Do plants need a small amount of salt to survive?
I am conducting an experiment to see the effect that different salt concentration (0, 5, 10, 15 and 20g/L) have on the growth of plants. I noticed that 5g/L leaves are stronger and the stems thicker compared to the 0g/L. Is it fair to assume that plant need a certain amount of salt (more that 0 less than 5g/L) in order to survive, especially in harder conditions?
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rainbowgardener
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the answer to that would be very different depending on what you are growing. Some plants are adapted to seashore life and probably can use a little bit of salt. Some are not.
By salt, you mean table salt, NaCl? It is common to feed plants with some Epsom salts, which are not table salt, but magnesium sulfate.
By salt, you mean table salt, NaCl? It is common to feed plants with some Epsom salts, which are not table salt, but magnesium sulfate.
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rainbowgardener
- Super Green Thumb
- Posts: 25279
- Joined: Sun Feb 15, 2009 6:04 pm
- Location: TN/GA 7b
More than "what" your growing, my take is "where" its being grown.
In much more arid western states, adding salt to already too salty soil, would seem to be contra-indicated. Eastern states I would still be inclined to mention salt is the gift that keeps on giving. A year will come when your going to regret adding salt to your garden.
In much more arid western states, adding salt to already too salty soil, would seem to be contra-indicated. Eastern states I would still be inclined to mention salt is the gift that keeps on giving. A year will come when your going to regret adding salt to your garden.
Some plants tolerate salt but for most plants it is detrimental. Salt build up in pots can stunt and kill plants over time.
Seaweed in the ocean cannot really grow in fresh water so they are well adapted to a high salt environment. Plants that are native to salty soils and surrounding salt marshes are also adapted to saline and sodic conditions. Asparagus, akia (Hawaiian native shrub), saltwort and figs are examples of plants that can thrive in high salt conditions. Avocado on the other hand is not salt tolerant at all.
The kind of salt matters. Table salt and the salt that is used on roads and driveways are not good salts. Fertilizers for the most part are salts. Whether synthetic or organic all fertilizers do have salt. Chemical salts of potassium and nitrogen are desirable but not sodium (table salt). Care must be taken when using fertilizers because overuse can also kill plants not just from burning but also from the accumulation of salts. Potted plants are especially susceptible since if the pots are not flushed out regularly, the salts will build up. Salts are present in water as well so that is another source of salt. Salt build up in pots appears as a white crust around the drainholes in plastic pots and on the inside and outside of terra cotta pots. If you see salt buid up on your pots it is probably time to repot. Terra cotta pots that are fully crusted usually need to be tossed out, but if it isn't too bad the pots can be soaked in bleach to sterilize them. If the pots are left to soak for a couple of weeks, the bleach dissapates and enough salt is leached to use the pots again.
https://ucanr.edu/sites/sjcoeh/files/98902.pdf
https://pender.ces.ncsu.edu/files/librar ... Plants.pdf
https://www.salinitymanagement.org/Salin ... /le_1.html
https://www.ipni.net/ppiweb/agbrief.nsf ... enDocument
https://www.mswn.com/media/salt_tolerant_plants.pdf
Seaweed in the ocean cannot really grow in fresh water so they are well adapted to a high salt environment. Plants that are native to salty soils and surrounding salt marshes are also adapted to saline and sodic conditions. Asparagus, akia (Hawaiian native shrub), saltwort and figs are examples of plants that can thrive in high salt conditions. Avocado on the other hand is not salt tolerant at all.
The kind of salt matters. Table salt and the salt that is used on roads and driveways are not good salts. Fertilizers for the most part are salts. Whether synthetic or organic all fertilizers do have salt. Chemical salts of potassium and nitrogen are desirable but not sodium (table salt). Care must be taken when using fertilizers because overuse can also kill plants not just from burning but also from the accumulation of salts. Potted plants are especially susceptible since if the pots are not flushed out regularly, the salts will build up. Salts are present in water as well so that is another source of salt. Salt build up in pots appears as a white crust around the drainholes in plastic pots and on the inside and outside of terra cotta pots. If you see salt buid up on your pots it is probably time to repot. Terra cotta pots that are fully crusted usually need to be tossed out, but if it isn't too bad the pots can be soaked in bleach to sterilize them. If the pots are left to soak for a couple of weeks, the bleach dissapates and enough salt is leached to use the pots again.
https://ucanr.edu/sites/sjcoeh/files/98902.pdf
https://pender.ces.ncsu.edu/files/librar ... Plants.pdf
https://www.salinitymanagement.org/Salin ... /le_1.html
https://www.ipni.net/ppiweb/agbrief.nsf ... enDocument
https://www.mswn.com/media/salt_tolerant_plants.pdf