Like the human body, plants also need minerals and vitamins to stay healthy and strong. One such supplement is Epsom salt. It is ideal for gardening and growing plants. Epsom salt is available in the drugstore, fertilizer stores, and even in the supermarket. Gardeners often use it because it gives plants a dosage of the very essential magnesium sulfate. Unlike table salt, Epsom salt tastes bitter.
Gardeners recommend this mineral for lush and green plants. It makes plants bigger and busier and enhances fruits and growing vegetables. Epsom salt, which is soluble in water, also boosts overall plant health and vegetation. It’s an excellent plant supplement, giving plants the proper nutrients they need for holistic growth. But this mineral is not good for all plants. This article gives you an insight into Epsom salt and plants.
Why Use Epsom Salt on Plants?
There are several reasons why Epsom salt is good for plants and the overall garden. Some gardeners use it to prepare soil for planting and enhance flowers. Here are some benefits of using Epsom salt:
Magnesium
This is one of the main components of the essential salt. It also includes sulfate and oxygen. These components help plants and vegetables become thick and green. Magnesium helps seeds grow. It boosts chlorophyll production and helps plants take up nitrogen and phosphorus.
Green Foliage and Bloom
Epsom salt makes plants and vegetables lush and green. It enhances the fruits and flowers, giving them density and bloom. In other words, this mineral helps in the development and growth of fruits and flowers - enhancing overall growth.
Nutrients
Expert gardeners like Cameron DePaola recommend the use of Epsom salt for essential nutrients. It makes plants stronger, absorbs more nutrients, and rids pests. Epsom salt improves fruit production. It supports root growth and helps transplant.
Rids Pests
Epsom salt can be used for pest control. Gardeners keep slugs at bay by sprinkling dry Epsom salt around the plant. It also rids off roaches, and there’s no need to use toxic chemicals or sprays. Epsom salt deters garden beetles, too.
How to Use Epsom Salt
You can apply this mineral to the garden by sprinkling it or mixing it into the soil. And water it. Some gardeners prefer to dissolve it in a few cups of water and then water the plants. The diluted solution (Epsom salt and water) can be put around the plant or sprayed on the leaves. It can be used on vegetables like tomatoes, green vegetables, snap beans, cauliflower, carrots, beetroot, apples, sweet potatoes, kale, coffee, bananas, houseplants, and roses, as well as shrubs and trees.
Some Plants Don’t Like Epsom Salt
However, Epsom salt is not applicable to all plants. It is mainly used on plants that are magnesium deficient to enhance growth. This mineral should not be used for plants, like azaleas, blueberries, dogwoods, coniferous trees, rhododendrons, etc., that grow on soils with high pH levels. It can hinder the acidic levels of the soil and plants. Overuse of Epsom salt leads to toxicities in plants. Here’s a list of plants that don’t like Epsom salt:
Woody Plants
Coniferous trees and pine trees are sensitive to magnesium. Epsom salt messes up with their toxicity.
Carnivorous Plants
Insect-eating plants like Venus Flytraps, Sundews, and Pitcher Plants grow in poor-quality soil. They don’t need fertilizers like Epsom, as it could be deadly for them.
Tropical Indoor Plants
Some indoor plants, like fiddle leaf figs, especially tropical ones, do not require Epsom salt. It affects their nutrient balance and causes harm to the overall plant health.
To Use or Not to Use Epsom Salt
So, should you use epsom salt for your garden? It’s advisable for you to check the acidity level of the soil first. If your plants lack magnesium, it’s best to use Epsom salt, but not in excess. Make a soluble solution of Epsom salt and water and spray it on the leaves of the plant, or just water it.
Natural care for plants is the best as too much use of fertilizers also has a negative impact like plants turning yellow or burning up, and it increases the acidity level of soil. Seeds germinate naturally with the help of water and sunlight. It doesn’t necessarily need Epsom salt unless there’s a deficiency.
