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Epsom salt is an all-natural, time-tested mineral compound composed of magnesium, sulfate, and oxygen. Not only
does it make bathwater soft and silky, but a long, relaxing soak in a hot bath full of Epsom salt brings soothing relief
from the aches and pains of a long day digging in the dirt.
But Epsom salt can be used for more than just a muscle-relaxing bath soak. There are a variety of ways that you can use Epsom salt
for plants in your garden as well. Epsom salt offers a surprising number of clever gardening applications.
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House plants, herbs, garden vegetables, lawns, shrubs, trees, vineyards, orchards, and field crops all require nutrient-rich, healthy
soil in order to bloom lushly and produce the highest yield. Read on to learn more about how (and why) to use Epsom salt for
plants in your garden.
Epsom salt is an inexpensive, organic, easy-to-use, natural plant growth stimulant that perks up tired plants and promotes new
growth.
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Magnesium plays a crucial role in photosynthesis by encouraging the production of the chlorophyll that plants use to convert
sunlight into food. An adequate amount of magnesium in the soil also allows plants to absorb nitrogen and phosphorus — both
important fertilizer components found in soil.
Epsom salt, when applied to relieve magnesium deficiency, increases the flavor, quality, and quantity of apple, alfalfa, beet,
cauliflower, carrot, kale, nut, grain, sweet potato, and turnip crops.
Related Post: 23 Genius Epsom Salt Uses For Your Home, Garden, And Wellness (https://insteading.com/blog/epsom-salt-uses/)
Sulfur also promotes the production of enzymes and amino acids that aid in enhancing the flavor of the final product. Although
essential to the growth and development of plants, sulfate is almost never lacking in the soil thanks in part to the extensive use of
synthetic fertilizers.
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To help keep your lawn looking its best, apply it twice yearly. Once in early spring and again in the fall before frost.
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Watering established plants with Epsom salt water flushes the deposits of accumulated natural salts from the soil and improves
overall plant health and vitality.
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Prior to planting newly acquired roses bushes, soak the roots overnight in a 5-gallon bucket of water to which you have added a cup
of Epsom salt. When planting roses, sprinkle a cup of Epsom salt on the planting area and work well into the soil.
Healthy Trees
Magnolias, rhododendrons, azaleas, and evergreens flourish when soil is rich in magnesium. For optimum dense foliage and
flowers, sprinkle a cup of Epsom salt around the base of a shrub before watering. Apply Epsom salt at least every other week during
the growing season.
If you are nurturing a fruit or nut orchard, a generous biyearly application of Epsom salt makes fruits taste sweeter and nuts more
flavorful. In early to midspring and again in late autumn, apply 1 pound of Epsom salt sprinkled around the base of every orchard
tree prior to watering or irrigation.
Before you get to the point of adding Epsom salt to your garden, you’ll want to make sure to determine magnesium is what’s
lacking in the soil. Evaluating and improving your homestead soil increases both plant health and crop production.
You cannot “fix” your soil with Epsom salt or other additives if you don’t know what is wrong. In order to understand the type and
health of the soil, take samples to your local county extension service for a complete soil content evaluation.
County extension offices and state universities offer comprehensive, affordable soil testing services to provide soil composition
results, pH levels, and fertilizer/amendment recommendations.
Soil content varies in different regions of the United States. In many cases, improving aeration, drainage, and water-holding
characteristics is more important than fertilizing.
When soil structure is poor, plants fail to flourish. Much of the soils across the country are basic or alkaline. However, mountain
soils and areas along the eastern coast tend to be acidic. A pH soil test will determine how alkaline or acidic the soil is in your
garden.
Take samples when the soil is fairly dry as overly wet soil can produce false readings. Although garden soil can be tested any time of
the year, early spring or fall testing is preferred because it allows gardeners time to make soil adjustments before planting.
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USDA NRCS SOUTH DAKOTA / FLICKR (CREATIVE COMMONS) (HTTPS://WWW.FLICKR.COM/PHOTOS/NRCS_ SOUTH _ DAKOTA/ 48838691792/ )
1. Make sure the trowel is clean and wiped down with rubbing alcohol to remove contaminants.
2. Dig a hole 3 to 6 inches deep, removing a generous scoop of soil from the sidewall of the hole.
3. Place the soil sample in a plastic bag and label it to indicate the location in the landscape and the type of plant or plants
presently or previously cultivated in that location.
4. When testing larger areas for field crops, collect soil samples from different areas that will be growing similar plants. Samples
can be co-mingled in a clean plastic bucket.
5. Spread the mixed soil samples on sheets of newspaper to dry. When the soil is dry, gather about a 1/2 gallon of the mixture to
submit for testing.
References
All-Natural Home Remedy (https://www.epsomsaltcouncil.org/), Epsom Salt Council
Vinegar and Epsom Salt Herbicides (https://local.extension.umn.edu/local/le-sueur/master-gardeners/article/vinegar-and-
epsom-salt-herbicides), University of Minnesota Extension
The Epsom Salt Myth (https://www.ag.ndsu.edu/yardandgardenreport/documents/the-epsom-salt-myth), North Dakota State
University Extension
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