Question about fertilizer...

by Dan
(NJ)

Q. I have heard that Epsom salts can be used for fertilizer. Do you agree and would you recommend it as a natural fertilizer?

Tomato Dirt responds ...
A. Epsom salts are a naturally-occurring mineral compound considered by many home gardeners to be an excellent fertilizer. The compound has high solubility and is easy to apply as a spray on foliage.

It's made up of 10% magnesium and 13% sulfur – one reason it’s also referred to as magnesium sulfate. Tomatoes need both magnesium and sulfur for proper development. But it's the magnesium that meets the big need in tomatoes that comes from Epsom salts. Many tomato plants suffer from magnesium deficiency (most often due to soil depletion.) Applying Epsom salts alleviates the deficiency. Spraying on the compound is reputed to work within 48 hours, but the soil does also need to be amended as a long-term fix.

Find out all the details about Epsom salts as a fertilizer for tomatoes on this page.

Good luck and happy gardening!
Your friends at Tomato Dirt