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Keep Your Roses Happy And Healthy With This Epsom Salt Hack
By ROSE OKEKE
Roses are arguably one of the most revered flowers, but their luster can quickly fade or dwindle if they're missing the necessary nutrients. Fortunately, Epsom salt can help.
Epsom salt is made of magnesium sulfate, which contains the magnesium and sulfur needed for a rose plant’s chlorophyll production, enzyme activation, and nutrient uptake.
A lack of magnesium in the soil can cause stunted growth, a disappointing flower yield, and discoloration on the edges of a rose bush’s leaves (known as interveinal chlorosis).
Determine if your plants actually need Epsom salt by first testing the soil for its magnesium, sulfate, and pH levels. Also, check if the bush displays any signs of sickness.
If the pH is too alkaline, add some Epsom salt, as the sulfur will lower the soil pH and balance it out. Avoid adding it when the soil is too acidic, as roses prefer neutral soil.
If your rose bush could use some Epsom salt, add ¼ cup of it to the soil around the bush, and mix it properly. Water the roses generously afterward to allow the salt to dissolve.
Doing this two or three times a year can be a suitable way to reintroduce these nutrients to the soil, but it isn’t a substitute for fertilizer, which is professionally balanced.
Epsom salt can be overdone in your garden, and adding too much can lead to soil damage and leaf scorch, where the leaves turn brown at the margins, weaken, and fall off.