Ment it did help, but had the thought it could be just my imagination.
It isn't
Last year when my White Feather started to green up I gave it a light sprinkle, thinking it would be good for it go get a little extra after standing white in the shade for a month... This spring it came up all green
So it do help, but using it on a wheite hosta is a bad idea
Pia
Against stupidity the gods themselves struggle in vain.
E-mail for pics hostapics@gmail.com
newtohosta-no more wrote:Oh my, Pia! I knew using it was supposed to make the dark ones darker, but I didn't think it would do anything to the white ones! What a surprise!
Epsom salts (magnesium sulfate) simply supplies magnesium to your plants--one of the limiting reagents in the plant's process of producing chlorophyll. However, the plant will only produce chlorophyll in the cells that are genetically coded to make chlorophyll. The white areas in a mediovariegated plant are not coded to make chlorophyll.
As such, what Pia is seeing is a reversion of White Feathers rather than an effect of using Epsom salts.
I would recommend using Epsom salts at least every spring, as I believe you will see a marked increase in vigor in your plants.
Pia - I've never used Epsom Salts & I don't have White Feather, but I do have White Wall Tire. Similar type plant. In 2005, it looked great - especially when it got the 2nd flush of leaves that were nearly all white after the 1st flush had greened up. Last year all of the flushes were green. Not what I was hoping for. It hasn't started unfurling this year, but I'm hoping for a return to form. Looks very white as the eyes shoot up at least.
It's good to see you again, Renaldo! I just took two trips around my gardens today, and things do not look good. Maybe I'll just pretend spring isn't coming around for a few more weeks, and then we can see how things look. Sagae is toast this year, and both of them were coming up with over 20 eyes. Now it's just wilted lettuce. Reptilian is horrible, too.
For what it's worth, none of my white-centered hostas have turned green after applying Epsom salts, and I use it about 2-3 times throughout the growing season every year.
Above is a discussion on using Epsom salts where I talk about how I use it. In the wet spring, I usually just sprinkle a ring around each plant, and it will kill slugs until the rains come and water it into the ground (making it available to the plant). In the summer, I mix in a few cups to 35 gallons of alfalfa tea. I use it often, and have not seen any signs of plant stress or toxicity, but your mileage may vary depending upon your soil conditions.
I really notice a difference in growth rate in the spring after I apply the Epsom salts.
OC always puts Epsom Salts on all his Liliums and his Hosta in the spring. I usually dissolve up about a table spoon full along with a tablespoon full of Miracle grow and spay from a hose end feeder. Do that about one a month until everything blooms, then stop for the winter
In fact OC was out this morning with some kids from up the street Joy had found to help plant his new Lilium bulbs, he just got from Chris and asked if they would come back next week and clean OUT the Hosta beds and spray them. They said they would. OC has heard that before so we'll just have to wait and see......OC who loves Epsom Salts....
There may be snow in the garden, but there will always be eternal springtime in the heart of this old gardner - Saying of Old Coot
Thanks for the link, Homer! I read the posts and it is very helpful. I am even more excited about getting into spring, now, as I have alot of blue and dark hostas...it will be fun to see what happens. Question: If you use a fertilizer such as Miracle Grow (which I don't) or Algoflash (which I do sometimes) that have fertilizer salts in them, do you have to be more careful with the Epson salts? Thanks again!
Charla
Latitude 38.57N; Longitude -94.89W (Elev. 886 ft.)
Homer, nothing have happened to my white cwntered or marginated hostas, but this one just emerge white and only keeps the white leaves in shaddow, then it gets streaked green and if it get enough of sun, more or less plain green
think I have to get 2 new ones.. one to try the Epson salt on and one the be with out
Pia
Against stupidity the gods themselves struggle in vain.
E-mail for pics hostapics@gmail.com
Homer - I just spent the last couple of days cutting back the hostas I had covered. Some were complete mush, but most looked OK except for the damaged tips. They couldn't unfurl properly & were starting to turn to mush. Glad I caught most of them before damage was done to the crown. Some I'll just have to wait & see on.
Don't give up hope yet. I bought what I thought was a 'Fire and Ice', but it came up green the first year. So I knew it wasn't F&I. The next year it came up white in the center, but greened up as the year went on. I figured out it was actually a 'Whirlwind'. So they can do strange things from year to year. Maybe it will be normal next year.
Kas
Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend; and inside a dog, it's too dark to read. - Groucho Marx
eastwood2007 wrote:Thanks for the link, Homer! I read the posts and it is very helpful. I am even more excited about getting into spring, now, as I have alot of blue and dark hostas...it will be fun to see what happens. Question: If you use a fertilizer such as Miracle Grow (which I don't) or Algoflash (which I do sometimes) that have fertilizer salts in them, do you have to be more careful with the Epson salts? Thanks again!
I don't think I'd be too worried about the various salts counteracting one another. Lots of orchid fertilizers have epsom salts mixed with them.
I used it on my roses--when I had roses not hostas. I could see a big difference in the leaves of the ones that I sprinkled it around. There leaves were much thicker and greener. I put it around an old rose of my mothers that had one foot in the grave. I used a handfull to a gallon of water once a month and the rose came back to life better than ever. Would this help revive the "mush" plants that some of you got from the frost damage?
(now that I have more sun I also planted some more roses )
ademink wrote:Homer, did your Sagae die or are you just saying that it looks ugly?
I had a chance to look it over, and it appears that it is just very ugly--no rot at all (knock wood). The leaves are just horrible, and not even partially unfurled. Unfortunately, my Liberty (planted last year) may not make it, and a few others have some rot that I tried to cut out this weekend. Now, we'll just wait and pray.
Good to see you back again.
Not what I was hoping for. It hasn't started unfurling this year, but I'm hoping for a return to form. Looks very white as the eyes shoot up at least.
Maybe I'll just pretend spring isn't coming around for a few more weeks, and then we can see how things look. Sagae is toast this year, and both of them were coming up with over 20 eyes. Now it's just wilted lettuce. Reptilian is horrible, too.
Thanks again!
think I have to get 2 new ones.. one to try the Epson salt on and one the be with out 
