Caring for your plants properly should be a priority for those passionate about green and environmentally friendly living. However, making sure you use the right treatments can be quite confusing. You read one ‘solution’ – and then another ‘solution’ appears, which sounds contradictory. This can be not very clear. One common example of this revolves around using Epsom salt for plants.
Today, many people proclaim that using Epsom salts in gardening is a game-changer. It is a very popular supplement used in gardening and landscaping today. Noted for their excellent attributes paired with their versatility and affordability, Epsom salts provide a great many uses in gardening. Can you use it on your plants, though?
What are Epsom Salts?
Epsom salts are also known as Magnesium Sulfate. It is a versatile product akin to salt, hence the name, but it differs in some key ways. This naturally-occurring product comes from a mineral known as epsomite (hence the name) – a mixture of sulfur, oxygen, and magnesium. Unlike salt that you put on food to enhance the flavor, Epsom salts are bitter and unsuitable for cooking. They can, though, be perfect for your plants and your gardening!
For years, Epsom salts have been used in gardening. When used properly, it can help to create rich, luscious grass patches and vibrant plant life. For many gardeners, this is the ‘secret’ that they use that they do not tell others about. Epsom salt works alongside fertilizers and other plant products to bring out the best in that fertilizer.
Why Should I Use this for the Plants?
Epsom salts help out our gardens due to the richness of magnesium and sulfate. These minerals are vital for plant health and add extra vitality, vibrancy, and potency to your plant life. Compared to a chemical supplement containing magnesium and sulfate, Epsom salts are the winner because it does not build up in the soil, which means avoiding overexposure.
Magnesium is vital for plant health, assisting in photosynthesis by aiding in the creation of chlorophyll, which plants use to turn sunlight into sustenance. Sulfate is needed as it helps make our plants longer-lasting and generally healthy and aids in chlorophyll production. It also enhances key soil nutrients like potassium and nitrogen, ensuring better results.
The presence of magnesium also helps with yield, too. Magnesium must be present if you are trying to produce more quantitative amounts of flowers and/or fruit. It plays a massive role in determining the yield of any crop.
Another huge benefit of using Epsom salts is that it is highly unlikely that you will use too much. Compared to chemical plant treatments, where even a little in excess can damage your crop, that is not the case here.
Lastly, adding Epsom salt to plants can help to neutralize the soil pH. This makes it safer for certain plant types. At the same time, though, you should not use Epsom salt on your plants if you have acidic soil. Using Epsom salts in acidic soil will only exasperate the issues you are dealing with.
It can also help to fend off and remove potential pests. Many pests will not interact with certain soil types, and some will not go near Epsom salts when they sense them. However, it is not a catch-all pest suppressant, so if pests are your main problem, you might need to look for another solution.
How Do You Use Epsom Salt for Plants?
The beauty of adding Epsom salts to your plant life is that it is so simple to do!
Before you start, though, there are a couple of things that you should take into account. For one, you do not want to add Epsom salts into every watering you do. Even once or twice a month will be enough to give the plants the benefits of Epsom salts.
It would help if you also got your soil tested. This will let you know if you have to include Epsom salts. If your soil comes back with high levels of magnesium, then you might find that the problem you are having is coming from elsewhere. You only need to use Epsom salts for plants when there is a magnesium deficiency.
Could you take the time to look into what you are growing, too? For example, you will find that many plants and goods in your garden have low magnesium needs. Leafy vegetables, in particular, will grow even with low magnesium quantities. So, if they are not evolving as you want, you might not need additional Epsom salts – it might be something else entirely.
Conversely, if you are growing anything like tomatoes or peppers or even trying to care for some roses, you will need to include more magnesium in your feed. Test the soil after each use of Epsom salts, and you should find that the magnesium levels reach the optimal amount.
Adding Epsom Salt To Your Plants
It would be best if you watered your plants using a water mixture with Epsom salts. You do not have to pour the Epsom salts into the plant bay; you need to use Epsom salts-added water once or twice per month.
How much Epsom salt should you use, then? It depends. Most of the time, you only need to mist your plants with Epsom salts and water solution. Aim for a region of two tablespoons of Epsom salts per gallon of water used. Carry this out once per month. If you prefer a more regular Epsom salts watering schedule, then half the quantity and use only one tablespoon of Epsom salts – and then do this twice monthly, not once.
Remember to keep watering your plants on their normal routine, only adding in the Epsom salts mixture once or twice per month. You should also do some reading into the plants that you are growing. As mentioned before, what you are growing can change the amount of Epsom salts you need.
Conclusion
As you can see, Epsom salts bring many benefits to our plants and gardens. Despite lacking major key nutrients, this can be used alongside a balanced fertilizer to ensure your plants get enough micronutrients. Make sure your soil is suitable for using Epsom salts, and if it is, then you should start using this once or twice per month, depending on the needs of your plants. Use this often enough, and it can save you a lot of headaches down the line!
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