If the words “salt” and “succulents” together make you want to scream, this article will probably make your jaw drop!
Because we are going to throw away those rules, and actually encourage you to put salts on your succulents.
Not regular table salts we mean Epsom salts!
This is a gardening myth definitely worth the test because Epsom salts are a great source of vital nutrients your succulent may not be able to get from anywhere else.
In this article: we are going to explain why your beautiful and well-loved succulents will love having Epsom salts in their life. And while too much of a good thing can sometimes be bad, we will also have some useful tips on how to dose and feed Epsom salts to your plants.
Epsom salts are an excellent source of magnesium for living things
Epsom salts are simply magnesium sulfate, named after a district in Surrey where the salt was obtained from chalk springs.
Epsom salts are therefore a rich source of magnesium and Sulphur and are used widely for health, agricultural and horticultural purposes.
For centuries farmers, gardeners and horticulturists have used the Epsom salts to improve the health of plants and crops.
For Succulents: Magnesium sulfate is a great source of two minor, but still essential nutrients that will keep your succulents at their best whether inside or out.
5 great benefits of Epsom salts for succulents
When Epsom salts are used properly in moderation, they can help support and strengthen your succulents to be healthy and vibrant.
The magnesium that Epsom salts provide is highly beneficial for most plants.
Here are some possible advantages you may recognize for your sweet succulent plants.
More vigorous growth
Having adequate magnesium is an important factor in boosting chlorophyll production.
Chlorophyll is the food factory in the plant while capturing sunlight and utilizing it to convert carbon dioxide and water into glucose and oxygen.
This increase in nutrition will allow the succulents to achieve proper growth with strong walls and turgor, causing all the pertness you desire.
Vibrant Coloration
The increased concentration of green chlorophyll in the succulent leaves give the plant a more vivid and vibrant coloration.
Well-supported roots
Epsom salts can also stabilize the roots of your plants and reduce the amount of transplant shock they may experience.
They also help the roots function properly in getting nutrients and minerals into the plant.
The salts help to rebalance nutrient levels in the soils and help transfer nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus for plant growth.
Lowered Soil pH
Succulents thrive in acidic soils.
This can be tough, especially if you’ve been watering your succulents with tap water.
The addition of Epsom salt will reduce the pH of the soil to an acceptable level.
Effective Pest Control
This plain white powder deters pests efficiently such as:
- beetles
- slugs
- snails
You can either spray the succulents with a solution of Epsom salts or sprinkle dry salts on the base of your plant.
Feeding Epsom salts to your succulents
It’s very simple to feed these salts to your succulent because they dissolve so well.
The main concern to the plant is to not overdo it.
A half a tablespoon of Epsom salt in one gallon of water concentration is more than sufficient to use one time per month at the time it is warm.
Just replace normal watering with the Epsom salt joined with water or spray around the base of the plant with the Epsom salt solution.
It is possible to overdose your succulent with Epsom salts
The thing with Epsom salts and their use in gardening, is the experience with the product, will ultimately be good or bad for the gardener, and that experience will inform the type of advice they choose to give you.
Some gardeners think using Epsom salts is a bit of a myth
Unless there is an obvious deficiency of magnesium in a plant, often demonstrated by a deterioration of the foliage and its coloring, many gardeners believe that magnesium will be of little value.
The high solubility of Epsom salts also means the magnesium can be very quickly washed out of the soil by rain, before the succulent can take advantage of it.
Negative effects of Epsom salts on succulents
Epsom salts have many benefits but it is important to remember that it is a salt and both magnesium and sulphur can be damaging in excess.
Here are some of the negative consequences.
Soil nutrient imbalance
Too much Epsom salt can create an imbalance since the potassium and sulphur will displace valuable soil ions and nutrients.
More specifically, a calcium imbalance can develop rapidly since calcium concentrations should always be ten times that of magnesium in order to avoid toxicity.
Salt Injury
The build-up of the ions in Epsom salt causes a build-up in the leaves and other parts of the succulent which can burn the plant from the inside.
A concentrated drench of Epsom salts by spraying onto leaves can also cause leaf scorch.
Stunted Growth
Soil sodium salts can inhibit the growth of the succulent.
Epsom salts could interfere with the succulent’s uptake of calcium that is vital for significant biological processes such as photosynthesis, and absorption of:
- Phosphorous
- Nitrogen
- Potassium
Root Colonization
Elevated soil magnesium levels have been correlated with diminished levels of beneficial root-colonizing bacteria that fix nitrogen.
Aluminum Leaching
Elevated concentrations of magnesium cations can also replace any aluminum in the soil.
Aluminum is toxic and can be taken up by plants and enter aquatic systems.
Rounding Up
If your succulents seem to need some boosting (we have all been there!), think about Epsom salts – but don’t overdo it!
Epsom salts are best added to your succulents feeds when the soil deficiency is magnesium, (is that obvious?), but they should not replace a good complete liquid fertilizer.
If you are using fertilizers along with Epsom salts, check the magnesium levels to make sure you don’t overdose your succulents.
Also remember that Epsom salts can lower pH, possibly making the growing conditions too acidic for your succulent.
If you do decide to useing Epsom salts, be sure to test your plant’s tolerance – use it once and then sporadically! We hope you find that the shape of your plants may benefit (thicker stems, better fat, greener leaves).