Unlock the hidden power in your pantry to grow healthier, prettier flowers, vegetables, and trees.
This inexpensive item might be just what you need to grow green, healthy plants with more blooms! You can also find out if you can use Epsom salt on succulents here.
So, let’s discover why Epsom salts are the superfood for plants!
What Are Epsom Salts?
Epsom salts is the common name for magnesium sulfate, named for a town called “epsom” near Surrey, England, where the substance was originally discovered, the water there containing high magnesium sulfate content.
Magnesium and sulfur are both nutrients that are needed for plant growth, and they are “micronutrients,” which support plants in many ways.
You may have heard of “macronutrients,” which are nutrients that plants need in larger amounts, the main three are nitrogen (N), phosphorous (P), and Potassium (K). You have likely seen “N-P-K,” which are the macronutrients, on fertilizer packages.
What Are The Benefits Of Epsom Salts For Plants?
Here are just a few of the many benefits of using Epsom salts for plants:
Better Nutrient Uptake
As we just covered, Epsom salts are micronutrients. One of the roles that micronutrients have is to increase the uptake of macronutrients.
Epsom salts, for example, facilitate plants’ uptake of macronutrients, such as nitrogen. In fact, magnesium is essential in the plant’s ability to process phosphorus, and that helps the plant’s overall health as it is supplied with a vast and full complement of nutrients.
Greener Foliage
Magnesium, the main ingredient in Epsom salts, is also a major component of chlorophyll.
Quick Science: Chlorophyll is a pigment in the leaves. It absorbs blue and red light waves from the sunlight and reflects green light waves. That’s why plant leaves appear green!
The leaves function to absorb sunlight and re-work that sunlight into energy for the plants to use to grow. This process is known as photosynthesis. Without this process, plants can’t grow!
Thus, applying Epsom salt to your plants will help them maintain a healthy green color!
Balances Nutrients
If the soil lacks nutrients, Epsom salts can be used to help balance them out.
Often, when growing tomatoes, for example, your soil lacks enough magnesium to allow for proper growth.
Epsom salts offer a simple, effective, and inexpensive way to inject your plants, in this case, tomatoes, with the needed magnesium.
Natural Pest Deterrent
Pests are a gardener’s worst nightmare! But we don’t always want to use chemicals to eradicate them, especially on the veggies we are eating.
Epsom salts provides a natural way to repel pests, such as beetles.
The Importance Of Soil Testing
Chances are you have thought to yourself at least once, “Will Epsom salt hurt my soil?” Good news, it won’t hurt your soil, but you will want to do a soil test prior to putting anything in your soil, including Epsom salts. The only way to understand how much magnesium is in your soil is to do a soil test.
There are definitely a lot of benefits when it comes to Epsom salts and plants, but be aware of using too much.
Hence, you should test your soil to avoid using too much Epsom salts which can cause some plants harm.
Epsom salts will NOT replace fertilizer. We suggest using Epsom salts alongside a balanced fertilizer.
9 Plants That Thrive With Epsom Salts
Now that you know all the benefits of Epsom salts for plants, here are 9 plants that enjoy Epsom salts:
1 – Roses
Encourage Lush Blooms And Vibrant Foliage
Roses are the flower of love and do you know what roses love? Epsom salts!
Whether you have tea roses, climbing roses, grandiflora roses, or miniature roses, you can find a type that fits your style. Their blooms are also famous, as they come in all sorts of colours including:
- Classic red
- Pretty pink
- Elegant white
- Friendly yellow
- Dramatic blue
Whatever colour it may be, you are going to want those big beautiful blooms. Epsom salts are a great, cost-effective amendment to use on your roses to ensure bigger blooms and the overall health of the plant.
If you ever question “how much Epsom salt to use for roses” you can utilize our simple guide below:
How To Use Epsom Salts On Roses
Planting: Add 1 tablespoon in each planting hole before planting
Root: This method helps roots recover and acclimate. Dissolve ½ cup of Epsom salt in 1 gallon (3.78 liters).
- Place unplanted roses into the solution to soak for 1 hour
Base Application: To promote base cane growth and flowering, work ½ cup of Epsom salts into soil around the base of your roses.
- Do this once in the Spring
Watering: Dissolve 2 tablespoons of Epsom salts into 1 gallon (3.78 litres) of water. Use this to water your roses.
