You may wonder how Epsom salt can be beneficial for roses, but it is only after reading this information that you will realize that it can benefit your gardening endeavors in more ways than one. Growing roses, they say, is extremely challenging due to various reasons. If you are one of those people who have struggled to have a rose plant grow in your garden, we will tell you how to use Epsom salt as an effective fertilizer for roses, and help you realize your vision.
While you may have assumed that the uses of Epsom salt are limited only to your health, you are mistaken. This compound is extremely beneficial as a fertilizer for plants. Epsom salt is made up of magnesium sulfate, which is lacking in most soil types. This is why you may notice that the leaves of your plants yellow easily, and that the plant weakens over time. Thus, when your soil is enriched with the right amount of magnesium, you will notice that the seed germination and the overall growth of your rose plant is natural and healthy. Magnesium along with sulfur is also essential for chlorophyll production, which is utilized by plants for the purpose of food production via sunlight. Furthermore, these enable easy absorption of important nutrients for the plant, namely phosphorus, nitrogen and potassium.
Tips on Using Epsom Salt for Roses
While Epsom salt is essential as fertilizers for the health of your roses, how much you use, makes a vast difference in the health of your rose bush. As such, here's how you should use it.
While Planting Roses
When you plant the roses, begin by soaking the roots of the rose plant in a solution of Epsom salt and water, to the tune of ½ cup salt in 1 gallon of water. Allow the roots to soak in this solution overnight, as it will help in reducing the stress that is caused on a rose plant in the process of transplantation. In the hole that you have prepared to plant the roses, put about one tablespoon of Epsom salt crystals at the bottom, before you place the plant in it. You may now plant the bush in the required manner. Finally, after you have planted the bush, put about half a cup of Epsom salt in the soil, and mix it thoroughly, up to 2 inches deep into the soil. This will provide the necessary nutrition to the rose plant for healthy growth and blooming.
After Planting Roses
Once your rose bush has begun to grow and thrive, it still will require some kind of fertilizing. In such a case, during spring, scatter one tablespoon of Epsom salt at the base of each rose bush, per foot of the height of the rose plant, to give it the necessary strength for growth. For instance, if it is 3 feet tall, then it will require 3 tablespoons of Epsom salt for fertilization. Then proceed to water the plant. You may also dissolve the salts in water and use it to water the rose plant, as a method of both, watering and fertilization.
Other Important Tips
There are some more ways of using Epsom salt for roses, some benefits of doing so, along with some warnings that you must keep in mind while utilizing this method of rose plant fertilization. Take a look at the tips mentioned here:
Perform the fertilization process using ¼ cup Epsom salt dissolved in a gallon of water thrice a year to ensure that the rose plant grows well.
If you notice that your rose bushes are drooping, and are beginning to show signs of weakening, fertilize the soil with Epsom salt to revive their health. It has always been a great treatment used by those who have been actively involved in growing roses in their gardening endeavors.
Also, if you notice yellowing leaves, prepare a solution of Epsom salt and water, and spray it on the leaves, using a sprayer. Following this ritual on a weekly basis will also help keep pests away.
Avoid using Epsom salt at a time when the sunlight is too harsh.
Magnesium sulfate in Epsom salt tends to enhance the growth of the rose bush, and promotes the growth of healthy foliage. Apart from these benefits, this fertilizer also helps in increasing their size, providing a rich color to the flower, and increasing the number of blooming buds on the plant.
Epsom salt is an inexpensive fertilizer for your rose plant, and serves as a great method of organic gardening as compared to the chemical rich fertilizers available in the market. Its use will put an end to all your woes regarding its growth and health.
An important warning to keep in mind is, that an excess use of Epsom salt in acidic soil can do more harm than good for your rose plant. Sulfur present in these salts is acidic, which when used in a soil of a similar type will destroy the nutrients before they can be utilized by the rose plant.
When you know how, when, and how much is suitable, you will be able to make the most of this inexpensive yet nutrient-rich fertilizer, and finally be able to see your rose bush thrive in a healthy manner.
Read more at Buzzle: http://www.buzzle.com/articles/epsom-salts-for-roses.html
