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Epsom Salts: Folk Lore or Science?

AJ Drew

AJ Drew

For much time, have read people say put some epsom salt in under a transplant.  Always kind of thought it was folk lore.  Now at the feed store, they have tons of epsom salt near their growing supplies and seeds.  I google and google the thing, I can find people saying it helps, people saying it is bs, but nothing about the science of why it might work.

If it helps, I have to figure it is that the soil lacks something.  Any clue what?
 
ajdrew said:
For much time, have read people say put some epsom salt in under a transplant.  Always kind of thought it was folk lore.  Now at the feed store, they have tons of epsom salt near their growing supplies and seeds.  I google and google the thing, I can find people saying it helps, people saying it is bs, but nothing about the science of why it might work.

If it helps, I have to figure it is that the soil lacks something.  Any clue what?
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Sulfur or magnesium.   Those are the two primary chemicals inside of Epsom Salt.  It's scientific name is: Magnesium Sulfate
 
I got some for the first time this year, people seem to swear by it for tomatoes at least. But what most of them seem to recommend is diluting it into water and spraying the leaves. I do not know what the carry over to peppers is. 
 
I tried doing the spray thing, but I never felt as though that made a definitive difference - though I didn't particular looking helping those plants that had yellowing leaves.
 
What I do do with it, though, is apply it at the same time I am applying the plant feed(s). I mix around one tablespoon per liter into the water around every two weeks (or every second watering at the height of the plants' growth in the summer where I am watering them once a week). I feel like I got some pretty good results last summer, as a result. :)
 
So if your soil has enough magnesium and sulfur it wont help at all.  Makes sense because some people say it is bunk, they probably already have it in their soil.  Other people say it helps ( mainly tomato people ) and I will bet their soil is lacking.  Sounds like experiment time.
 
I have been wondering about Epsom Salt myself.
 
I do know it is Magnesium Sulfate, and I imagine if one's plant are suffering from deficiencies of either element, adding it would be beneficial.
 
My question; is it wise to apply if either (or both) is at acceptable levels in one's grow medium, and if not, would not a multi-mineral supplement, such as Azomite, be as effective?
 
ajdrew said:
So if your soil has enough magnesium and sulfur it wont help at all.  
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     Maybe not. I found a map a few years ago that showed Mg levels in topsoil across the US. Some areas have lots, and some (like where I live) have very little. I always add a couple of handfuls when I put my container mix together. I also apply it to my garden a few times a year. I haven't done any side by side controlled comparisons, but I have seen my plants green up over night after I spray.
     I have a pretty good idea that my soil is deficient, so I'm pretty confident that epsom salt helps my grow. But I can't say whether or not it would help someone's grow in an area where soil has higher levels. This depends on a bunch of variables like how much your plants need, how readily available it is for uptake by roots, interactions with other elements/compounds/organisms in soil/plants tissue and probably many others.
     So, yeah. Definitely do a controlled comparison, AJ! Do everything you can to treat the "with" and "without" plants the same. Same water, same nutrients, same sunlight, same age, same soil... And post pics! Take notes, too. Repeatability is the key to science.
 
alkhall said:
 
 
My question; is it wise to apply if either (or both) is at acceptable levels in one's grow medium, and if not, would not a multi-mineral supplement, such as Azomite, be as effective?
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     What is "acceptable"? Just enough for a healthy, non-stressed, disease free plant? Maybe applying more to an already healthy plant could increase yield? I'm sure there is a point of diminishing returns in there somewhere...
     But if your growth media has enough bioavailable Mg and S available that the plant has more than enough available to take in, then, no, adding more won't help. I only need to apply it to my container plants later in the season. My soilless mix keeps them happy for a long time.
     I don't know the exact makeup of Azomite, but I don't think it's a significant source of either Mg or S. So, if your plants need supplemental Mg during the growing season, your best (cheapest) bet is probably epsom salt. 
     On the topic of bioavailability, I've noticed that over the years my garden (lawn converted to raised beds about four years ago) needs fewer epsom salt treatments than it did before I started adding a couple hundred pounds of homemade compost to each bed twice a year for four years. I don't know if all that added organic matter and humus is holding on to nutes longer, or if mycorrhizae are making what's there more available to the plants (or both). But overall, I'm putting less fertilizer on my garden and getting better results each year.
 
grandpaw did it 40+ yrs(and longer prior) ago across an entire garden for a reason,wasnt for one plant species but for all
Prolly what made his produce sell out before everyone elses come market day
People do prefer "better" and their aint no science in that  . . . . .
I like the sell out concept personally :)
fwiw
He planted 1 acre each of corn,okra,blackeyes,onions,turnips,tomatoes,yella squash etc
Even fed his fig,peach,pear and grapes with the stuff . . . . . .
Dry broadcasted by hand,Ill never not use it
 
You kinda gotta know what's ALREADY in your soil.  Science would tell you to find a root cause, rather than just throw a bunch of stuff at a problem - real, imagined, or arbitrarily made up -  and see what sticks - and then not really know what actually did the trick, while telling others that it works.
 
Unless you know exactly what you're achieving, it's folk lore. (i.e., bunk)  If you know what the deficiency is, and you address it accordingly, it's science.

See, that was easy! :)
 
solid7 said:
You kinda gotta know what's ALREADY in your soil.  Science would tell you to find a root cause, rather than just throw a bunch of stuff at a problem - real, imagined, or arbitrarily made up -  and see what sticks - and then not really know what actually did the trick, while telling others that it works.
 
Unless you know exactly what you're achieving, it's folk lore. (i.e., bunk)  If you know what the deficiency is, and you address it accordingly, it's science.

See, that was easy! :)
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     That's kind of what I was saying except for the whole being a condescending prick part.
 
That's kind of what I was saying except for the whole being a condescending prick part.
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I guess if that's the way you take it... There was nothing condescending towards anyone. If I wanted to be condescending towards anything, it would be towards internet propagated myths and hype, not any person. I actually think that it's great that somebody started the topic, and invited a discussion.

But nice to meet you, nonetheless.
 
It can indeed help, but the glowing Facebook posts claiming "Giant Plants Overrun Garden!" are typical social media rubbish.
 
I'm 95% sure I've seen positive results from the stuff.  My plants live in tabletop containers, mostly Wally Bags, here in the freaking desert.  In this climate one large plant in a breathable bag needs well over half a gallon per day.  The soil gets 'flushed' in a hurry, and I have to keep all the mutes in mind through the year.  Last year I did an experiment with two yellowing plants, one getting a dose of epsom, one not.  The salted plant showed rapid improvement while it's buddy continued to suffer.  Seems it really did have an Mg and/or S deficiency.
 
When the local 'dollar store' sells 2# boxes for a buck, there's no reason not to give it a try when your plants start to look a bit puny.
 
solid7 said:
You kinda gotta know what's ALREADY in your soil.  Science would tell you to find a root cause, rather than just throw a bunch of stuff at a problem - real, imagined, or arbitrarily made up -  and see what sticks - and then not really know what actually did the trick, while telling others that it works.
 
Unless you know exactly what you're achieving, it's folk lore. (i.e., bunk)  If you know what the deficiency is, and you address it accordingly, it's science.

See, that was easy! :)
Click to expand...
 
For the rest of us primitives who haven't yet purchased an Acme 2000 Gas Chromatograph, basic experimentation will have to suffice.
 
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