Every time I go to an online site or read a garden article in the
popular press I seem to find someone recommending Epsom salts for everything
under the sun- increasing plant growth, chasing away bugs, curing disease,
improving flavor, more roses, the miracle things Epsom salt is said to do go on
and on. This is the most popular piece
of false information circulating about gardens.
The problem is that Epsom salts does absolutely nothing helpful
unless you have a rare magnesium deficiency. Unless the soil you garden in was used for
intensive crop farming, or heavy grazing recently, it’s unlikely to be
deficient in magnesium. Sandy soil low
in nitrogen, and very acidic is more prone to magnesium deficiency. A soil test will tell you if your soil is
magnesium deficient.
Epsom salts contain magnesium, which is an essential macro nutrient
for plant growth. When soil magnesium
levels are low, or what is more likely, magnesium can’t be taken up because of
other mineral imbalances, plant leaves may yellow, called chlorosis. Plants may not grow well or produce many
flowers or fruit. But many other things
will cause the same symptoms. Magnesium
deficiency is probably one of the lesser causes.
Magnesium may not be available to plants if conditions are very
dry or cold, even though there is plenty in the soil. These conditions do not require more
magnesium, but correction of the conditions, which often happens naturally. Low nitrogen and an excess of potassium can
inhibit the uptake of magnesium. it’s an
imbalance of soil nutrients not a deficiency of magnesium that usually causes
symptoms.
Adding more magnesium to soil that has enough of it causes additional
problems. Magnesium readily binds with
other soil minerals, like calcium and that prevents plants from getting enough of
those minerals. When soil nutrients get out of balance adding more magnesium is
usually a bad move.
Epsom salt is an inorganic mineral salt, even though there is no
chloride in it. Too much salt burns plant roots or foliage if applied to it. And excess Epsom salt washes into the ground
water, polluting it. Organic growers may think it’s a natural product, but
Epsom salt is manufactured just like commercial fertilizers now.
If you think your plants are lacking something because they aren’t
growing well, you should get a soil test done so you can properly adjust the
problem. If you don’t want to or can’t do
that, try using a good balanced commercial fertilizer and see if that
helps. If your soil is tested and is low
in magnesium most fertilizers have magnesium in the correct balance with other
minerals and nutrients. Farmers often use dolomitic lime for magnesium deficiency,
but don’t use that unless you soil test.
Epsom salt does not chase animals or insects away. It doesn’t kill
slugs unless it touches them before it dissolves. It can make your pet sick though, if it
decides it likes the salty taste and eats it or licks too much off its feet. It’s
a potent laxative. Epsom salts does not
cure fungal or other diseases. It does
not improve the fruit flavor or stop blossom end rot in tomatoes.
There are no scientific studies that have ever proven any benefit
to Epsom salt use in the garden. Despite
all the magazine and on-line articles, all the testimonials given so
enthusiastically, Epsom salt is no miracle cure and can even harm your soil and
your plants. All these sources usually
point to each other as the reference in one giant circular myth. Usually the improvement people think they see
after adding Epsom salt to a garden or pot comes from better weather
conditions, improved watering, or corrections of other nutrient imbalances, notably
nitrogen. Its coincidental.
There’s no reason to have Epsom salts in the garden unless you
want to soak your tired feet, or you are constipated. Spread the word and let’s stop polluting the
soil and water unnecessarily. And to help
stop the he said- she said debate here’s some links to scientific articles that
support what I have just written.
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