Every outpouring , articles and societal media posts encouraging you to use Epsom Strategic Arms Limitation Talks in your lawn and garden are ubiquitous . They claim that Epsom salt create magnanimous blooms , “ bushier ” shrubs , greener grass , and even controls pests . The truth is , there are no scientific studies – not one – to back up the claims about Epsom Salt , and for the most part , these are , at best , urban myth .
The claims for Epsom salts include:
8 facts about Epsom Salt for lawn and garden
1. Epsom salt does not encourage flower blooms or greener grass
Many articles exact that adding Epsom Salt to dirt and around tooth root when plantingtomatoes , peppers , and other vegetables boosts magnesium and atomic number 16 layer , which arouse blooms . The problem with this call is that few grunge are deficient in magnesium or sulfur except for very sandy soils that have a great deal of rain . And with any fertilizer , more is not better – every plant requires specific amounts ofnitrogen , K , phosphorus , atomic number 12 , atomic number 20 , sulfur , and other elements , and what they do n’t take up wash drawing away as a pollutant . If a industrial plant is n’t taking up enough atomic number 12 , the problem normally is too much potassium in the dirt . tot more atomic number 12 wo n’t improve the situation at all , as the plant ca n’t take it up . atomic number 12 and sulfur are micronutrients for plants – they only need small amounts for optimum health .
2. Epsom Salt is used in commercial agriculture
This is true sometimes . Agricultural crops are intensively cultivated yr after year , unlike your garden . Farmers usesoil teststo shape if the territory is deficient in Magnesium or Sulfur . If the soil test shows it is , the farmer may choose to contribute Epsom saltiness to their fertilizer regime .
3. Epsom Salt does not discourage Blossom End Rot in tomatoes.
bloom ending Rotis due to a want of atomic number 20 and too much rainwater in a scant point . atomic number 12 compete with Ca for consumption , so adding Epsom Salt around your tomatoes could worsen this trouble .
4. It’s false that Epsom Salt is highly soluble, so it can’t be overused.
Highly soluble chemicals that are n’t needed by industrial plant do n’t just melt from the environment – they wash away to somewhere else , like your local waterways or neighboring properties . This includes fertilizer . Chemicals should never be added unless utterly necessary .
5. Epsom salt has no proven value as a pesticide.
In scientific examination , the pesticide claims for Epsom common salt do not defy up . Epsom salt is found to be of no value in killing insect , including slug , at any stage in their development . A similar lack of result has been incur in claim that Epsom salts can reducepowdery mildewand Malus pumila scab .
6. Epsom salt does not help seeds germinate
As far as the title that Epsom salt helps seeds germinate , seeds already have all they need to germinate and require nothing else . If you commence seed in a timber starting metier with a heat lustrelessness and proper wet , the seed will bourgeon just fine .
7. No studies show that Epsom salt improves the health of trees and shrubs
Claims that Epsom salt improves the health ofshrubs and treeshave not been reproduced and verified in any studies . Used as a foliar spray , Epsom salinity result may in reality cause leafage scorch .
8. Epsom salt may actually harm your lawn, not help it
The use of Epsom salt for lawn is discourage because smoke does n’t require magnesium . Epsom Strategic Arms Limitation Talks is sometimes used to invigorate pasture land ( once again , a craw under weighed down cultivation ) . But it is only a irregular solution , as literally half of the Epsom common salt wash out away when it rain .
The bottom line on Epsom salt
Few grime are substandard in Magnesium or Sulfur , and plants will only use as much of these nutrient as they necessitate . The only path to recognize for sure if your soil is miss in any element is to have it test by an accredited soil research laboratory . If your examination outcome note a deficiency , you should only add the element / s needed and in proper quantities to add the soil into the normal range .
reference : bust the Epsom Salts Myth from Linda Chalker - Scott , Ph . D.;Iowa State University : Gardening myth .
