Epsom salt is not really a salt at all. This mineral, whose origins trace to Epsom, England, contains sulfur and magnesium, two ingredients that are vital to the growth of healthy plants. Most experts are skeptical about the benefits of epsom salt on plants. They state that the effects have not been proven, and that most soil offers adequate sulfur naturally. Magnesium deficiencies, on the other hand, are fairly common. Not only that, but a lack of magnesium can lead to improper absorption of phosphorous, which we all know is a bad thing.
The application of epsom salt can be during the time of planting, diluted in water (at a rate of 1tbsp to 1gallon) and used as a spray, or applied directly to the plant's base. Most sources say that you will have greener leaves, tastier vegetables, and healthier plants if you spray with diluted epsom salt every couple of weeks.
I decided to give epsom salt a shot. I diluted one tablespoon of epsom salt in a gallon of water. I then put as much as I could in a spray bottle and sprayed the leaves of some of the plants. I then watered the tomato plants and some of the herbs with the rest of the water. After that, I decided to really experiment with additives to my tomato plants.
I have four roma tomato plants that I bought at the supermarket for 50 cents. None of them look amazing, and in fact, I expect them all to die. I have planted them throughout the garden, staked them, fussed over their yellowing leaves, and generally stressed about their well-being. They look pretty bad. However, their possibly short lives will not be in vain, as they are going to help me with my garden experiment.
I have named the four plants, because that's how I roll. Esther has a bit of an advantage over the rest of the tomato plants because she received epsom salts a day before the rest had their treatment. Esther has already been watered with an epsom salt mixture and will continue to receive epsom salts at her base and through water once every two weeks or until she dies, whichever comes first. The next application will be on June 6.
 |
| Esther Epsom |
Cathy is not getting epsom salt, but coffee grounds. Coffee grounds are said by some to be an excellent addition to plants that like acidic soils. Coffee grounds add nitrogen to the soil once they decompose, and also can add calcium and are said to stop blight. This makes them ideal for tomato plants, and some blogs suggest watering with leftover, cold coffee once a week. Of course, there are naysayers who suggest that the acidic nature of coffee grounds can actually harm the soil. They should only be added when balanced as part of a compost pile. Still, an experiment is an experiment and Cathy will receive an inch of coffee grounds every two weeks and a small amount of cold coffee every other week as well. The first application will be today, May 20. The next will be June 6.
 |
| Cathy Coffee |
Eddie gets eggshells. Eggshells are a popular choice for tomato fertilizer because they contain calcium carbonate, which balances the pH levels in the soil. Eggshells are cleaned, then crushed, and worked into the soil around the plants. This will be a little tricky for me, because I have already applied mulch around my tomato plants. However, I have read that they can be used as a side dressing every six weeks. I am currently working on readying some eggshells for depositing around the plant and should have enough by tomorrow. The next application will be July 2 or 3.
 |
| Eddie Eggshell |
Tom is the control plant and gets none of the above. I did already water him with diluted epsom salt yesterday, but going forward I will just use water.
As you can see by this picture as well as the one above, I will never be accused of being a professional photographer. Trust me when I tell you that most of the leaves are wilting and either purple, grey, or yellow. They have improved somewhat from when they were originally purchased a week ago.
 |
| Tom Tomato |
No comments:
Post a Comment