Using Epsom Salt In The Garden

[Dover]

I've read that epsom salt is good for adding to garden soil. Anybody here ever do that?
I suppose if you use the square foot gardening soil mix, it shouldn't be necessary to add anything.

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=gardening%2C+epson+salt&btnG=Search

Studies show that magnesium and sulfur, two components of Epsom Salt may:

Help seeds germinate
Make plants grow bushier
Produce more flowers
Increase chlorophyll production
Improve phosphorus and nitrogen uptake

[hippywife]

1. This sounded familiar.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=246&topic_id=8870

Never tried it myself, tho.

:hi:

[bvar22]

2. We are intrigued by this,

and will experiment with it on a limited scale next year.

Putting "SALT" in a garden goes against everything I have ever heard about growing something.
I was very closed minded at first, but there seems to be a lot of merit to this.

[asdjrocky]

3. I remember hearing something about this on NPR...

They were talking about mixing the salt, in very limited amounts, with the water. Not in the soil. I'm looking into it as well.

[Kolesar]

9. Dolomitic lime is high in magnesium and would be slower-acting

The pelletized dolomitic limestone that I bought for my garden is designed to break down over the period of the gardening season and to provide a steady supply of magnesium. Epsom salts would be a sudden impulse to the system. I expect that it would disturb the microbial lifeforms. Epsom salts would be good to solve an immediate and acute magnesium nutrient deficiency.

http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&q=pelletized%20dolomitic%20limestone&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wi

[NEOhiodemocrat]

4. We know a local farmer who grows for pick your own

he says some epsom salts diluted and put on pepper plants make the pepper walls thicker. Haven't tried it but his produce is great, may be something to it. My husband bought some and is wanting to try it, but I am leary about putting anything on the garden.

[zanne]

5. I always put a tablespoon full when I plant my tomatoes...

I don't know why it helps, but my tomato plants grow like crazy.

[Dover]

6. Do you just throw the salt in the hole you've dug, or how do you add it?..n/t

[zanne]

7. I just throw it in the hole and mix it in a bit. nt

[flying_wahini]

8. I just started doing this and I do believe that the plants

are responding.... they do seem to be greener and healthier than before...

from what I have read it says to be sure and not get it on the plant roots but
in the soil around them...