Epson Salt as fertilizer for tomatoes?

You alreay have tomatoes planted? Why is there no smiley for jealous? lol

Before altering the pH of your soil it is probably a good idea to know what pH you currently have. As you said Epsom salts increase the acidity of your soil, but tomatoes are very forgiving and will grow well at 5.5 pH so high acidity is not necessary. If you have a magnesium deficiency, epsom salts will help, but if your soil is already on the acidic side you would do better to add lime.

 

We put a handful in the hole and stir it up before putting the plant in.Also spread it like fertlizer on the yard,it seems to help.

 

I throw in a little epson salt in the hole when I plant them. Seem to have good luck with it.

 

I've shied away from epsom salts. Had an uncle used it liberally in his garden. His tomatoes always gave me the "runs". :haha:

 

You might want to try some of the older varieties of cucumber. We've planted the Lemon Cucumber from Seed Savers and have been very happy with it. The plants get huge and we get more cucumbers than we can eat. They look, not taste, like lemons so extras are very easy to give away because they are so different. These cucumbers have done well even in horrid years..first .too much rain then no rain when I had to carry buckets of water for the plants across 2 acres. They have a lovely flavor and look great in salads

 

epsom salts makes a great foliar fertilizer just mix about a cup to one gallon of water and mist the leaves for a little boost. We use it on grapes as well to give the new canes a little help just before bloom.

 

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I Saw on a TV gardening show that epson salt is good for rose bushes as well...

 

Epsom Salts add magnesiam to the soil. It is one of the nutrients plants require. It also makes for better utilization of the other nutrients by making a more balanced plant food base. If your ground is acidic add lime. If it is alkaline add sulphur. Suphur lowers the PH and lime raises it. Soil with low PH is common in the eastern part of the US that gets abundant rainfall even if it don't fall when you need it. It really done wonders for DW's roses this year.

 

Thanks,Uncle Will! That was exactly what I was looking for. A man told me the same thing and I was wondering if it was true. Some of my plants have turned yellow after all the rain we've gotten. He said it was due to a lack of magnesiam in the soil,also. I'll try the epsom salts.