A dose of salts (for magnesium deficiency in tomatoes)

A few days ago I noticed the bottom leaves of my polytunnel tomatoes turning yellow. I was pretty sure this was a sign of a nutrient deficiency so I looked it up, and found I had the classic signs of magnesium deficiency in tomatoes – yellow leaves with green ribs. My tunnel is in my new garden, on the old veg patch, which has light soil which seems to have had a lot of ash added to it. Too much potash in the soil maybe (which according to the books can contribute to magnesium deficiency). I’ve not had this problem with my tomatoes before, maybe because of better soil and feeding with comfrey liquid in the past, but I’ve run out of that. Epsom salts are apparently the standard remedy, and are allowed in organic growing where there is a specific need for them. Having now given my tomatoes ‘a dose of salts’, I’ll let you know in a week or so how they look! Long term I hope to improve the soil so that this doesn’t happen again.

1 thought on “A dose of salts (for magnesium deficiency in tomatoes)

  1. A week and a half later the leaves look much the same! Still just the bottom leaves and only on some of the plants, and no worse. I must get on with making some more comfrey liquid, and meantime apply some more of the Epsom Salts. The plants are growing and cropping OK, and the rest of their leaves are a lovely healthy colour, so things could me much worse.

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