Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show: Epsom salts in your landscape – Yay or Nay
A listener recently asked me about using Epsom salts. Thank you, Dawn, for a great idea for a Garden bite! There are varying opinions as to the wisdom of using them.
First, I need to explain that Epsom salts contain magnesium. So I will debunk the notion that Epsom salts will prevent blossom end rot on tomatoes. Can’t do that because blossom end rot is a lack of calcium. In fact, adding too much magnesium to your soil can actually prevent adequate calcium from getting into your plants, making blossom end rot even worse.
So, shot that reason down!
Hmm, so far not so good. But what DOES magnesium do? It allows plants to better take in nitrogen and phosphorus, two elements they need. While magnesium is needed for plants to grow it is a MINOR nutrient, meaning they don’t need much.
But if your soil doesn’t need it, why add it? So therein lies the issue. The photo below is from the University of Minnesota Hort Dept.
You should get a comprehensive soil test before adding any chemical, even the good stuff! I did read in one article a sentence that said, basically, why not try it? Because you should know WHY it’s a good idea or not before trying anything in the garden.
I just talked about garden myth busting a couple of weeks ago and people still feel the need to apply wound dressing (because places still sell it) to pruned trees.
Remember we’re always learning. That’s a cool thing about gardening, the continued discoveries of science as well as old and young gardeners! Here is a lot more on the Garden Myth of using Epsom Salts. You’ll find many “reasons” given by folks to use Epsom salts that are debunked in this article…