Do Your Chillies Need Epsom Salts When Using Amino and Humic Acids?
As a keen chilli grower, you’re continually seeking out the most effective methods of optimising your plants’ health and reaping that scorching yield. You might well have dabbled in the world of advanced plant nutrition, possibly already making use of robust bio-stimulants like amino acids to fuel metabolic processes and humic and fulvic acids to revolutionise the soil’s structure and nutrient status. These supplements may turn your chillies‘ growing patterns around, making them more durable and bountiful. But with such high-tech feeding techniques in use, the usual question is: do your chilli plants still need additional Epsom salts (magnesium sulphate ), or are the rewards of your current routine sufficient? Let’s get into the science and the hands-on action to sort that out for your productive chilli patch.
The Role of Each Player in Your Chilli Patch
It’s helpful, before we talk about Epsom salts, to understand what each of these amendments does for you: Beyond the standard a range of NPK fertilisers specialised amendments can dramatically influence your plants’ health, vigor, and productivity. To truly optimize your feeding strategy and make informed decisions about supplements like Epsom salts, it’s crucial to grasp the unique contributions of key bio-stimulants and micronutrients.
Amino Acids
Think of these as building blocks of plant proteins and enzymes. These are great bio-stimulants that improve overall plant metabolism and can even get your plants more proficient at absorbing other nutrients. They help plants recover from stress, leading to stronger, more resilient growth. Essentially, amino acids give your plants a natural boost, making them more efficient and robust.
Humic and Fulvic Acids
Natural powerhouses of energy for your soil. Acting as tiny magnets, they chelate (draw in) essential nutrients, like magnesium, and make them easily accessible to your chilli crops to take in. They also improve soil texture and promote root development, leading to better nutrient and water uptake. These organic compounds significantly enhance nutrient availability, ensuring your plants get everything they need. By improving soil structure, they also lead to healthier, more extensive root systems.
Epsom Salts (Magnesium Sulfate)
These provide two vital micronutrients: magnesium and sulfur. Magnesium is the nucleus of chlorophyll, the green pigment which photosynthesis requires. Sulpher is vital for protein development and plant overall health. Using Epsom salts can prevent yellowing leaves and ensure your plants have the energy to grow vigorously. They are an easy way to give your chilli plants a noticeable boost in greenness and vitality.
The Magnesium Question: Deficiency vs. Sufficiency
And here is where it turns personal: your chilli plants can only benefit from added magnesium (in the form of Epsom salts) if they actually require it. Over-supplementing actually results in imbalances, which may prevent the uptake of other essential elements. Knowing your plant’s individual requirements is much better than a “more is better” strategy.
Why Humic & Fulvic Acids Are Important Here
Since humic and fulvic acids are such great nutrients at getting the nutrients to your plants, your chillies might very well be getting all the magnesium that they need from your fertilizer or original soil, even when they seem to be deficient. In fact, what the acids actually do is act as a delivery system for the nutrients, giving your chillies access to what is available. This makes them release some magnesium that would otherwise be “tied up” or unavailable in the soil, which will extend the life of your available nutrients. Their chelating capacity can change inefficient forms of nutrients into forms that are easily taken up by your plants.
Symptoms That Your Chillies May Require Magnesium
Even with bio-stimulants, a good idea is to watch for classic magnesium deficiency symptoms:
Interveinal Chlorosis: Most common symptom. This is when the regions between the veins of the leaves turn yellow, but not the veins themselves. It typically starts on lower, older leaves because magnesium is mobile and moves to new tissue.
Stunted Growth or Reduced Fruit Set: While these can have many causes, severe magnesium deficiency can certainly be a factor.
When and How to Apply Epsom Salts (If Needed)
Since you’re already utilizing amino and humic/fulvic acids, apply Epsom salts as a targeted treatment rather than a daily supplement.
- Take a Soil Test (Recommended!: A soil test will tell you exactly which nutrients your soil is short of or has too much of. If your test shows sufficient magnesium, you probably don’t need Epsom salts at all.
- Observe Your Plants Closely: Pay attention to your chilli plants. If you see the normal interveinal yellowing of older leaves, that’s your cue.
- Select a Foliar Spray to Act Quickly: In case you identify a shortage, a foliar spray is the fastest way for your plants to absorb magnesium.
- Dilution: 1-2 tablespoons per gallon (approximately 4 litres) of water.
- Application: Mist heavily leaves, preferably early morning or evening to avoid leaf scorch.Frequency: Start with every 2-4 weeks. Once deficiency symptoms clear, stop or significantly reduce applications.
- Soil Drench (Less Often): If you prefer a soil drench, use it far less often – perhaps once every 4-6 weeks, or only an occasional few times throughout the fruiting season. Always water your plants thoroughly prior to using any soil drench to prevent root burn.
A Word of Caution: Don’t Overdo It!
Remember that enough is as good as a feast. Too much magnesium does more harm than good, and can even prevent the absorption of other vital nutrients like calcium. This is particularly true of tomatoes and chillies, since Calcium deficiency is known to lead to issues like blossom end rot (which is itself more commonly due to erratic watering or uptake issues rather than a lack of calcium in the ground). Since your humic and fulvic acids are doing their job of optimizing nutrient uptake, your plants will probably be more efficient, and less supplemental magnesium typically is all that’s necessary.
By knowing how your chosen bio-stimulants work and taking note of your chilli plants, you can provide them with just what they need for a bountiful, healthy crop without overdoing it.
Do you already use Epsom salts in your chilli bed? Let us know in the comments below!