Do you use epsom salts in the garden?

[dj_backq]

That's so funny butterfly, must of been a really good feeling when you heard that other caller!!! That showed him!

[bluewillow]

My son told me about the banana peels so this year I must buy bananas in order to get the peels. Crushed egg shells too when planting tomatoes.

Thanks Joan, I shall bookmark the site.

Thank you Lorraine for the site. Good read.

bw

[butterfly]

Andre

Yes. My MIL had been using the peels for years and coffee grounds too

When that other caller , called in, I didn't feel so bad. But my that hurt my feelings . he really made me feel so stupid

The odd thing is when you do call into these shows they always ask what you want to say before putting you on the air. They don't want a nut cake on the air

Then shortly after that I heard Mark Cullins say the peels were wonderful for roses and grounds to

I hope that other guy was listening that day

lol,lol

[Lizcordysmum]

I have spent the afternoon weeding the rosebed...GROAN.

I will put 1 tablespoonful of epsom salts in the hole before I transplant each tomato plant.

I too have ALWAYS used banana peels dug into my rosebed, a good drink of epsom salts, and occasionally some coffee grounds. (I don't drink much ground coffee.)

Now the eggshells...these are spun in the blender till they are almost dust, and they will go all around the tomato plants (and get dug in) WHEN the tomato plants start to grow fruit.

Half of my winter's collection of smashed tiny eggshells go outside, scattered where the birds will get them when it is nesting time. Laying hens need calcium, and I figure the wildlings need a helping hand too. BTW, the eggshells all disappear in absolutely no time.

[Lindamct]

1 Tablespoon eh Liz Thanks, finally got an answer to my ? Banana peels and coffee grounds are a plus! Been using them for years

[Meggylou]

I was told by a good friend that chamomile tea is a great way to prevent damping off when watering plants, just water then with some chamomile tea in the water. She swears by this.
She also uses eggshells crushed up and topdressed on the soil for her hostas.

[butterfly]

I don't eat enough eggs to matter much in the garden

But what I have used, the shells take fo eve to break down

I have seen shells in the soil that had been there 3-4 years

[Lindamct]

Meg, eggshells are awesome for getting those slugs to hike it the other way, especially for Hostas, and other shade loving plants.

[Pansy]

When I plant my Toms...I use Ebsom salts + some dry milk

powder.About 1 Tlb of each in 1 L. of water.

[Eeyore]

I don't think Epsom Salts is a fertilizer. My understanding is that it encourages the plant to take up nutrients which are already there......or something like that!
~BBQ

Epsom Salts is Magnesium Sulphate, It adds magensium and sulphur to the soil. You are correct, it is not a fertilizer in the sense that Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium are fertilizers but it does provide important micro-nutrients and it does encourage plants to take up nutrients that they might otherwise not be able to take up. I would have to go check my notes to find out exactly what the benefits are and it's too late for me to do that tonight.