Not Coffee Grounds: Here's How To Fertilize Hostas For Beautiful Summer Blooms

Spring is here, and you're ready to spruce up the garden, anxiously anticipating those summertime blooms from your beloved hostas. You want to make sure you're giving them everything they need to thrive. You've heard fellow garden club members talk about the best way to fertilize them, but you wonder if coffee grounds really help hostas flourish or if there's anything else you can do instead. While coffee grounds can add nitrogen to the soil and be included in compost or mulch, there's something else that can give hostas a boost: Epsom salt.

Epsom salt is good for more than just a relaxing soak in the bathtub (though after a day of gardening, you might want that, too). The magnesium in Epsom salt encourages the creation of chlorophyll in plants, which is what gives them their bright hues. A light sprinkle of Epsom salt in the spring can be just the thing hostas need to reach their full potential in the summertime, which is when you start to see their blooms. As an added bonus, it may also keep those pesky slugs away. Just be sure to avoid increasing the chance of winter damage by applying Epsom salt only in the spring. Any time after July, and you risk lowering their chance of being able to properly prepare for the cold season. So while we're in the spring fertilizing season, let's get to it by collecting our supplies. You'll need Epsom salt, water, and a garden sprayer or watering can.

Before you start dumping Epsom salt all over the garden, it's important to note that not all soil needs extra magnesium. To find out if your soil is lacking magnesium and could benefit from Epsom salt, test your soil before applying it. Adding Epsom salt to soil that already has enough magnesium can actually hinder the plant's calcium absorption, affecting the health of the plant. You want to boost your hosta's bloom potential, not harm its growth.

Once you've established a need, you can begin mixing your Epsom salt fertilizer. You'll want to add 1 tablespoon of Epsom salt to 1 gallon of water and mix until the salt has dissolved. This can be used on its own or mixed into another liquid fertilizer. Pour the mixture into a garden sprayer or watering can and apply it evenly to the soil. Try to avoid spraying the mixture directly onto the leaves, as this can cause leaf scorch and discoloration. To really maximize the positive effect of the Epsom salt mixture, you can apply the fertilizer twice in the spring season. The first application can be done as soon as you see new leaf growth, then again before the flowers bloom.