What Happens When You Use Epsom Salt on your Garden

What Happens When You Use Epsom Salts On Your Plants
Using Epsom salt in gardening is not a new concept. This “best kept secret” has been around for many generations, but does it really work, and if so, how?

Epsom salt helps improve flower blooming and enhances a plant’s green color. It can even help plants grow bushier. Epsom salt is made up of hydrated magnesium sulfate, that’s magnesium and sulfur, which is important to healthy plant growth.

Magnesium allows plants to better take in valuable nutrients, like nitrogen and phosphorus. It also helps in the creation of chlorophyll, which is vital for photosynthesis. In addition, magnesium greatly improves a plant’s ability to produce flowers and fruit. If the soil becomes depleted of magnesium, adding Epsom salt will help; and since it poses little danger of overuse like most commercial fertilizers, you can use it safely on nearly all your garden plants.

it’s fairly easy to use Epsom salts on plants. Simply substitute it for regular watering either once or twice a month. Keep in mind that there are a number of formulas out there, so go with whatever works for you. Before applying Epsom salt, however, it’s a good idea to have your soil tested to determine whether it’s deficient of magnesium. You should also be aware that many plants, like beans and leafy vegetables, will happily grow and produce in soils with low levels of magnesium. Plants like roses, tomatoes, and peppers, on the other hand require lots of magnesium, and therefore, are more commonly watered with Epsom salt. When diluted with water, Epsom salt is easily taken up by plants, especially when applied as a foliar spray. Most plants can be misted with a solution of 2 tablespoons of Epsom salt per gallon of water once a month. For more frequent watering, every other week, cut this back to 1 tablespoon. With roses, you can apply a foliar spray of 1 tablespoon per gallon of water for each foot of the shrub’s height. Apply in spring as leaves appear and then again after flowering. For tomatoes and peppers, apply 1 tablespoon of Epsom salt granules around each transplant or spray 1 tbsp. or 30 mL per gallon during transplanting and again following the first bloom and fruit set.

Here are 10 reasons why you should be using it on your plants.

1. Epsom salts in the garden give seeds a better start.
Magnesium boosts seed germination by strengthening cell walls and providing increased energy for growth. Sulfur is easily lost during the germination process, so apply a drench of 1 tablespoon of Epsom salts for every gallon of water to the soil after seeding. Alternately, you can mix 1 tablespoon of Epsom salts into each hole before planting seeds. For grass seeds and wildflowers, sprinkle one cup Epsom salts per 100 square feet, blend into the soil, and water thoroughly. Reapply an Epsom salt drench to seedlings every month during growing season.
2. Epsom salt benefits plants’ nutrient absorption.
Scientific tests indicate that magnesium sulfate can increase cell uptake of key minerals, including nitrogen, phosphorus, and sulfur. In one recent study, testers in five states gave pepper plants a standard drench of 1 tablespoon Epsom salts to one gallon of water, twice a month, and a majority of the treated plants showed thicker foliage and larger vegetables.
3. Epsom salt helps prevent root shock.
Transplanted roots need tender care. To prevent root shock, which causes wilting and leaf discoloration, mix 1 tablespoon of Epsom salt for every one gallon of water and apply to the roots of newly re-potted plants until saturated. Or try adding 1 to 2 teaspoons of dry salts directly to the hole before transplanting a bush or flowers. After tamping down the soil, water thoroughly.

4. Magnesium sulfate is a natural pest deterrent.
Instead of using plain table salt to dehydrate and kill snails and slugs, banish the pests with Epsom salts and you’ll give roots and blooms a boost in the process. For general pest control, mix one cup of Epsom salts with five gallons of water and use a hose-end sprayer to apply to foliage. For slug and snail control, sprinkle dry Epsom salts in the garden around the base of plants.
5. A foliar spray containing Epsom salt boosts plants’ vibrancy.
Mineral deficiencies can interfere with photosynthesis, leaching green color from leaves and interfering with nutrient absorption. If more mature foliage is turning yellow and curling, this may indicate a magnesium deficiency. Try a foliar spray of one tablespoon of Epsom salts mixed with four cups of water for each foot of plant height. Magnesium absorbs well if applied directly to the leaves.

6. Epsom salt for tomatoes—and other fruits and veggies—is a big flavor booster.