Anyone growing green beans looks for ways to develop better yields. When looking for natural fertilization methods, many gardeners use Epsom salt for green beans instead of commercial products like Miracle Grow, but is Epsom salt an effective fertilizer for beans? Regardless of where you are in the growing season, it’s never the wrong time to discover a new way of providing nutrients to your green bean plants.
Magnesium sulfate, commercially known as Epsom salt, is a chemical compound sold as a white crystalline solid. Epsom salt is a common household item used as a bath salt to soothe sore muscles. Other formulations of magnesium sulfate are present in the production of consumable items like beer and tofu; however, the primary use of this compound is in agriculture.
Because of its availability, Epsom salt is an easy homemade fertilizer for beans and a fast way to improve the quality of your garden soil. When used in the garden, Epsom salt provides magnesium and sulfate to your plant’s soil, vital to healthy plant growth for snap beans.
Is Epsom Salt Good for Green Beans?
Adding magnesium sulfate in the garden is beneficial for helping plants germinate, produce more flowers, and even deter certain pests. Unlike commercial fertilizers that build up over time in the soil, Epsom salt does not collect in the soil, so there is no danger in overusing it.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, you can also make your own natural weed killer with Epsom salt or use it to deteriorate tree stumps.
Why Gardeners Use Epsom Salt for Green Beans
Epsom salt is a favorite for gardeners to use when starting their gardens because the addition of magnesium helps with germination by strengthening cell walls. Extra magnesium in the soil also gives your seed energy for growth, whether you want the Epsom salt for potato plants, beans, tomatoes, or something else.
When it comes to Epsom salt and green beans established in the garden, the addition of magnesium sulfate helps bean plants absorb essential nutrients from the soil. Epsom salt is great for pepper plants, too. Along with the magnesium and sulfate from Epsom salt, pole beans like green beans require nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium to grow healthy plants.
Using an Epsom salt treatment on bush beans like lima beans, runner beans, and even pepper plants results in growing lush foliage and larger vegetables. Aside from using Epsom salt for green bean plants to create a more bountiful harvest, you may discover signs of a magnesium deficiency in your plants during the growing season.
Magnesium deficiency is common and shows signs on the lower leaves because as plants absorb magnesium, it’s moved to new growth, whether you are growing pole beans in raised beds or the garden. Symptoms of a deficiency include leaves turning yellow while the leaf veins remain green. Although a lack of magnesium does not directly affect string beans, a severe problem leads to reduced yields.
Using Epsom Salt for Green Bean Plants
Apply Epsom salt as fertilizer through two main methods: side-dressed as a granular fertilizer or applied with water as a soak. It works as a natural fertilizer for potted plants, too. Because you can plant green beans in the spring and fall, the best green beans fertilizer depends on how often you plan on treating the soil.
When you use Epsom salt for cucumber plants or beans as side-dressing, use one tablespoon of Epsom salt for each foot of your plant’s height. Spread the salt around the bottom of your plant and work it into the soil.
When you plant pole beans or grow a bush beans plant, sidedress green beans every six weeks after planting once the leaves appear until it’s time to harvest. Because Epsom salt does not release hydrogen ions, it does not alter your garden soil pH, which is crucial when growing crops like tomato plants that prefer acidic soil. For more frequent treatments, dissolve Epsom salt in water to create a liquid fertilizer soak.
Fill a sprayer with water, pour in your salt, and mix to allow the salt to dissolve. Use the liquid fertilizer as a soak twice a month for your garden to increase the magnesium level of your soil.
Other Uses of Epsom Salt for Green Bean Plants
If a soil test proves that your garden has a magnesium deficiency, using an Epsom salt soak is an excellent way to improve the soil’s quality, but is Epsom salt good for green bean plants when directly applied?
Foliar sprays are ideal for plants growing in healthy soil; however, they are beneficial for plants suffering from a lack of nutrients, too. If your green bean plants lack magnesium, create a foliar spray to help your plant quickly absorb the benefits of Epsom salt.
Mix your salt in water until it dissolves, and add it to a 16-ounce spray bottle. Treat your green bean plant with foliar spray once a month.
Another method for using Epsom salt in your garden is to combine it with apple cider vinegar and eggshells to create a calcium-enriched spray. Using a liquid fertilizer made with eggshells helps boost the calcium plants take in, allowing them to avoid diseases like blossom end rot.
Is Epsom salt good for green beans? Yes, and the benefits of treating your green bean plants with Epsom salt go beyond providing your plants with enough nutrients for healthy growth. Learning how to use Epsom salt for green beans is essential for tackling magnesium deficiencies in your green beans, using an inexpensive option, and improving the taste before harvest.
We hope our guide on using Epsom salt for green beans helps you fertilize your garden and that you’ll share our tips with your friends on Facebook and Pinterest to answer their questions like, “Is Epsom salt good for green beans?”