Has anyone ever heard of mixing epsom salt with water and spraying them on vegtable plants when they are blooming to increase the yield. I would like to know if this works, I need somthing to increase the amount of vegetable prodution. Chuckie in the frozen north zone 5
If you were smart, you would be using actual water soluble chemical fertilizer like Miracle-gro instead.
I always put about a tbs of epsom salt down before I plant tomatoes and peppers. Also good for roses. It is just magnesium sulfate. No salt in it.
From Mel & Donnie in Bluebird Valley
In article , snipped-for-privacy@webtv.net says... :) I always put about a tbs of epsom salt down before I plant tomatoes and :) peppers. Also good for roses. It is just magnesium sulfate. No salt in :) it. :) :) Ummm...Magnesium sulphate IS the salt..It's mineral name is Epsomite :)
The magnesium in the Epsom salts promotes the formation of new shoots. If that's the type of "increase" you want, then a very small amount per plant should suffice.
With the first feeding in the spring, I dig about a tablespoon of Epsom salts around each rose bush in my garden to promote the growth of new canes. The roses also appreciate the acidity of the sulfate, especially since soils in my area tend to be quite alkaline.
I am actually trying to get away from commercial products, such as miracle grow. I have used miracle grow but my compost tea works just as well or better. And anything else to help me have a better yield I'll try as long as it is organic. Chuckie in the frozen north zone 5
If you want to be strictly "organic", then you shouldn't use Epsom salts (magnesium sulphate) because it has absolutely no carbon compounds in it.
By definition, no fertilizers are "organic" because none of the vital elements for plant growth are carbon.
Therefore, being strictly "organic" is a farce.
It will be useful if the plants have a Magnesium deficiency otherwise it will not do much.
David
First step is a soil test... a real one where you take several samples of soil from within your garden, and then send it off to a soil testing labratory. Some states have soil tests for very low costs, others will tell you to send your samples to a commercial lab (usually $$ compared to $ for a state lab). I don't know if Iowa still does it, but the ISU soil lab would test out of state samples, though they got done after the instate samples were run.
Then, if you need magnesium (or some other elements), you'll know how much of what to add, instead of just shotgunning it. You could be dealing with a great number of different reasons why you're not getting good yields, from pH to watering to shade to mineral excesses, to mineral deficiencies, to poorly chosen cultivars, to soil compaction to .... well, you get the idea.
More info here from Iowa State, but check with your own extension service.
Epsom salts sprayed on the leaves of plants being grown in soil lacking magnesium will cause better blooming and bigger sweet potatoes when used on them. My extension agent recommended not using it here because we apparently have plenty of it in our soil.
When using it, desolve 1 to 2 tbsp in a gallon of water and spray the leaves, or put one around the plant and water it into the roots.
Dwayne
Chuckie wrote: [...]
Zone 5 is the frozen north?????
Egads, that's the banana belt from my p.o.v.
:-)
Well 5 degrees F is frozen to me. And if you any further up than zone five you must work for the guy in the red suit. Now I'm going to set my -60 degree boots next to the fire so that they are warm for the morning :-) Chuckie in the frozen north zone 5. Current temp 5F
Chuckie, I use 2 TBL per tomato plant mixed with about 1/2 c of sugar and slow release organic fertilizer. The plants take off faster and produce sooner. We have a clay soil here that binds up many nutrients, this mix has really helped in the past. susan
Heck 50F is cold to me, it's 71 outside right now and is very nearly too cool... susan (zone 8), who thinks zone 7 qualifies as frozen
Funny somewhat apropos question:
Does anyone think it would make sense that road salt used in the north in the winter could offer the same benefits? I put a rose into a spot out front of my house last year where I was actually quite skeptical the rose would do well. This spot has pretty poor soil quality overall in both depth and over all composition. I put the rose there in desperation after I had bought it but not had the oppotunity to clear out a more appropriate spot in the garden yet. It was either plant it
*somewhere* or let it die in its wrappings becuase it really couldn't afford to be left out of ground any longer.I have heard (but not tried) the fact that epson salts are good for roses. Well, that thing grew like a WEED. Outgrew in < one season more than other had grown in 2! This location happens to be a place where a lot of plowed, salty slush ends up during wintertime, and I thought to myself that maybe that's part of why. I thought the road salt would be
*harmful* to the rose, but that thing (and all the other flowers around it -- annual or perennial) have proven me wrong!!Dunno! Any thoughts?
HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.