If the words “salt” and “succulents” in the same sentence leave you shrieking, this article is going to be an eye-opener!
Do not add Epsom salt simply to perk up a succulent; establish whether magnesium is deficient first. University of Minnesota Extension.
Not the regular table salts… but Epsom salts!
Epsom salt is magnesium sulfate, not a complete fertilizer.
This article explains when magnesium supplementation may be relevant and why routine dosing can cause harm.
Epsom salts are an excellent source of magnesium for living things
Epsom salts are nothing fancier than magnesium sulfate, named after a region of Surrey where the salt was produced from chalk springs.
Epsom salts are therefore a rich source of magnesium and Sulphur and are used widely for health, agricultural and horticultural purposes.
For centuries, farmers, gardeners, and horticulturists have reached for the Epsom salts to promote the health of plants and crops.
Magnesium and sulfur are essential plant nutrients, but adding more is not automatically beneficial when the growing medium already supplies enough.
When is magnesium supplementation useful?
Epsom salt supplies magnesium and sulfur. It is useful only when a deficiency is established; it is not a general growth booster, pest treatment or reliable soil-acidification method. University of Minnesota Extension warns that unnecessary applications can harm plants and that foliar sprays can scorch leaves.
Feeding Epsom salts to your succulents
Test the growing medium and use a fertilizer recommendation appropriate to any confirmed deficiency. A blanket monthly Epsom-salt dose is not recommended. University of Minnesota Extension.
It is possible to overdose your succulent with Epsom salts
The thing with Epsom salts is that gardeners have either had a good or bad experience with the, which informs the type of advice they are going to give you.
Some gardeners think using Epsom salts is a bit of a myth
Unless there is a frank magnesium deficiency in a plant, usually showed by a deterioration in the foliage and its coloring, many gardeners think that it is unlikely that magnesium is going to have any benefit.
The high solubility of Epsom salts also means the magnesium is easily washed out of the soil by rain quickly before the succulent can really benefit.
Negative effects of Epsom salts on succulents
Excess magnesium can interfere with calcium uptake, while concentrated foliar applications can scorch leaves. Additional salts may also leach into drainage water. University of Minnesota Extension.
Rounding Up
Use Epsom salt only for a confirmed magnesium need, with an appropriate nutrient recommendation. It does not replace a complete fertilizer.