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Using Epsom Salts for Your Plants: Benefits & How To Apply

Epsom salts are truly amazing! It is widely acknowledged in the plant-loving community that using a small amount of Epsom salts can greatly benefit your plants by providing essential nutrients that promote growth and flowering.

It is easy to apply as a foliar spray, as a water-drench mixture, or by sprinkling straight on the point of application. 

Are Epsom salts good for plants? Epsom salts are good for plants as they help improve flower blooming while also boosting growth and enhancing foliage color. Epsom salts, or magnesium sulfate, strengthen cell walls and increase energy for growth and are therefore also a great boost for seed germination.

Once you see for yourself the results of using Epsom salts for your plants, you’ll be hooked! Let’s take a closer look at the many benefits and how exactly to use it for different applications.

Epsom Salt for Plants

Epsom salt is known as magnesium sulfate, a mineral compound that has the same appearance as table salt but has different applications and a distinctive, bitter, unsavory taste.

It has a chemical made up of magnesium, sulfur, and oxygen and is mostly recommended for its high magnesium levels, which is a mineral we cannot get enough of.

Benefits of Epsom Salt for Plants

Epsom salt contains magnesium, an essential nutrient for plants to grow; it improves and aids the nutrient uptake in plants.

While assisting the plant in absorbing nutrients more efficiently, it helps the plant look greener.

This is due to the increase of chlorophyll in the leaves, which results in the foliage looking lusher while increasing photosynthesizing action.

Using Epsom salts provides the plant with two essential micronutrients: magnesium and sulfur. Plants that benefit from high micronutrients are roses, tomato plants, and peppers.

On the other hand, leafy vegetable plants will perform well on low magnesium levels, so they do not always benefit from Epsom salts. 

A beneficial bonus of using Epsom salts is the deterrent of garden pests.

However, Epsom salts will not act as a magical pest solution, but it rather serve as a deterrent for pests, slugs, and voles in the garden.

Using Epsom salts in the garden will help neutralize the soil pH and balance the nutrient levels in certain soils.

When the soil has been stripped of nutrients over the years, applying Epsom salts is an excellent way to replace magnesium levels to improve crops.

Many plants struggle to flourish in alkaline soil, so reducing the soil’s pH level will help plants grow better.

Epsom salt should be worked into the soil over time to increase the acidity so the plants perform better.

You can easily keep tabs on your soil’s pH with a special pH monitor, like this inexpensive one that also provides readings for moisture and light levels.

Can Too Much Epsom Salt Hurt Plants?

Take care when applying Epsom salts to the garden as too much can cause an imbalance of nutrients, leading to the plant wilting and essential microbes (typically the nitrogen-fixing bacteria) to be reduced significantly.

Will Epsom Salt Kill Plants?

Yes, Epsom salt can kill plants if added in excess. It is advised to have a lower magnesium level in the soil as the more magnesium in the soil, the less calcium there is too.

Failure of the plant to absorb enough calcium from the soil will lead to the plant dying.

What Plants Benefit From Epsom Salt?

The types of plants that flourish on Epsom salts varies and is not linked to one variety or species.

For example, hydrangeas, roses, and succulents thrive on Epsom salts, and the vegetable patch also enjoys Epsom salts, with cucumbers, peppers, and tomato plants all benefiting from it.

When Should You Apply Epsom Salt?

When applying Epsom salts to the garden, it is advised to do so as a foliar spray used in the springtime as new growth appears and again after blooming.

It can also be mixed with water and added to the soil as a drench when watering plants periodically throughout the growing season.

How Often To Use Epsom Salt on Plants

It is advised to use Epsom salts on plants once a month when using a foliar spray. For soil drenching, the general guideline is to apply Epsom salts once per month.

Where To Buy Epsom Salt for Plants

You can purchase Epsom salt online or from your local health food shop or garden center.

Other places that stock Epsom salts are pharmacies or your local grocery store, although these will be in smaller packages.

Unless you only have one or two small plants, I would recommend Earthborn Elements.

The large, 1-gallon size means you’ll have plenty for your plants, and because it is food-grade, you can use any leftovers for a nice, rejuvenating bath.  

How To Use Epsom Salt on Plants

A bowl overflowing with Epsom salts.

There are different ways of using Epsom salt on plants. You can mix Epsom salts with water for houseplants, roses, and shrubs and apply it as a foliar spray.

Epsom salts can be added directly to the soil via a spreader or diluted and used with a sprayer on lawns and trees.

Adding Directly to the Soil

Epsom salts can be added directly to the soil by simply sprinkling them around plants. It is recommended to add 1 teaspoon for each foot of plant height.

Soil Drench

Epsom salt can be diluted in water and used as a drench to water the plant at the soil level.

Using it as a drench helps the plant utilize the Epsom salts quickly, allowing the plant to grow well and produce more flowers.

The recommended measurement is 1 tablespoon per gallon of water.

Foliar Spray

Dilute Epsom salt in water, and mist or spray the plant foliage about once a month to see results.

This can be repeated once a month at a dosage of 2 tablespoons per gallon of water; if watering more frequently, then reduce to 1 tablespoon per mix.

For Seedlings

Epsom salts will give your seedlings a boost right from the beginning of germination by strengthening the cell walls, which produces more vigorous seedlings.

Simply mix a small amount into the seed-starting mix before planting.

When Planting

Sprinkle 1 cup of Epsom salts per 100 square feet, and mix it into the soil before planting.

This will provide the plant with the building blocks for germination (if planting seeds) and growth while providing vital nutrients for the plants to succeed.

For Houseplants

Epsom salt is a fantastic way to fight soil deficiencies in your house plants by providing magnesium and sulfur micronutrients.

Adding 25 grams per liter of water and watering with this mix once a month will ensure growth and greener foliage.

Related Questions:

Is Baking Soda Good for Plants?

Baking soda can be used to combat black spot rose fungus, treat powdery mildew on plants, and as a fungal spray for tomatoes.

Baking soda is a powerful tool to fight fungal and other diseases in plants; it can be used to make a weed killer and for pest control.

Is Coffee Good for Plants?

Coffee can be good for your plants; coffee grounds are a good nitrogen source in your compost pile.

Coffee grounds are also considered an effective natural pest deterrent for slugs, snails, and ants. 

Conclusion

In conclusion, we can say that using Epsom salts in the garden are beneficial and will improve your plants’ growth and flowering.

It is a natural pest deterrent and a micronutrient provider of magnesium and sulfur, and it can balance the pH of your soil to enhance the growth of your plants.