Magnesium

Looking at the soil test results, I forgive myself for concentrating on the elements that are missing entirely from our soil. The fact that we have any magnesium at all lead me to mentally put it aside in favour of the trace elements of molybdenum, boron and selenium. Magnesium isn't a trace mineral, although you could argue that 0.043% is only a trace amount, and yes, that's how little magnesium our soils contain.

 

The bean symptoms were the easiest to search for online. Yellow between the veins on older leaves, brown spots, eventually dropping off completely. Unsurprisingly, their season is shorter than it should be. The comfrey leaves look similar, so it will be interesting to see what happens as the magnesium makes its way into the soil.

I don't want to use Epsom salts though, because we have an excess of sulphur in the soil already, so I purchased some magnesium oxide, although it will take a while to become available to the plants in this form.

I've also noticed a massive difference in my own health since Marty and I began spraying each other with magnesium "oil" and taking oral supplements. The "oil" is very relaxing, and pain is eased when sprayed on body parts that hurt (this can be all over at times). After supplementing with magnesium for a few months now, I'm beginning to notice a new found strength in my muscles, and my "energy bucket" is a little larger and re-fills quicker. Even Marty is noticing he has more energy at work and is less tired during the day. 

I plan on offering magnesium freely to the chooks, along side both their shell grit (for calcium) and the Livamol (for trace minerals) already available. They take the supplements if they want them, and I don't have to worry about mixing them into food and getting the correct ratios. I trust that they know what they need.

Fine ground magnesium will be added to the garden beds as they are readied for new plants, and I'm happy to spread the love around the whole garden once the cooler and wetter weather comes back.

I really like this quite from Mary Reynolds in The Garden Awakening: "By healing the land, we heal ourselves; and by healing ourselves we can see more clearly what the land needs to return to health."