Succulents are becoming an extremely popular choice of plant in the gardening world. They are low maintenance, reasonably inexpensive and aesthetically pleasing.
One tricky issue with these plants is getting them the right nutrients. Sometimes store bought fertilizer is unavailable. A few household items can be used if all else fails, though.
But, is Epsom salt good for succulents? Can we actually use it?
Yes, Epsom salt can be used, as it is pretty good for succulents. In fact it is one of them that I can put my hand up to vouch for it myself.
It’s quite a favored material due to its low price tag and availability. However, it shouldn’t be used as a primary fertilizer, though.
Epsom salt is a chemical compound composed of magnesium, sulfur and oxygen. Magnesium is the central core of chlorophyll. Sulfur helps to form chlorophyll.
Oxygen plays an important role in photosynthesis. These processes are key to a plant’s growth, structure and general health. So, in short, Epsom salts are a great choice for use on succulents. Our detailed research will cover the do’s and don’ts when safely using this handy household ingredient on and around your succulent plants.
Table of Contents
What is Epsom Salt?
People often freak out when you mention salts and succulents in the same sentence, but Epsom salts aren’t just your normal household table salt. Epsom salt is a chemical compound that is also known as magnesium sulfate.
The compound consists of magnesium, sulfur and oxygen. It can be a handy backup fertilizer for most plants, especially succulents. The 3 minerals that make up this compound are vital for every growth stage. Magnesium is the central core of the chlorophyll molecule.
In a nutshell, it’s what gives plants/succulents their vibrant green hue. A magnesium deficiency will stunt the growth of your succulent. Sulfur helps to form amino acids, proteins and oils, as well as chlorophyll. If your succulent is deficient in sulfur, you will notice pale green/yellowish leaves forming.
Not only that, but the plant will stop growing, and its leaves will form a lot smaller and more narrow. Oxygen assists with the plant’s cellular respiration. The balance of this process affects the quality of photosynthesis.
Wilting leaves and overall distortion are signs of oxygen deficiency. Given the importance of these minerals, Epsom salts can help give your succulents more when required.
Why is Epsom Salt Good For Succulents?
Epsom salt has many known benefits for usage with succulent plants. Let’s look at how good this handy household product can be if used correctly.
Fertilizer
Epsom salt can be used as a convenient fertilizer. It has 3 extremely useful minerals in magnesium, sulfur and oxygen. The beauty of using this pre-made mix is that you don’t need to do anything to it to get fast results. Its solubility makes it an extremely simple product to use.
Helps in Potting and repotting
Potting and repotting have become a common task with succulents, and for a good reason. It’s best to routinely ensure that the soil is fresh and fertile and that the roots have enough space to grow. When the succulents are removed, they can suffer from transport shock.
Moving from their old home to a new one isn’t always smooth sailing. Using Epsom salt can minimize the amount of shock that the plant goes through. It’s a natural healer; it assists with chlorophyll production, promoting better nutrient absorption. When these things occur, the plant eases in gently.
Control Nutrient deficiencies
Adding Epsom salt to your succulents reduces the amount of stress the plant receives due to nutrient deficiency. If the plant is stressed, its ability to soak in and use important nutrients is vastly minimalized. Giving a boost of magnesium and sulfur will balance out the deficiency and reduce stress as a result.
Generate fresh growth
Magnesium is vital for overall growth within any plant, let alone a succulent. This mineral is an absolute powerhouse when it comes to photosynthesis. Without magnesium, chlorophyll can’t capture and repurpose the sun’s energy as food.
Adding Epsom salt to your succulent soil will boost the amount of magnesium it has, allowing the plant to thrive with the increased food source.
Vibrant coloration
The magnesium in Epsom salt helps produce those beautiful, lush green hues on your succulent. Magnesium is a key component in chlorophyll’s production, which assists with the photosynthesis process.
When photosynthesis occurs, new stems and leaves form with their associated colors. If magnesium is present in greater amounts, the colors are largely enhanced.
