed to be the only one
listing trace elements(especially as I wasn't sure if it was a few I
was missing). If it is going to work when should I see a difference?
Is it work using a fertillizer for acid soil to try and make more of
the trace element avilable?

thanks in advance
amber

In article , Dwayne jenco@st-
tel.net writes
Try to locate someone there that can do it for you. The cheapest might be
at a University that teaches horticulture, or someone who makes his living
selling things for the garden. I am in the U.S. and just take it down to
the University Extension Office that is located in just about any town with
a population of 4000 or more.

Blimey. In the UK, 4000 is classed as a village (except in the remoter
areas of Scotland), and would be lucky to have its own post office, let
alone a University Extension Office.

Just goes to demonstrate our much greater population density.
--
Kay
"Do not insult the crocodile until you have crossed the river"

Magnesium is similar to but generally at a given pH more soluble than
calcium. I wouldn't become obsessive about magnesium which would be easily
covered by a spray of Epsom salts, and which interacts with potassium when
making up plant feeds.
Iron is especially knocked by pH and if plant colour is a problem water with
iron sequestrene.
I'm somewhat mean about buying espensive chemicals and in a hard water area
used to recover the green leaf colour of house plants (in about 1 week) by
adding a teaspoonful of cheap ferrous sulphate to a pint of water. Its much
cheaper than sequestrene and was more cost effective at this level.
Lawn grass seems to tolerate high levels of ferrous sulphate when applied as
a moss killer so its worth trying.
I leave it to others to give a correct dose. I would try 1ounce per square
yard around a shrub and observe closely.
Regards
David T.
"Kay" wrote in message
...
In article , Dwayne jenco@st-
tel.net writes
Try to locate someone there that can do it for you. The cheapest might be
at a University that teaches horticulture, or someone who makes his living
selling things for the garden. I am in the U.S. and just take it down to
the University Extension Office that is located in just about any town
with
a population of 4000 or more.

Blimey. In the UK, 4000 is classed as a village (except in the remoter
areas of Scotland), and would be lucky to have its own post office, let
alone a University Extension Office.

Just goes to demonstrate our much greater population density.
--
Kay
"Do not insult the crocodile until you have crossed the river"

Well in either of the cases, weither I decide to test the soil or use
various types of getting more nutrients in how long should it take to
see a change? I have some deciduous and some that keep their leaves.
Presumably the best time to treat the deciduous is in the Spring?

On 1 Sep 2005 15:50:48 -0700, "Amber" wrote:

Well in either of the cases, weither I decide to test the soil or use
various types of getting more nutrients in how long should it take to
see a change? I have some deciduous and some that keep their leaves.
Presumably the best time to treat the deciduous is in the Spring?

IME, correcting chlorosis by treating the soil with whatever can take
several weeks to show an effect. AS DT said, one's first reaction to
chlorosis on a chalky soil is iron and/or manganese deficiency,
although some of the plants you mention (e.g. lilac) should be OK, but
the rowan might not like it. I'd water them with some ericaceous
fertiliser (Phostrogen and MiracleGrow both do one), and that's
certainly simpler/cheaper than getting your soil tested. But whether
you'll see any effect before they shed their leaves in autumn is
questionable. As you imply, next spring perhaps.

As an afterthought, they're not just dry are they?


--
Chris

E-mail: christopher[dot]hogg[at]virgin[dot]net

Chris Hogg wrote:
On 1 Sep 2005 15:50:48 -0700, "Amber" wrote:

Well in either of the cases, weither I decide to test the soil or
use
various types of getting more nutrients in how long should it take
to
see a change? I have some deciduous and some that keep their
leaves.
Presumably the best time to treat the deciduous is in the Spring?

IME, correcting chlorosis by treating the soil with whatever can
take
several weeks to show an effect. AS DT said, one's first reaction
to
chlorosis on a chalky soil is iron and/or manganese deficiency,
although some of the plants you mention (e.g. lilac) should be OK,
but
the rowan might not like it. I'd water them with some ericaceous
fertiliser (Phostrogen and MiracleGrow both do one), and that's
certainly simpler/cheaper than getting your soil tested. But
whether
you'll see any effect before they shed their leaves in autumn is
questionable. As you imply, next spring perhaps.

As an afterthought, they're not just dry are they?

Personally, I don't much like adding specialist fertilisers or
mineral supplements: it can be an endless treadmill. A garden looks
much better, and is a hell of a lot less work and worry, if you stick
to plants which like the conditions you've got. You really want to
grow blueberries over the White Cliffs of Dover*? If something
doesn't like your garden, it's no great hardship to admit defeat and
plant something else instead. I'm not knocking experiment, mind you:
that's part of the fun -- I still remember the Welsh hill farmer down
the road who just "knew" it would be worth sowing barley, and made a
small packet when all the neighbours had thought he was out of his
mind (they then tried it, and fell on their faces).

I won't say I actually despise soil testing, but let's say it doesn't
thrill me.

*Apologies to any sufferers from Stuck Tune Syndrome.

--
Mike.

The weird thing is that the liliac was here when we got here (2 yrs
ago) looks like its been quite a while too.

I know its hard to remember when things start happening or change
sometimes. But I am sure this lot was ok earlier in the year. Its the
couple of times we had prolonged rain that seemed to set it off. I was
presuming that improving the soil (was just the liliac and lawn before
we came) would help with this problems.