That's what I'm thinking ... if people can water their garden with saltwater, is a little bit of Epsom Salts really going to "kill" your soil? ... it doesn't seem like it would cause any harm, and seems to be beneficial (judging by plant response).applestar wrote:Huh, no one has linked [url=https://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=26065&highlight=]TZ's thread about salt[/url]here. I guess I will.
The jury (in my head) is still out, but I think it's leaning toward a "not guilty" verdict for Epsom Salts.
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I think in terms of microbe safety, using the crystals in undissolved form (e.g. 1 Tbs under each tomato plant in the planting hole -- I think is the usual "secret formula" -- would be a mistake. To a microbe, a single crystal would be a gigantic solid mass. Other members of the soil food web may be affected as well.
I tell ya what. I don't use Epsom salt in the garden, but I do use it in my lawn. Though I can no give you hard proof, but my grandfather always said that if you used in the lawn it would kill off the grubs. his reasoning was that once ingested they'd poo themselves to death. Like I said. I have no proof, but he swore by it and so do I.
It's one of those things where despite you killing them all off your neighbors haven't.
It's one of those things where despite you killing them all off your neighbors haven't.