Using Epsom salts in the garden is a given…right? I mean it does so many things. Right? In this video I will break down the claims with science and show you which of these claims are false and if there is any reason to ever use Epsom salt in the garden.
MENTIONED VIDEO
Household Ingredient to Transform Your Tomatoes: https://youtu.be/hzzizV1LFds
DIGITAL TABLE OF CONTENTS
01:06 – What are Epsom salts?
01:49 – How do I know if my plants have a magnesium deficiency?
02:19 – How do I know if my plants have a sulfur defeciency?
02:55 – Can I use epsom salt for blossom end rot?
04:09 – Can epsom salt be used as a weed killer?
04:43 – Epsom salt as pesticide or fertilizer
06:00 – Does epsom salt produce for fruit and foliage?
06:14 – Does epsom salt help seeds germinate faster?
06:52 – Does epsom salt increase chlorophyll production?
07:07 – Does using epsom salt allow you to use less fertilizer?
08:12 – How Epsom salt HARMS your garden…THE SCIENCE (studies listed below)
08:59 – Is epsom salt good for ANYTHING in the garden?
SCIENTIFIC STUDIES
Magnesium sulfate is a salt, and excessive levels can cause salt injury to plants (Abid et al. 2008; Ashutosh and Kukadia 2003; Kant et al. 2008; Ramoliya et al. 2004; Velichkova et al. 2011).
Unnecessary applications of magnesium will not increase plant growth (Babu et al. 2007) and might even make growth worse (Ford 1968; Kolukunde et al. 2014).
Excessive use of magnesium sulfate can cause plant deficiencies of boron (Hunter et al. 1986), iron and manganese (Finér 1992), potassium (Bull and Chapas 1956), and calcium (Azizi et al. 2011; Vafaie et al. 2013; Weber-Blaschke and Rehfuess 2002)
Overuse of magnesium sulfate has been linked to reduced root colonization of beneficial microbes such as nitrogen-fixing bacteria (Mazher et al. 2006) and mycorrhizal fungi (Gharineh et al. 2009).
Excessive amounts of soil magnesium can release aluminum from the soil, making this toxic metal available to plants and aquatic systems (Bigelow and Canham 2010; Weber-Blaschke and Rehfuess 2002).
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24 Comments
Not a fan of Epsom Salts in the garden. Tried it in one of my beds with some plants, and some without…I saw no difference whatsoever.
I tried epsom salt in my garden this year with one plant and it made my tomato's taste awful … The plant produced alot of smaller tomato's but they tasted so nasty and salty /bitter tasting … I did not like it one bit .
Wasn't it the Romans who burned down Carthage and "Salted" the earth so nothing would grow?
This is interesting because I use Epsom salt around our swimming pool and my fence line to kill Graham, so how could it possibly be good for plants?
I am FAR from an expert! Last year was my first real year of gardening. We had amazing plants that we planted late abd was devastated by a hailstorm the first of July. I stood in the yard and cried, then prayed finally went to the internet. I feed nearly destroyed tomato and other plants Epson salt, over ripe blended banana peels, egg shells, diy "compost tea" (I put garden scraps in a container with holes inside another bucket of water. Left sitting in the sun). Most of the tomato plants were only 18" tall with a few leaves. When we harvested 1,200 green tomatoes in October the indeterminate tomato plants were loaded and about 5' tall and 5-6' wide. The Roma plants were loaded and about 4½' tall. As I said we harvested 1,200 green tomatoes and ripened them in layered strawberry boxes with a banana in our basement. Most all of them ripened beautifully except those that were slightly damaged by frost. I believe the Epson salt was helpful or we got "lucky". We actually believe it was knowledge and a bountiful harvest provided by God!
I've never considered using epsom salts as it never made any sense to me. I am fully aware of all the gimmicks, pseudo science, and hocus pocus involved in the garden industry and community. I am also aware of how peoples biases translate to their perceptions, without actual evidence. You see it everyday. If I ever thought I was low on magnesium, I might consider an application, but I would have no reason to consider multiple applications. Glad you posted this as this is the type of stuff people need to hear, imo.
Hey! I used a mix of Epsom salts, powdered eggshell, sugar, banana peels, yeast and wood ash, mixed with warm water and it completely revived my strawberry plants, my peppers, tomatoes and chillies boosted. So it makes me wonder what aspect of this mix actually helped? Because it definitely did help. Even then, I use this mix sparingly.
It's good for soaking your feet in. 😂😊
I always thought salt is used to destroy soil so you can’t grow anything.
I'm trying one application of 1tb to 1gl water now for my garlic bed
I was growing peppers inside in the arrow garden and one morning.They just looked bad.Epsom salts was the solution
I have tried it…but nothing special… stopped using it!
Only thing Epsom salt does…is relieve sore muscles from working in your garden if you soak in a hot bath. 🛀
But Brawndo is what plants crave
Haven't had a garden much lately but I do believe in Epsom salts in my garden. I've always had great results with it and I used to put the Epsom salt in a spray bottle shake it up so it dissolve and spray it on my roses and they'd stop getting those little brown spots on them and they would grow more roses. It was cool but my rose bush no longer here anymore but I remember that
Waaaaay over used
Maybe it is the wrong Magnesium? Ì have hunted for he Right Magnesium, which is Bisglycenate… Not Sulpher Type.
But no, i dont use Epsom Salts for gardening.
Thanks for this valuable information.
never used it in garden
Epsom salts or magnesium sulfate used as a foliar twice per week will increase brix levels in medicinal herbs. Dilution is 1tsp/gal in distilled or reverse osmosis water. Most tap water is too hard!!!!!
Avoid soil applications as this will lockup calcium in most environments.
I will never use Epsom salt in my garden. Salt does not belong in soil.
Thank you Brian.
I dunno….. when I add Epsom salts, my tomatoes grow like crazy. The year I did not….. absolute crap. Watering was the same. I added calcium to combat end blossom rot, but that was pointless for all the good it did. I plum forgot about Epsom Salts that year.
Next summer…. back to the Epsom Salts. (New puppy last summer….. no growing ANYTHING….but our beds are well turned over now, LOL!)
Y'all…. Epsom salts is not salt like you put on your tomatoes on your plate.
I prefer to use Brawndo