There is a lot of talk related to Epsom Salt and its uses in lawns and gardens. This organic mineral has been used for hundreds of years as a home remedy for people and animals, but also as a bio fertilizer with plenty of benefits for anything green. If at first gardeners were simply swearing by it, modern science discovered what farmers knew for decades: Epsom Salt makes crops yield more bountiful, it helps you grow sweeter, larger vegetables and fruits and it keeps your entire property green, lush, and healthy all year long. If you are interested in cheap, organic, widely available fertilizers, then let’s have our lawn care Loganville GA experts talk about Epsom Salt in detail.
What is Epsom Salt Exactly?
Found in England and used as a bath salt or a home remedy for decades, Epsom Salt proved to be a reliable companion in the garden as well. Its chemical composition is rather simple: it is hydrated magnesium sulfate (containing around 10% magnesium and 13% sulfur). In North America, sulfur deficiencies in plants and crops are quite rare, as usually manure, compost and most fertilizers contain this substance. However, magnesium deficiencies are quite frequent and visible in your garden: grass blades, foliage, and leaves curl and turn yellow for no visible reason, tomatoes grow small and not sweet enough, flowers grow frail and not scented enough, turf blades are easily damaged by stomping or lawn mower stress and so on.
The Benefits of Epsom Salt in the Garden
In order to understand why Epsom Salt is all the rage right now in organic gardening and lawn care, it is essential to understand what magnesium and sulfur do for your soil and plants.
Magnesium
- This essential mineral is critical for seeds’ germination – this is why Epsom Salt is recommended to be used to irrigate freshly seeded lawns and turfs;
- It is critical for the production of chlorophyll – thus essential to avoid and counter transplant shock
- It is critical for the production of fruits and nuts – this is why most gardeners use Epsom Salt as a soil amendment when they grow tomatoes and peppers, especially
- It strengthens the plants’ cells walls, making them more resilient and healthier
- It helps the plants absorb better soil nutrients – this is why people spray their yards and gardens with Epsom Salt solutions to better protect and strengthen everything green.
Sulfur
- This substance is critical for the production of critical to production of vitamins, proteins, and enzymes – this is why Epsom Salt is favored in vegetable gardens
- It is the substance giving certain flowers and vegetables their specific scent and flavor (think about broccoli and onions).
In other words, Epsom Salt is an amazing friend if you want to maintain a thick, green, lush, and strong turf in the front of your house and a colorful, scented, and bountiful flower / vegetable garden in the back. Epsom Salt stimulates crops, deters weeds and pests and is completely safe for the environment. If you want to learn more about its uses and benefits, talk to your local lawn care Loganville GA specialists and follow their advice.