Epsom Salt Residue

[SquallRealm]

My friend sprayed his plants with an epsom salt solution (1 tablespoon per gallon) a few days ago and today he noticed they are starting to form crystals but only on the small lower leaves. Is it possible the residue from the spray would harm them or prevent them from producing crystals? There hasn't been any burning. They are 23 days into flowering. Should he spray them again with plain water to get rid of any residue?

 

[stinkyattic]

If you are seeing crystals, it's a little much. A very light mist will return PLENTY of Mg to the leaf surface.
IF you spray with plain water for the residue, I'd cut a slot in a pizza board - you know, the cardboard thing under a pizza?- and slip it over the soil surface so that when you spray off the leaves, all that gunk doesn't end up in the soil. It's not a big deal, but I'm always careful about getting excess metals in my medium.
If you see no evidence of burning, you're porbably fine.

 

[pezoholic]

stinky....I think thats overboard since you can water with epsom as well!

 

[stinkyattic]

I'm always really careful with metals. And you're right, it's overboard. But it's simple enough that you're not losing much time by taking that precaution. And as a bonus, you have an excuse to order that chicken-bacon-onion-cheddar pizza with BBQ sauce that you have been wanting all week... RIGHT?

 

[Bedlam]

And as a bonus, you have an excuse to order that chicken-bacon-onion-cheddar pizza with BBQ sauce that you have been wanting all week... RIGHT?

wow dude you just made me want one of those so bad.

 

[SquallRealm]

by crystals I mean trichomes and will the residue inhibit production even though there is no burning going on.

 

[MynameStitch]

???? Um, the more trichcomes you got the stronger potency the plant is, if you don't see trichcomes on your plant then your growing ditch weed.

You also harvest by the color of the trichcomes heads, clear ones are inmature and cloudy amber ones when most are that color is when you want to harvest.

 

[SquallRealm]

What I'm saying is the plant has started to produce trichomes but it's only on the smaller, lower leaves where there is probably no epsom salt residue. So I'm wondering if it's possible that the epsom salt residue on the bigger leaves and at the top is preventing those leaves/buds from producing trichomes.

 

[MynameStitch]

I would not doubt it at that amount, 1 teaspoon per gallon of water is suffice enough for the plant.

I would wash down his plants cause other chemicals can destroy the trichcomes on the plant and I would not doubt epsom salts would hibit the growth of it, I would spray it down with a lot of water, but do so right after the lights come on or right before it.

Your humidity will raise a bit, cause you will need a lot of water to wash it down the residue.

Trichomes are supposed to appear first on or around cola areas and slowly work it's way to the bottom of the plant, if there is little to no trichcomes on the upper part of the plant and only lower, you can bet it was a cause from the high amount of epsom salts.
Salt can close it's stomas up a bit and slow growth down from them being closed.... stomas are little pores on the leaves that allow photosynthesis to occur.

 

[SquallRealm]

Trichomes are supposed to appear first on or around cola areas and slowly work it's way to the bottom of the plant, if there is little to no trichcomes on the upper part of the plant and only lower, you can bet it was a cause from the high amount of epsom salts.
Salt can close it's stomas up a bit and slow growth down from them being closed.... stomas are little pores on the leaves that allow photosynthesis to occur.

Yea that's what it looked like But if I wash all the residue off it should recover, right?

 

[MynameStitch]

Ya, how far into flowering are you? cause you gotta be careful if the buds are dense or just starting to be, cause you get get bud mold and you don't want that.

They might, there is no guarantee, but I am sure they will recover, but you won't get the plants full potential with it since this little problem occurred.

Is there residue left on the plant? you can see from the epsom salts?

 

[SquallRealm]

Today is day 24 of flowering. I can see residue from the epsom salt, yes.

 

[MynameStitch]

Ok, good, go ahead and clean the plants before they get too far into flowering and make it more difficult.

 

[SquallRealm]

Ok I just sprayed them with 1/2 cup each of plain water. Do you think I should do it once more after this?

 

[MynameStitch]

I would drench each plant to make sure all was removed...... ya, might as well spray it one more time, just to make sure.

 

[SquallRealm]

Ok thanks for your help. I just sprayed them again with another 1/2 cup each.

 

[MynameStitch]

Should be alright then, let us know how that worked out for ya!

 

[SquallRealm]

I see more crystals today and they smell stronger.


Another question, I am using CFLs so the lights are really close to the plant and when I was taking the plants in and out of the cabinet some of the pistils at the top of the colas came into contact with the bulbs and now those pistils are orange/brown.

Is that really bad? Will those buds continue to grow?

 

[MynameStitch]

No problem there, because the hairs will eventually tuen orangeish brown when they die off and when you harvest.

Yes, they will continue to grow CFL's do not run hot like other lighting does so your plant will be just fine!

 

[DrBudGreengenes]

Yes, they will continue to grow CFL's do not run hot like other lighting does so your plant will be just fine!

Ya they get a lil warm...DON'T let your plants touch them

Originally Posted by MynameStitch
Trichomes are supposed to appear first on or around cola areas and slowly work it's way to the bottom of the plant, if there is little to no trichcomes on the upper part of the plant and only lower, you can bet it was a cause from the high amount of epsom salts.!

Each and every leaf on a MJ plant has trichomes the moment it unfolds...they are very small and the degradation rate is very High.
Trichomes are NOT an indication of Potency.
HEMP Industrial Type has ALOT of Trichomes....they just lack psychoactivity

Smoking or Gas Chromatograph....is the Only way to determine Potency