Your Epsom Salt Advice

[EFGrows]

I'm growing some Cherry Tomatoes, Bell Peppers, and Jalapeno Peppers, at least 3 plants each, all in containers....I've heard that Magnesium Sulfate(Epsom Salt) can help when growing these....Much confusion on the Internet with some saying "BAD" others saying "GOOD"....So I'd like to hear from those here that actually use it and have "first-hand experience" using it with the veggie plants I listed above....What's your method of application(root water,foliar spray,sprinkle on soil, deep soil amendment,other)?...How much do you use per application or what ratio of water-to-product do you use if "dissolved" in water....How frequently do you apply/use it?....And lastly, why do you use it and what results do you usually see from using it?....And any other tips on the subject would be greatly appreciated....

BTW....Please don't tell me I need a "soil test" first....Not gonna happen on all the "container pots" I have...I'm looking to garden like in the 1800s when there wasn't a "soil test"...

 

[Chuck]

I'm growing some Cherry Tomatoes, Bell Peppers, and Jalapeno Peppers, at least 3 plants each, all in containers....I've heard that Magnesium Sulfate(Epsom Salt) can help when growing these....Much confusion on the Internet with some saying "BAD" others saying "GOOD"....So I'd like to hear from those here that actually use it and have "first-hand experience" using it with the veggie plants I listed above....What's your method of application(root water,foliar spray,sprinkle on soil, deep soil amendment,other)?...How much do you use per application or what ratio of water-to-product do you use if "dissolved" in water....How frequently do you apply/use it?....And lastly, why do you use it and what results do you usually see from using it?....And any other tips on the subject would be greatly appreciated....

BTW....Please don't tell me I need a "soil test" first....Not gonna happen on all the "container pots" I have...I'm looking to garden like in the 1800s when there wasn't a "soil test"...

I too live in SE Texas and I have been using ES for decades. I use it to stop Blossom End Rot on tomatoes and some cucurbits. Cherry tomatoes do not get BER and neither do hot peppers, at least I have never seen it. Bell peppers do get it, but rarely. However, I use it on EVERYTHING except okra, corn and beans. I have done side by side, actually row by row, testing and it SEEMS to give plants a slightly darker green color and a more robust plant. I doesn't hurt anything and it is cheap. I put about 1/4 cup in the hole at planting and another 1/4 cup when tomatoes reach their white stage. Roma tomatoes are the most susceptible to BER of all tomatoes and I have found it usually takes 3 applications to assure a non-BER harvest.

 

[oneeye]

I'm growing some Cherry Tomatoes, Bell Peppers, and Jalapeno Peppers, at least 3 plants each, all in containers....I've heard that Magnesium Sulfate(Epsom Salt) can help when growing these....Much confusion on the Internet with some saying "BAD" others saying "GOOD"....So I'd like to hear from those here that actually use it and have "first-hand experience" using it with the veggie plants I listed above....What's your method of application(root water,foliar spray,sprinkle on soil, deep soil amendment,other)?...How much do you use per application or what ratio of water-to-product do you use if "dissolved" in water....How frequently do you apply/use it?....And lastly, why do you use it and what results do you usually see from using it?....And any other tips on the subject would be greatly appreciated....

BTW....Please don't tell me I need a "soil test" first....Not gonna happen on all the "container pots" I have...I'm looking to garden like in the 1800s when there wasn't a "soil test"...

They didn't have Epsom Salt or ammonium nitrate in the 1800s. Also friend there's a big difference between the ground soil and container soil.

 

[Esther Knapicius]

I have used it, but not religiously. A tablespoon in ground, then the pot of plant. don't think it harms it, but frankly don't take note if a difference either way.

 

[Meadowlark]

They didn't have the internet in the 1800's to use for garden research either I know because I was around back then

Regarding Epsom salts, my experience using it covers several decades in East Texas, seriously. I can confidently say I wouldn't raise tomatoes without it. It just wouldn't be worth it. I generally apply it to the tomatoes soil once before planting and twice more while growing. I don't measure it...just use a small hand full.

Other veggies my endorsement is somewhat guarded. I view it as a positive amendment for peppers. The impacts aren't nearly as visible as on tomatoes but still worth doing.

Other than that, I would advise caution. I tested it on onions this year for the first time, and it definitely damaged the plants. Fortunately, I only tested a very limited area, but the results left no doubt...do not use on onions.




