Gardening Question of the Week - Do Epsom Salts Really Do Anything for Plants?
Thursday April 24, 2008
Gloria emailed me recently asking if Epsom salts really did any good for tomatoes and, if so, what other plants would benefit from adding a handful? Although gardeners have sworn by Epsom salts for years, there is really very little research based evidence that adding Epsom salts at planting or using it as a supplemental fertilizer makes any difference in how plants grow. Still, I always lean on the side of experienced gardeners. Sometimes it takes science awhile to catch up. If you’d like to try experimenting on your own, here are some tips for using Epsom salts in your gardens. And for the fun of it, take the poll and let’s see how many of you are already Epsom salt believers.
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Photo: © Marie Iannotti (2008) licensed to About.com, Inc.
Comments
I did an experiment with Epsom salts and several identical potted plants. I increased the salt concentration from zero in the first pot to a very high concentration in the last intended to kill the plants. I controlled the experiment for about three weeks. I did separate experiments on peas and beans. A bit of epsom salts increased growth over plain potting soil. However, it rapidly became toxic in higher concentrations. The peas were more resistant than the beans. So, my comment is… a little helps, but too much can kill, so err on the side of too little rather than too much.
Isn’t that true with so many things. I noticed a couple of fertilizers that were including Epsom salts, so we’ll really have to take care not to over do it.
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