By Jannie Vaught

Don’t let the name scare you this is not table salt which will render soil unusable for years unknown. This is magnesium-sulfate, a micronutrient that plants need to grow stay green and thrive. For pennies on the dollar. There are 2 types. The one you buy at the drug store or an Agriculture grade. The drug store one is the one you use to soak sore muscles in a hot bath. This has a USP label on the bag which is stating it is “good for skin”. The Agriculture grade is not used for skin. Magnesium and sulfur are used efficiently by plants.

How to use Epson salt in the garden. Granular method: Sprinkle 1/4 cup for a 24-foot area. This method works slower but eventually, you will see results. This is used around fruit trees and to green up lawns. Or Liquid foliar, this is 1 to 2 Tablespoons in 1 gallon of water. Stir to dissolve and apply with a sprayer is a watering can with a spray type on the spout. Especially under the leaves and the stem veins. This will run down the plant into the roots and the leaves will absorb the nutrients. Also, the liquid type is a “Root drench” which is 2 Tablespoons of Epsom salt in 1 gallon of water and poured directly on the roots. Use the liquid type when starting new seedlings to give them a germination boost. Flowers and shrubs will have brighter flowers and no yellowing. If you see a plant with lower leaves turning yellow especially the vein they need this treatment.

Applying Epsom salt with any of these methods will help with pest problems. snail, slugs, and voles will be less with a toss of this wonder mineral. House plants find a watering of this most beneficial. So as we begin our garden season with the final flush of cold and icy temperatures, let’s begin to enter into the Wonder of Spring. And some Epsom salt will help you on your way.

Growing With Green Jannie