- You can use this once a month or every 2 to 4 weeks in the peak growing season
Foliage Spray: Dissolve 1 tablespoon of Epsom salts in 1 gallon (3.78 liters) of water and spray directly on the leaves.
- Apply every week
- Always do this early morning or evening… again, not in the heat of the day
- And it keeps the unwanted away
2 – Tomatoes
For Sweeter, More Abundant Fruits
Who doesn’t love the sweet taste of home-grown tomatoes?! I could snack on just the cherry tomatoes right off the plant!
Tomatoes are also one of the plants that love Epsom salts, and applying Epsom salts to a vegetable garden can help in so many ways.
Use Epsom salt for tomato plants to encourage leaf growth and root development, which results in increased harvest.
Epsom salts help to prevent blossom end rot and deliver larger and better production yield.
How To Use Epsom Salts On Tomatoes
Base application: Dissolve 1 tablespoon of Epsom salts in 1 gallon (3.78 liters) of water. Use this to water your tomatoes.
- Apply every 2 weeks in peak growing season
Foliage spray: Dissolve 1 tablespoon of Epsom salts in 1 gallon (3.78 liters) of water and spray directly on the leaves.
- Always do this early morning or evening, not in the heat of the day
3 – Peppers
Spice Up Your Harvest with Epsom Salt Magic
Whether you are growing bell peppers or hot peppers, you will want to use Epsom salts when you are gardening!
Magnesium aids in building more robust cell walls in peppers, therefore allowing the peppers to absorb more nutrients.
Epsom salts also promote a greater number of flowers to produce, which means enhanced and improved harvesting capacity!
How To Use Epsom Salts On Peppers
Planting: Add 1 tablespoon of Epsom salt into each hole before planting
Foliage Spray: Dissolve 1 tablespoon of Epsom salts in 1 gallon (3.78 liters) of water and spray directly to your pepper plants.
- Apply when your peppers begin to bloom
- Reapply after 10 days
- Always do this early morning or evening, not in the heat of the day
4 – Eggplant
Bigger, Tastier Eggplants Within Reach
Eggplants belong to the nightshade family. They also contribute to many delicious recipes!
No matter if your favourite recipe is eggplant lasagne or baba ganoush it’s your goal to help your plants produce bigger, better tastier eggplants!
Like other members of the nightshade family such as tomatoes and peppers, Epsom salt will also benefit eggplants.
Using Epsom salts on eggplants has various benefits:
- Improves overall plant health
- Promotes greener leaves
- Encourages more blooms
- Helps prevent blossom-end rot
- Increases the size and quantity of fruits
- Bigger harvests
How To Use Epsom Salts On Eggplants
Planting: Fold in 1 tablespoon in each hole you dig before planting
Foliage application: Dissolve 1 tablespoon of Epsom salt in 1 gallon (3.78 liters) of water and spray it onto your eggplants.
- Apply when the eggplants start to bloom
- Reapply after 10 days
- Always apply either in the early morning or evening, and don’t apply in the heat of the day
5 – Hydrangeas
Dazzling Blooms in Vibrant Colors
Hydrangeas in full bloom is a sight-show in any garden landscape.
Did you know that epsom salts can help hydrangeas change color? The color of hydrangeas blooms is influenced by the soil pH.
This is how the pH of soil affects the color:
- Blue flowers: Soil with a pH of 5.5 or less
- Pink flowers: soil with a pH of 6.5 or greater
- Purple flowers: soil that keeps its pH within 5.5-5.6
Epsom salts help to lower pH so the flowers turn blue!
The magnesium found in epsom salts also helps your hydrangeas to be more healthy and produces larger and vibrant blooms. Epsom salt is great for flowering plants.
How To Use Epsom Salts On Hydrangeas
Root application: Dissolve 1 tablespoon of Epsom salts in 1 gallon (3.78 liters) of water.
- Apply to the roots of your hydrangeas.
- You can apply this every 2 to 4 weeks during the peak growing season.
6 – Crape Myrtles
Enhance Flowering and Overall Plant Health
Crape myrtles bring beauty to your garden all year round. From the amazing flowers in summer to the brilliant fall colors, crape myrtle is a great addition to your space.
They bloom profusely and their flowers come in colors of:
- Reds
- Pinks
- Purple
- White
They come in several sizes, too: smaller bushes and giant trees that grow up to 30 feet (9.14 meters) high and 15 feet (4.57 meters) wide!
