Home remedies are popular with many gardeners, and for good reason -- they're inexpensive and often use items that can be found around the house. Epsom salts, which many people already have in their bathroom cabinets, can be used as a simple home remedy to improve the magnesium content of soil and to fertilize vegetables to improve yield. Epsom salts are a gentle, organic alternative to chemical fertilizers.
About Epsom Salts
Epsom salts are chemically made up of hydrated magnesium sulfate, with a composition of approximately 10 percent magnesium and 12 percent sulfur. It is a natural mineral, originally discovered in the well water of Epsom, England, and it has been used to treat everything from soreness to congestion to headaches over the years. The application of Epsom salts to plants and soil will increase the magnesium and sulfur content, which in turn, leads to a higher yield, enriched soil and healthier and more flavorful vegetables.
Using Epsom Salts in Soil
Adding Epsom salts to soil will increase the magnesium content, improving your garden's ability to support healthy plants. Old, weathered soil with a low pH count is likely to be deficient in magnesium, such as much of the soil in the Pacific Northwest and Southeast. You can prepare your soil for a rich garden by sprinkling 1 cup of Epsom salts over each 100 square feet, then working it into the soil before planting. Epsom salts can also be dissolved into water at a 1 tbsp. to gallon ratio and added to soil after plants have begun to sprout.
Using Epsom Salts on Vegetables and Plants
To apply Epsom salts directly to vegetables and plants, dissolve 2 tbsp. of Epsom salts into a gallon of water, and pour the resulting liquid into a spray bottle. Spray down plants with the Epsom salt mixture when the plant begins to sprout, at the first flowering, and at the first fruit set. For houseplants, you can replace one watering per month with an Epsom salt-enriched formula. Pay close attention to signs of possibly magnesium deficiency, such as curled, yellow leaves, that indicate that you should increase the amount of Epsom salt you're treating your garden with.
How it Works
Epsom salts work to improve vegetables because they provide additional magnesium and sulfur to boost plants' abilities to grow healthily. Magnesium contributes to seed germination, production of cholorphyll, fruit and nuts. It also helps to strength cell walls and increases the plant's ability to absorb nitrogen, phosphorus and sulfur. Sulfur is another essential part of healthy plant growth, as it assists in the production of vitamins, protein and enzymes. Sulfur also gives vegetables such as onions and broccoli their flavor.
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