I have also tested on tomatillos with positive results similar to tomatoes.

My summary advice, definitely a positive for use on tomatoes and peppers and tomatillos. Use with caution on others and NOT at all on onions.

By the way, do you know how most all gardeners learned what works and what doesn't back in the 1800s....they experimented exactly as I did above on onions and have used that technique on numerous other topics for decades. Everything that was handed down to me from my family was information that was gained by controlled experiments. I have added volumes to it. It's a very rewarding way to go for me.

 

[cpp gardener]

Soil tests don’t work on container ‘soils’ because most of them don’t have any actual soil. A complete all-purpose fertilizer, granule or water-soluble, should have all the sulfur and magnesium you need. If it is deficient in magnesium (the most likely of the two), using Epsom salts should give you what you need.

 

[EFGrows]

Anyone here do the "foliar spray" method, and if so when to start and how often?....

Same question with the "dissolved in water" root feeding, when to start and how often?....

 

[Oliver Buckle]

They didn't have Epsom Salt or ammonium nitrate in the 1800s. Also friend there's a big difference between the ground soil and container soil.

You Americans are so behind the times, Charles the second used to take the waters at Epsom, that would have been in the sixteen hundreds, George the third and Queen Charlotte came to visit the town in the seventeen hundreds, it was a well established spa by then, though they didn't take the waters. I suppose it is because you don't have a Royal family to show the way, still, looks like that is soon to be corrected
I read about the benefits for plants here, reckoned I probably didn't need it as I had never noticed the problems associated with lack of magnesium, but started adding a little dip on the end of the trowel when I mix up compost for my tomatoes. I don't think anyone mentioned quantity, a quarter of a cup seems a heck of a lot, I had thought of magnesium as a trace mineral, still, as I say, I probably don't need it.
By the bye, the missus' family used to own a large saddlers and tack shop at the top end of Epsom high street a hundred or so years ago, her mum was very 'Epsom and Esher'.

 

[smitty55]

I never use it on tomatoes as I don't get BER which is caused by a lack of calcium in the plant tissues, not necessarily in the soil. That's why irregular watering is often the prime cause of ber as it blocks the movement of calcium. I add bone meal, gyspum and ashes in my soil each year so there is no problem with calcium. Like many things the big issue is overuse and it's a fact that high levels of magnesium in the soil will block the movement of calcium into the plant and actually cause BER when it's used to prevent that. Also, from what I've read most soils aren't deficient in magnesium in the first place so care must be taken when adding it to soil. But hey, if you use it and get positive results then that speaks for itself.

 

[Texas001]

I'm growing some Cherry Tomatoes, Bell Peppers, and Jalapeno Peppers, at least 3 plants each, all in containers....I've heard that Magnesium Sulfate(Epsom Salt) can help when growing these....Much confusion on the Internet with some saying "BAD" others saying "GOOD"....So I'd like to hear from those here that actually use it and have "first-hand experience" using it with the veggie plants I listed above....What's your method of application(root water,foliar spray,sprinkle on soil, deep soil amendment,other)?...How much do you use per application or what ratio of water-to-product do you use if "dissolved" in water....How frequently do you apply/use it?....And lastly, why do you use it and what results do you usually see from using it?....And any other tips on the subject would be greatly appreciated....

BTW....Please don't tell me I need a "soil test" first....Not gonna happen on all the "container pots" I have...I'm looking to garden like in the 1800s when there wasn't a "soil test"...

 

[yardiron]

I generally don't use them unless I've noticed a problem such as yellowing of the leaves with dark veins.
Too much Magnesium in the soil can inhibit the root's ability to absorb phosphorus and calcium which will cause more issues. I would say that at best maybe a dusting of Epsom salts early on before planting likely won't hurt and may guarantee they have enough magnesium for the season. Most years I've added it at the end of the season not beneath new plants.

Dumping a ton of nutrients right below the new plant does not promote root growth. You really want the plant to put out a good network of roots early in the season so that once the heat of late summer hits they're well established and have enough of a root structure below ground to tolerate the hot weather. As the plant grows, I add fertilizer out further around the plants to both protect the stem and leaves from any splash up and to force the roots to keep spreading.

