What are the benefits of Epsom salt in gardening?
Answers
It is controversial whether it is beneficial for gardening! Some consider natural, low-cost Epsom salts a bonus for planting, an easy way to get more blooms, better fruits and veggies, and lusher lawns. Others think these claims are a myth or the effects of Epsom salts are negligible. Nutrients like sulphur and Magnesium are considered secondary for plant growth.
Sulphur helps build chlorophyll, more enhanced nitrogen use, and plants become more resistant to diseases. Magnesium strengthens plants’ cellular structure, and plants absorb nutrients such as phosphorus better with the presence of Magnesium. Most soils are rich in sulphur, but they may be low in Magnesium.
Epsom salt provides soil with Magnesium, but anti-Epsom salt people say that Magnesium plays a minor role in fruitful gardening.
Epsom salt – magnesium sulphate – helps seeds germinate, makes plants grow bushier, creates more flowers, improves chlorophyll production, and prevents pests, such as slugs and voles. It also provides essential nutrients to supplement your standard fertilizer.
Cornell University Assistant Professor Neil Mattson states plants will show visual signals if they are starved for a specific nutrient. If a plant’s leaves turn yellow, it can signify they need more sulphate. If lower leaves turn gradually yellow between the veins (that is, the veins remain green), they may require more magnesium.
Some nutrient conditions can look alike, so growers can contact their county extension agents before they plant to test a soil sample or if they detect a problem, they can bring in a plant for diagnosis. “Plants require those building blocks,” says Mattson. “Magnesium and sulphur are fundamental nutrients.”
Although magnesium and sulphur appear naturally in soil, they can be weakened by various conditions, such as heavy agricultural use. But unlike most commercial fertilizers, which build up in the soil over time, Epsom Salt is not persistent, and you can’t overuse it.
Mattson – adding Epsom salt to his fertilizer for plants like roses, pansies, petunias, and impatiens – states gardeners can proactively mix Epsom salt with fertilizer and add it to their soil every month. Alternatively, they can combine one tablespoon with a gallon of water and spray leaves directly every two weeks.
Epsom Salt is recommended by professional Gardeners and is regularly used by commercial growers worldwide. Tests by the National Gardening Association guarantee that roses fertilized with Epsom Salt grow bushier and deliver more flowers. It also causes pepper plants to grow larger than those treated with commercial fertilizer.