Pest repeller
Mixing up a solution containing 1 cup (240 ml.) of Epsom salt and 5 gallons (19 L.) of water can be used as a bug or larger pest deterrent. Not all intruders dislike this concoction, though.
Ants, roaches, raccoons, mice, and even groundhogs will not enjoy the smell of ammonium nitrate. Simply add the solution to a pump sprayer and apply it to the succulent foliage.
Boost up Blooming process
The magnesium and sulfur contained in Epsom salt are prime ingredients in making the photosynthesis process effective. If the photosynthesis process can perform optimally with all the additives it requires, the flowers and leaves can grow to their full potential.
Additionally, the succulent would be healthy, plump and lush green!
Helps in Stabilizing roots
Epsom salt and its contents promote deep root growth in succulents. Magnesium and sulfur are the main components to assist in the photosynthesis process. The better the process can function, the stronger, deeper and more stable the roots can become.
Things To Consider Before Using Epsom Salt for Succulents
The idea of using Epsom salt on your succulent is all well and good, but there are a few things to consider when it comes to the crunch.
Some checks should be completed to understand how much to use; it must also be mixed correctly. That’s not all, though; let’s consider some smaller things before using the product on your succulents.
What is the ratio of Epsom salt to water for succulents?
Epsom salt needs to be used in a controlled and balanced amount. I have had great results using a ½ tablespoon of Epsom Salt per 1 gallon of water. It can be used once a month in the warmer months. Only a small quantity of Epsom salt is required.
If too much is added, it can cause imbalances in the soil. As a result, the roots can burn, the plant will struggle to absorb calcium, and the overall growth of the plant can become stunted.
Check Your Soil
Before even considering using Epsom salt on your succulents, getting the soil tested for all minerals is a good idea. The soil might already have too much magnesium, and the extra boost could be counterproductive.
On the other hand, if the soil is extremely deficient, you can gauge a little better how to plan for longer-term use of the Epsom salt.
Examine Your Soil Magnesium and Sulfur Level
Once you start using Epsom salt, check regularly to ensure that you are effectively correcting the imbalance. I usually check the magnesium and sulfur levels once every 3 days, so the succulents don’t go too long with potentially disastrous amounts of minerals.
When or how often should you put Epsom salt on plants?
During the warmer months, the solution of Epsom salt and water can be misted once per month. If the resulting mineral checks show a deficiency of either of the minerals, the solution can be applied once a week. Check the levels routinely to optimize overall growth and prevent imbalances.
Use Epsom Salt as a Secondary Fertilizer
Epsom salt should not be used as a primary source of fertilizer. It only contains magnesium, sulfur and oxygen. Other, more rounded fertilizers offer a wider range of important nutrients.
A succulent needs more than just these 3 to grow at an optimal level. Using Epsom salt is great as a backup or complementary fertilizer only.
Indoor or Outdoor Succulents
Epsom salt is a great complementary fertilizer for both indoor and outdoor succulents. Although, adding it to your indoor plants under a controlled environment can be much more beneficial. Pots containing seedlings, cuttings and/or starters checked frequently can have a great head start with adding these essential minerals.
When growing from scratch, you generally start with minimal resources, unlike the often nutrient-rich soils of an outdoor garden patch. When adding Epsom salt to indoor plants, you don’t need as much because you don’t have enough soil to hold the nutrients.
On the other hand, the soil from a garden will be able to dilute the solution a lot faster. Indoor plants can be fertilized using Epsom salts once a month. Make sure regular checks are made to control the soil condition.
Can you use Epsom salt mixture in a spray bottle for indoor succulents?
Epsom salt can be mixed in a spray bottle for ease of use. We’ve tried a few different measurements, but the most effective was ½ tablespoon of Epsom Salt per 1 gallon of water.
The amount required will all depend on the type and amount of plants on which you will use it. Simply add the ingredients to a bucket and stir. Fill up a spray bottle and spray as required on all foliage.
Can too much Epsom salt hurt plants?
