Epsom Salts for Plants | The Complete Guide

Believe it or not, epsom salts are the great gardener’s secret. Containing both magnesium and sulfur, it’s a great addition to any garden, offering vital nutrients and creating greener, lusher plants. 

If your plant’s leaves are turning yellow, it might have a sulfate deficiency. If your plant’s leaves are turning yellow but the veins remain green, it might have a magnesium deficiency. Epsom salts are a great solution for both of these problems.

Here’s how to use epsom salts to improve your plant’s health.

Are Epsom Salts Good for Plants?

Yes! Epsom salts are good for plant health. It helps with flower and fruit production by encouraging blooming. It also enhances green color in the plants and often encourages plants to grow bushier and lusher.

What Does Epsom Salt Do for Plants?

Epsom salt is made of hydrated magnesium sulfate, containing both magnesium and sulfur. Magnesium allows plants to take in valuable nutrients like nitrogen and helps to create chlorophyll which is a necessary component of photosynthesis. Magnesium also improves your plant’s ability to produce flowers and fruit. This is alongside a hosts of other benefits including balancing nutrient levels, neutralizing soil pH levels, and more.

Which Plants Like Epsom Salts?

Some plants like high magnesium levels while others prefer lower levels. Plants like tomatoes, roses, and pepper need lots of magnesium. As such, they respond very well to Epsom salts.

What Plants Don’t Like Epsom Salts?

Some vegetables prefer lower levels of magnesium. Beans and leafy vegetables prosper in soils with low magnesium. These kinds of plants will either have no reaction or adverse reactions to the addition of Epsom salts.

Epsom Salt Uses for Plants

• Provides micronutrients
• Deters pests (voles and slugs)
• Balances nutrient levels
• Balances nutrient levels
• Neutralizes soil pH (for high soil pH excess of 7.5)
• Makes plants greener

WARNING: Epsom salts cannot replace a complete fertilizer. Be sure to use in addition to fertilizer and complete soil system — not as a replacement.

How to Use Epsom Salts for Plants?

There are many ways to use Epsom salt on your plants. We suggest using a foliar spray. Substitute a foliar spray in place of a regular watering once or twice a month. Mist your plant leaves lightly with a solution of 2 Tablespoon Epsom salts per gallon of water. If you’re watering with Epsom salts more frequently, halve the amount of Epsom salts per gallon of water.

How Much Epsom Salt for Plants?

The magic solution is 1-2 Tbsp of Epsom salts per gallon of water.

How Often Should You Put Epsom Salt on Plants?

We suggest using an Epsom salts spray once or twice a month — maximum. Too much salts may create acidity in the soil and cause issues for your plant.

Epsom Salt for Potted Plants

Potted plants and container gardens respond similarly to garden beds when it comes to Epsom salts. You can use a foliar spray on your potted plants or sprinkle a bit of Epsom salts around the soil of new transplants. When using Epsom salts for potted plants, be wary of ingesting the salt. It is especially toxic for children and pets. Keep Epsom salts out of reach of children and pets.

Epsom Salts for Tomato Plants and Pepper Plants

Tomato plants and pepper plants adore Epsom salts and will thrive in the magnesium rich soil. It is especially helpful for peppers and tomatoes when it comes to blooming — they’ll produce happier fruits because of an Epsom salts treatment.

When using Epsom salts for tomato or pepper plants, apply Epsom salts in 1 Tbsp around each plant at the time of transplanting. Alternatively, apply Epsom salts via spray during transplanting. Then, spray again right after the first bloom/fruiting.