With all this extensive growth, you need to ensure they get their needed nutrients!
Using Epsom salts to feed and help your crape myrtles is a great way to get more blooms and promote solid overall growth.
How To Use Epsom Salts On Crape Myrtles
Root application: Dissolve 1 tablespoon of Epsom salts in 1 gallon (3.78 liters) of water and apply around the roots of your crape myrtle bush or tree.
- With a newly planted crape myrtle you will apply only once a month
- With an established crape myrtle you can apply every 2 to 4 weeks during the peak growing season
Foliage spray: Dissolve 1 tablespoon of Epsom salts in 1 gallon (3.78 liters) of water and spray directly on leaves.
- Make sure to always do this early in the morning or evening. Never in the heat of the day
7 – Fruit Trees (Citrus, Apple, Mango)
Encourage Fruit Production and Tree Health
There is nothing like going out to pick a piece of fruit straight from the tree!
If you’re a gardener, you know how crucial it is to get healthy fruit growth. Have you heard about Epsom salts? Epsom salts can be helpful to a tree’s health and fruit production!
You can use Epsom salts on a variety of fruit trees, that are macro-nutrient deficient, including:
- Citrus
- Apple
- Mango
Magnesium needs as an essential nutrient in plant growth. The magnesium in Epsom salts can also help the plant absorb nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium.
You would be surprised at the benefits of using Epsom salt on your fruit trees, including:
- Increase flower/fruit production
- Leaves are greener and healthier
- Overall tree health
How To Use Epsom Salts On Fruit Trees
Root application: Mix 2 tablespoons into 1 gallon (3.78 liters) of water and apply around the roots of your crape myrtle bush/tree.
- Apply once a month.
Foliage spray: Mix 1 tablespoon into 1 gallon (3.78 liters) of water and spray directly on foliage!
- Always do this early morning or late evening before the heat of the day or direct sun.
8 – Ferns
Lush, Greener Foliage for a Tropical Touch
Glorious green ferns give you that tropical feel and niche from wherever you may be indoors or outdoors you just want to keep them looking lush and green.
I mean nothing kills that tropical vibe like wilted yellowing ferns, so come on – don’t let your ferns die, use Epsom salts on your fern plants!
Epsom salts are crucial in the making of chlorophyll. Chlorophyll is what gives leaves their luscious green color.
So, if you wanna keep your ferns a nice healthy green color then you use Epsom salts!
How To Use Epsom Salts On Ferns
Base Application: Dissolve 2 tablespoons of Epsom salts in 1 gallon (3.78 liters) of water then drench the base of your ferns.
- Use this every week to water your ferns.
Foliage Spray: Dissolve 2 tablespoons of Epsom salts in 1 gallon (3.78 liters) of water and spray directly on the leaves.
9 – African Violets
Vibrant Blooms and Flourishing Foliage for Indoor Beauty
African violets make a beautiful small house plant. Their leaves are a velvety deep green and when the flowers bloom they appear in:
- Purple
- Pink
- White
African violets actually prefer smaller pots, which are perfect for small spaces.
While African violets do well in most homes, they can be a little tricky! They require nutrients, in order to grow their wonderful blooms. This is the point where Epsom salts can help!
- Using Epsom salts to fertilize your African violets promotes increased blooming
- Since epsom salt incorporates extra chlorophyll in the leaves, it also makes the leaves greener
- Epsom salts help plants uptake nutrients so you will have much healthier foliage
How To Use Epsom Salts On African Violets
These small plants require small doses!
Too much Epsom salts can scorch the leaves. Before you apply Epsom salts, you should check to see if you do have a magnesium deficiency – some signs are:
- Yellowing leaves
- Brittle leaves
- Light green leaves
Seeds: Epsom salts promote seed germination. Mix 1 tablespoon of Epsom salts in 1 gallon (3.78 liters) of water and use to water your newly planted seed.
Base Application: Dissolve 1 tablespoon of Epsom salts in 1 gallon (3.78 liters) of water and apply at the base of the African violets. Be careful not to get this on the leaves.
- You can apply this once a month, or every 2 to 4 weeks during peak growing season.
You should never use epsom salts as a foliage spray on African Violets. The little hairs on the leaves will hold fluid well.luid which causes leaf scorch.