As beneficial as Epsom salt may be for your succulents, a few drawbacks must be assessed and considered before going all in on the product. There can be minor issues causing soil imbalances and even root burns if not monitored. Let’s look at the cons of using Epsom salt on your succulents.
Imbalance in Soil Nutrients Level
If your succulent already has enough magnesium for its growth processes, adding extra via Epsom salt can negatively affect it. As a result, your succulent can form root rot or burnt roots, stunt growth and form darker foliage.
The magnesium and calcium that are present will battle it out for the uptake of its plant. Magnesium is the stronger of the two nutrients, so the more magnesium there is, the less calcium can be absorbed. This will greatly affect the size and form of the plant and or fruits.
Reduction in Beneficial Bacteria
Too much Epsom salt can reduce root colonization of the most beneficial microbes possible; these include certain bacteria that help to fix nitrogen stores. Nitrogen promotes healthy leaf growth.
Succulents are low nitrogen plants which means they don’t require a lot, but you still don’t want to ruin the mechanism inside them that helps repair the nitrogen stores.
Effect on Healthy Growth
This may sound slightly repetitive, but when a succulent receives too much of something that it doesn’t need, it will try to use it anyway. With excess amounts of magnesium, sulfur and oxygen that Epsom salt contains, the growth of a succulent can become stunted.
The stem and leaves can become discolored. It can also end up leggy and wilt. In the end, they can die from those excess nutrients.
Excess Salt can Burn the Plant
Although Epsom salt and table salt are not the same, Epsom salt can still cause burning via its chemical interaction with the succulent. Spraying this product directly onto your succulent leaves can scorch them.
This is often due to not testing the plant’s soil before adding the Epsom salt. They may have already had enough magnesium, so adding more can cause damage to the leaves and overall plant.
Aluminum Leaching
It isn’t uncommon for soil containing magnesium to release any hidden stores of aluminum into the plant. Sometimes the soil may have already contained trace amounts of the metal, and the magnesium helps unsettle it.
As a result, the succulent roots and aquatic system soak up the metal. There is also the possibility that if we consume the plant for whatever reason, we can take in those toxic metals, which can hurt our bodies also.
Can I sprinkle Epsom salt around plants?
Plants that require higher amounts of magnesium, such as roses, peppers and tomato plants, don’t mind having the Epsom salt scattered around their stem bases. This method will allow the Epsom salt to dissolve much faster into the soil and root system.
Although, it’s not a safe way to apply the product to all plants. Some plants can die extremely fast if they are of the low magnesium variety. The best way to deal with anything unknown is to research the plant that you want to use it on.
Then test the plant’s soil to judge if it requires the boost that Epsom salt can add. Otherwise, you are just going in blind and can throw away a lot of money, time and effort based on a whim.
Frequently Asked Questions (fAQs)
Does Epsom salt expire?
In general, most products these days have an expiry or use-by date printed on the packaging. Epsom salt usually has a recommended use-by date of around 2-3 years after the date of manufacture. However, Epsom salt is not uncommon to still be effective 6-7 years after the manufacturing date.
Can you use Epsom salt on cactus?
Most cacti are classified as succulent. Succulent plants require larger amounts of magnesium. Epsom salt contains soluble magnesium, so it’s a fact to say that Epsom salt can be used on cacti. Just make sure to check the soil in case it contains enough already.
What plants don’t like Epsom salt?
Plants that require low amounts of magnesium will not benefit at all from Epsom salt. They will suffer from the various drawbacks that an overload of magnesium can form. They won’t be able to take in as much calcium, which creates blossom. They may even rot. Plants such as beans, leafy vegetables, apples and grapevines don’t need the extra magnesium that Epsom salt can provide.
Conclusion:
So, is Epsom salt good for succulents?
Well, yes and no. The best way to answer this question with absolute certainty is to find exactly what type of succulent you have and test its soil.
Once you can determine the two without a doubt, you can then use Epsom salts if they can help with that succulent.
We hope this article has helped you understand the pros and cons of using this handy household product. Happy growing!