It certainly seems to work well, last year when I pulled out the old plants in late Nov. I had soak the ground and then use a fence post puller to get a few of the larger plants out of the ground. They had huge stems and the root balls were over 20" wide and over a foot deep or more.
My okra plants ere even harder to remove.

 

[smitty55]

I generally don't use them unless I've noticed a problem such as yellowing of the leaves with dark veins.
Too much Magnesium in the soil can inhibit the root's ability to absorb phosphorus and calcium which will cause more issues. I would say that at best maybe a dusting of Epsom salts early on before planting likely won't hurt and may guarantee they have enough magnesium for the season. Most years I've added it at the end of the season not beneath new plants.

Dumping a ton of nutrients right below the new plant does not promote root growth. You really want the plant to put out a good network of roots early in the season so that once the heat of late summer hits they're well established and have enough of a root structure below ground to tolerate the hot weather. As the plant grows, I add fertilizer out further around the plants to both protect the stem and leaves from any splash up and to force the roots to keep spreading.

It certainly seems to work well, last year when I pulled out the old plants in late Nov. I had soak the ground and then use a fence post puller to get a few of the larger plants out of the ground. They had huge stems and the root balls were over 20" wide and over a foot deep or more.
My okra plants ere even harder to remove.

Well said, I totally agree. Another thing that can help develop a larger root system apart from adding some micorrhizae fungus to the root zone is to let your soil dry out early season between waterings almost to the point of a slight wilt which will promote the roots to reach out further for moisture whereas if the soil is always damp they won't do that. The larger the root mass the more nutrients that can be absorbed.

 

[Meadowlark]

...Too much Magnesium in the soil can inhibit the root's ability to absorb phosphorus and calcium which will cause more issues. I would say that at best maybe a dusting of Epsom salts early on before planting likely won't hurt and may guarantee they have enough magnesium for the season. Most years I've added it at the end of the season not beneath new plants.

It all depends...on what's in the soil. There is more than just magnesium at work when I use Epsom salts on tomatoes. My soil magnesium level consistently tests out at optimum levels around 50 ppm give or take a few. My calcium ppm is generally just above optimal. Likewise, both phosphorus and potassium levels are above optimal in my soil. In short, all micro and macro elements are at or above optimal ppm except boron in my soil

In other words, my soil is NOT deficient in any, but I cannot grow tomatoes without Epsom Salts due to BER. I follow a rigid crop rotation and soil replenishment program utilizing all organic matter sourced from my ranch. I never use synthetics and/or "cides" on my garden soil.

A "dusting" won't cut it...but three applications, one before planting and two more during the growing season are required to be completely 100% BER free. I never add fertilizer to my tomato plants simply because they don't need it. They have plenty of all macro and micro elements in the soil prior to planting...all supplied organically.

I don't claim to understand what is at work when Epsom salts are used on tomatoes. I doubt very seriously that anyone truly does understand it precisely. Anyone who makes general claims that Epsom Salts do not work is simply wrong. There are situations in the soils where Epsom Salts absolutely works...and likewise I suspect others where it does not work.

General claims in gardening are often very generally wrong in some locals.

p.s. see below post for example

 

[Meadowlark]

Soil tests don’t work on container ‘soils’ because most of them don’t have any actual soil. .

Absolutely not true.

Here are my most recent container soil test results:

Nutrient	Your Results
pH	6.46
Total Nitrogen (N)	24.82
Nitrate (NO3-N)	4.79
Ammonium (NH4-N)	20.03
Phosphorus (P)	76.58
Potassium (K)	86.39
Sulfur (S)	12.96
Calcium (Ca)	319.62
Magnesium (Mg)	39.92
Sodium (Na)	26.77
Iron (Fe)	14.86
Manganese (Mn)	18.26
Zinc (Zn)	0.83
Copper (Cu)	0.07
Boron (B)	0.04

These results were on a container that had been depleted of nutrients due to growing a potato crop followed by 6 weeks of organic replenishment with green manures and composted cow manure. The soil in my containers comes from my '"actual" garden amended organically...and is superior to anything commercially available.

 

[Chuck]

I agree 100% with @Meadowlark. I could not grow ANY tomatoes without ES. I use basically the same application rate. I know this for a fact and not some theory as to calcium levels. I could not care less about what the calcium is doing or not doing. ES works and has never failed in many decades of use.