Buying Epsom Salts

[Millymollymandy]

I just wondered whether anyone had had any problems buying this (similar to buying citric acid) - i.e. getting interrogated by the pharmacist as to its use?

I've asked a friend who lives in England who is coming over here next week to get me some, but she got asked whether she was on any medication - when she said it was for a friend they asked whether the friend was on medication - she said, no it's for her tomatoes! The pharmacist said he'd only sell them if it was used on tomatoes and not for any other use......

Since then I've googled their use (I had never known what they were used for medically) and it's quite interesting as apparently magnesium sulphate (according to Wikipedia) amongst many other uses, was/is an old home remedy for chicken diarrhoea!

[jim]

Dear MMM,

Regarding medicinal use of magnesium sulphate. Don't know what he thought he was self-medicating to cure, but my old man always put empsom salts in his tea when he was feeeling under the weather. As there was only one toilet in the house it resulted in queues building up soon after.

Love and Peace
Jim

[frozenthunderbolt]

We had by it at the local chain supermarket - a quarter teaspoon added to a brew will help the yeast to thrive, not to be used in beers that require soft water though!

[Annpan]

I bought it from Summer Naturals in December.... is this another thing that has new restrictions.... sigh I use it for bah salts (for gifts)

[Cheezy]

Yeah I got it from my local garden centre, they sell it loose , it's really old fashioned place ,where they have bins full of stuff so you can mix your own concoctions. And when I say "stuff" I mean a bin full of dried blood, powdered hoof, powdered horn, fish bone, sulphates ,potash's etc, it quiet turns your stomach!.

Just googled it and there's a council for Epsom Salts!:

www.epsomsaltcouncil.org/garden_benefits.htm -

The stuff I got was Chempak's magnesium (it's the same) Google Chempak Magnesium and you can buy 750g box for about £4.50 to £4.95

[Millymollymandy]

Interesting link Cheezy! My friend tried first at Boots but they had sold out and where she eventually got it from was T***o where she went to the pharmacy counter to ask for it (I had no idea they dispensed drugs in supermarkets!!! ).

Anyway there's a thread about this on the Brittany forum where she was asking if it was dangerous or something and someone there said he couldn't get any Vitamin C powder for breadmaking any more because of all these silly regs.

But what I really don't understand is, if it is a laxative in humans how come it clears up diarrhoea in chickens?

[ina]

Interesting link Cheezy! My friend tried first at Boots but they had sold out and where she eventually got it from was T***o where she went to the pharmacy counter to ask for it (I had no idea they dispensed drugs in supermarkets!!! ).

You can get everything in those awful places from baby milk to funerals. Some people have even got married in them.

[Peggy Sue]

Oh my word how could anyone want to get married in T***cos?! It's true then they have brainwashed us!

It's funny, I bought Epsom salts for my horse on vets emergency advice (he'd eaten poisonous weeds) years ago, so I always Had a spare pkt for another emergency. The packet has been going hard ever since in my first aid kit down at the farm until last week when I thought my tomatoes looked sick and read it was Magnesium I needed and to use Epsom Salts. Feeling quite pleased with myself I actaully had some...but now replacing them may be a task by the sound of it- will try a garden centre in future whatever the application!!

Also read something interesting about Magnesium this week- Buttercup family take huge amounts out of the soil and Clematis are part of this family- now I know why my blackcurrent is suffering next to the clematis!

[Annpan]

So... how do you know if your toms need epsom salt?

[Peggy Sue]

The book I read said if their lower leaves went yellow

[Millymollymandy]

Mine are always yellow, or mottled yellow and I always thought that was normal! But I learnt about the epsom salts from this forum so thought I'd give it a go - probably too late for this year though.

[Green Aura]

You can buy epsom salts from soap making supplies websites. I buy it in 25kg batches.

[Flo]

We sell epsom salts down at the allotment gardeners association shop. It's one of the elements required for green leafy growth and the people who buy it want it for roses, raspberry canes and sometimes show runner beans. I've know it all my life as something used on the roses. But then I'm only a pensioner and grounded in old practices. But yes it will do good for tomatoes too.

[Millymollymandy]

My Epsom Salts are finally arriving today after having been on quite a journey.... I went to a BBQ 1.5 hours away and completely forgot about asking for them and the friend who'd bought them over from England for me forgot to give them to me....and now she's just been on a short holiday to La Rochelle and they are coming by here this afternoon on their way back, with my E. Salts which have been travelling with them!

I don't think there's much point in bothering as these toms have just started showing signs of blight and have been sprayed with Bordeaux Mix, what do you think? Is it a bit late now?

[Cheezy]

My Epsom Salts are finally arriving today after having been on quite a journey.... I went to a BBQ 1.5 hours away and completely forgot about asking for them and the friend who'd bought them over from England for me forgot to give them to me....and now she's just been on a short holiday to La Rochelle and they are coming by here this afternoon on their way back, with my E. Salts which have been travelling with them!

I don't think there's much point in bothering as these toms have just started showing signs of blight and have been sprayed with Bordeaux Mix, what do you think? Is it a bit late now?

It might be worth it, as it'll help them photosynthasise,