How to Really Boost Your Garden With Epsom Salt
Posted on July 12 2019
The next time your garden needs a little TLC, you may want to check your beauty cabinet. That's because Magnesium Sulfate (aka Epsom salt) is a personal care product with a one-two punch!
Magnesium is a mineral known to help the body perform over 300 critical functions and while many use Epsom salt during bath time to relieve muscle pain, others maximize the healing benefits of magnesium by applying the salt crystals to their plants.
Curious as to how Epsom salt can amp up your food plants and flowers? Just keep reading!
1. Improve Seed Germination
Germinating your seeds can be a hit or miss at times, so there’s no doubt you want to grow the highest number of seedlings possible. Magnesium is known to help seed germination by strengthening the cell walls, leading to more robust seedlings and a higher survival rate overall.
To do so, mix 1 to 2 tablespoons of Epsom salt into each seedling hole before planting or 1 cup of Epsom salt per 100 square feet of soil.
By adding Epsom salt to the soil before sowing your seeds, you provide them with an extra nutrient supply that wouldn't have been available otherwise.
This added dose of magnesium jumpstarts your seedlings' growth and encourages plant health for the remainder of their life cycle.
2. Prevent/Treat Root Shock
It’s no surprise that when transferring plants to different locations, roots can be damaged. This might lead to transplant shock – when a plant fails to effectively root itself in a new area due to rapid environment change or root damage. This often causes the plant to wilt and can eventually result in death.
But transplant shock can be remedied by applying Epsom salt to the soil where the plant is being replaced. The Epsom salt triggers chlorophyll production which allows for better nutrient absorption which promotes healing.
3. Deter Pests
Some gardeners suggest that applying Epsom salt to the surface of your soil, at the base of your plants, acts as a natural insect repellent because of the physical nature of the salt.
The crystals that make up Epsom salt are uncomfortable for bugs to walk across and can cut the insects that walk over the salt, causing them to dehydrate and die. If you try this method, keep in mind that you'll have to reapply the Epsom salt every so often because it's water soluble and will dissolve into the soil when you water your plants.
4. Treat/Prevent Leaf Curl
Leaf curl is just one symptom of a magnesium deficiency in your plant. Leaf curl is when the tips of the leaves of your plant curl inward towards the base of the leaf. To combat this, simply apply Epsom salt to your soil to begin increasing the magnesium levels.
Otherwise, if your plants haven’t experienced leaf curl yet, adding a dose of magnesium to their soil before the issue pops up will leave you with one less headache in the garden.
5. Remove Tree Stumps
Getting rid of old tree stumps doesn’t have to be as troublesome as it sounds. Stump removal is just one other way Epsom salt is useful in the garden. All you need to do is drill a few holes in the top and sides of the stump and fill them with Epsom salt. Next, you’ll want to water the stump and reapply the salt every 3 to 4 weeks until the stump dies.
It’s a lengthier process than extracting the stump from the get-go, but it’s worth a shot if you’re unable to have the entire stump removed at once.
6. Sweeten Fruits
One of the more popular reasons to use Epsom salt in your garden and one you’ve likely heard of, is that it sweetens your fruit crop. Magnesium boosts chlorophyll production in your plants which increases sugar production in the fruit.
Applying at 1 tablespoon per month should be enough to sweeten your crop.
Greenway Biotech Epsom Salt
Whether you're using Epsom salt to improve your wellbeing or your garden's rest assured that you can't go wrong if using our Epsom salt. Because it's unscented and contains no added chemicals or products, it's the perfect choice to add much needed magnesium in the garden.
You can shop our Epsom salt below or head to our homepage to browse the rest of our garden products.
7 comments
David: Hi there, we’re happy to hear you’re using epsom salt in your garden! Not all epsom salts are made the same in terms of quality which is why ours is at a higher, yet affordable price point for many of our customers. Please let us know if you have any other questions or concerns. Best of luck with your garden!
I bought a 3 lb. bag at Walmart for under $5.
Robin: Hi there, yes Epsom Salt is good for hydrangeas because of the magnesium content.
Is Epsom salt good for hydrangea plants
i soak my hot pepper seeds in a pinch of epsom salt .water about half a glass to cover the seeds .great germination resuts
Hello Joe, thank you for your comment! We’re happy to hear Epsom salt is doing wonders in your garden. When it comes to quality, however, that’s where we differ from other brands, but your preference of Epsom salt is absolutely up to you. Please let us know if you have any questions – we’d be happy to help!
I got 8 lbs of epson salt for 3 bucks on sale at Walgreens. Fragrance free. Seems to work just fine.