[cadalot]

I read on here somewhere about giving potatoes some Epsom salts to buck them up when the lower leafs turn yellow - so bought some but how much salt to water do  I use?

[BabbyAnn]

About 2 tablespoons per gallon for a foliar spray or water in, or a small handful sprinkled round the soil at the base of the plants as a top dressing.  I don't think it needs to be precise - magnesium sulphate is one of those additives which you can get away with adding a little too much without causing problems especially during wet weather when some of it is likely to leach out.

[solway cropper]

Lower leaves tend to die off naturally as the higher ones take over. They may not actually need any magnesium.

Deficiency would usually show as yellow blotches between the veins of the leaves.

[cadalot]

These are not bloches they are yellow dying and on close inspection also getting eaten to death by slugs and snails so a sprinkle of blue pellets of death have been applied.

last year they did not die off so quickly, and the whole lot got really tall and then relaxed and fell over before going yellow.

I know I'm earlier this year with planting but they have grown faster this year than last?. Is it worth removing the dying leafs or am I just making work for myself?

[RJR_38]

I just used 2-3 teaspoons per large watering can (no idea how many gallons that is)

[Beetroot Queen]

I just used 2-3 teaspoons per large watering can (no idea how many gallons that is)

I use two per can too, my raspberries have all had a dose.

[BabbyAnn]

perhaps this ARTICLE ABOUT EPSOM SALT can shed some light on it?

I know I'm earlier this year with planting but they have grown faster this year than last?. Is it worth removing the dying leafs or am I just making work for myself?

 

What potatoes are you talking about - first earlies?  If so, it may be worth having a furtle as your potatoes may actually be dying off naturally and be ready for harvesting?

[cadalot]

The worst are the earlies and second earlies - the main crop went in much later but flowered more than the earlies and at about the same time, and a few of the lower leafs are also going. So as you suggest, it could be natural and the first earlies should be ready at the end of this month beginning of next by my reckoning. They have not grown so tall and flopped overt like last year but then again last year I think over watered, this year with the rain we have had, I've more or less let them get on with it.   

[Salmo]

About 2 tablespoons per gallon for a foliar spray or water in, or a small handful sprinkled round the soil at the base of the plants as a top dressing.  I don't think it needs to be precise - magnesium sulphate is one of those additives which you can get away with adding a little too much without causing problems especially during wet weather when some of it is likely to leach out.

On the soil will have little effect but may be effective if applied at planting. Applied as a foliar spray the leaves should green up within days. Put magnesium deficiency into google images and you will see what it looks like. Yellowing between the leaf veins and later black spots - not to be confused with blight.