Growing your own veggies is incredibly satisfying, yet the fickle spring weather can be a real downer for your tomato plants, often leading to less-than-stellar yields. Whether it’s plump plum or sweet cherry varieties, British tomatoes are a supermarket staple – and it’s no wonder gardening enthusiasts are keen to cultivate their own.
The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) even found that tomatoes top the list of home-grown favourites, right up there with spuds and runner beans. However, the RHS cautions that less-than-perfect growing conditions can bring about issues, but green thumbs on the Mrs Hinch Gardening Tips Facebook group have shared a lesser-known tip to perk up your tomato plants.
For the best results, they recommend using Epsom salt, which is packed with magnesium sulphate. A group member posted a snap of their tomato plants getting an Epsom salt treatment, captioning it: “Epsom salt used as a plant boost.
“Epsom salts improve calcium uptake in plants and provide plants with essential magnesium which is in short supply in the majority of garden soils.
“Magnesium also helps prevent leaf curling and with calcium helps prevent blossom end rot. Add two tablespoons of Epsom salt to the planting hole before planting tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers and melons.”
Fellow gardeners have been quick to support this tip in the comments, with one enthusiast sharing: “Only came across Epsom salts as a soil improver earlier this year, at first I thought someone was having a laugh. But, when I realised it was good advice, I tried it, and it really works.”
Another green-fingered user agreed: “I have friends who use Epsom salts on their allotments with great success for helping grow their vegetables so I had to try it for my plants.
“Really helps produce better stronger tomato plants that produce a good crop of fruit. Now it’s an essential for me when I grow tomatoes.”
A third chimed in: “Yes, I’m all for using Epsom salt in the garden, especially on my tomato plants. It gives them a real boost. Not only did it improve the taste and size of the plant it also helped fix yellow leaves that developed on my plant.”
And a fourth added: “Epsom salt is my go-to when growing tomatoes as it stops them from going brown.”
Bargain hunters take note – you can snag 450g of Epsom salt on Amazon for just £2.58, which is roughly 20p per recommended application.
The humble bathroom staple can come to the rescue of tomato plants battling a magnesium deficiency, but it’s not a cure-all. Experts reckon Epsom salt can boost flavour, growth, nutrient absorption, and sort out yellowing leaves, but it won’t fend off pests, halt blossom end rot, or fast-track germination.
Tomato plants only need a pinch of Epsom salt to reap the benefits, as overdoing it can actually harm the veggie. Likewise, if there’s no magnesium shortage in the soil or plants, then it could do more damage than good.
This might trigger root issues, or lead to a magnesium overload in the soil that disrupts the balance of micronutrient uptake. Before sprinkling on the Epsom salt, green thumbs should always carry out a soil test.
However, it’s worth bearing in mind that if gardeners are fertilising properly throughout the growing season, they shouldn’t need to introduce an external source of magnesium at all.
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