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How A Sprinkle Of Epsom Salt Can Help Your Lettuce Thrive
By ROCHELLE HEATH-HARRIS
Organic gardeners have talked about using Epsom salt to help fertilize their plants. Lettuce, in particular, benefits from Epsom salt in multiple ways when used in your garden.
Epsom salt is magnesium sulfate, a naturally occurring mineral beneficial to plants. Magnesium helps plants absorb nutrients, while sulfate helps them absorb water more easily.
As a fertilizer, Epsom salt makes lettuce more vibrant and lush by assisting in chlorophyll production. It also helps plants absorb other nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus.
Epsom salt can strengthen the cell walls of seeds and seedlings during germination and new growth. It can also reduce transplant shock when relocating plants.
Ways to use it in your garden include dissolving it in the water that irrigates your plants, sprinkling it onto the soil, adding it to compost, and using it as a pest repellent.
To water your plants, use 1 tablespoon of Epsom salt to 1 gallon of water, and apply once or twice a month. Mix a cup of it into the soil for every 100 square feet before planting.
To make a foliar spray for pest control, use 2 tablespoons of Epsom salt per gallon of water and apply once a month. Sprinkle it around the edges of your garden as a deterrent.