Epsom Salt for Your Plants - Inside and Out

Did you know you could use Epsom salt for your outdoor plants and your houseplants? It says so right on the label!!
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Here are four different ways to use Epsom salt to give your plants a boost and one way to keep pests off of your hosta plants.
1: Tomato Plant Booster
Add two Tablespoons of Epsom salt to one gallon of water
Shake
Feed your plants every two weeks with this booster for bigger tomatoes.
2: Pepper Plant Booster
Add one Tablespoon of Epsom salt to one gallon of water.
Pour into a spray bottle.
Spray directly onto the plant every two weeks and you'll yield more peppers per plant.
3: Hosta Pest Remover
Combine one cup ammonia and one cup Listerine original mouthwash.
Add one cup Epsom salt and stir until salt is dissolved.
Add one cup lemon Ajax dish soap. DO NOT STIR IN.
Pour mixture into a spray bottle.
Spray hosta, wetting the leaves.
Repeat as often as necessary.
4: Indoor Plant Booster
Add two Tablesoons of Epsom salt to one gallon water
Water your houseplants once a month.
5: Give Transplanted Plants a Boost
Fill the planter pot with potting soil halfway to the rim.
Add a pinch or two of Epsom salt.
Combine salt into the soil. You don't want the plant to directly touch the salt.
Plant the new transplant as you normally would.
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Join the conversation
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Lydia on Jun 09, 2024
What will help to keep squirrels from climbing my mango tree to get mangos. We have found when some are on the grown to put them in the drive way and they eat them there.
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She130979980 on Apr 16, 2025
My neighbor put plastic floor runners around her pecan tree so the squirrels can't climb them
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Em on Apr 16, 2025
You cannot use Epsom salt on all plants. While it can benefit plants in magnesium-poor soils, it should be used selectively.
Some plants, like tomatoes and roses , do not benefit from Epsom salt and may even suffer from its application.
Plants that thrive in acidic soil , such as azaleas and blueberries, may also be negatively affected by the magnesium content in Epsom salt.
I t's important to test your soil first and only apply Epsom salt to plants that truly need it.
In summary, Epsom salt should be used with caution and not as a universal solution for all plants.
I do wish everyone would do their own research and not just believe everything they read on sites like this.
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Frequently asked questions
Have a question about this project?
Is the epsom salt water good for snake plants and can the salt and epsom salt be used to replant snake plants
I have oregano plants that have been eaten by tiny spiders! What can I do to get rid of them?
Can epsom salt be used in water gardens like lotus or water lily?