Here is an excerpt from the Epsom Salt Council.

Why Epsom Salt Works
Magnesium and sulfur are two naturally occurring minerals that are major components of Epsom salt. Magnesium is a critical mineral for seed germination. Plants use it to produce chlorophyll and as an aid in the absorption of phosphorus and nitrogen. Sulfur is also a key element in plant growth, helping produce vitamins. Tests by the National Gardening Association show that Epsom salt helps produce more flowers and makes pepper plants grow larger.

Epsom Salt was found in a well in Epsom England a very long time ago and has been used on gardens and people as well. It is a natural, organic substance that I use every spring on my entire garden.

Interesting, I wonder how much to use?

Muddymitts said:Wow -- what????? Epsom salts? Tell me more!!!!!!

Epsom salts about a month to 2 months before bloom will bring out richer colors! Promise! I had a woman tell me this a few years ago, so I tried it! It really works! The Epsom salts makes more chlorophyll causing brighter colors. Doesn't have to be a lot just a good sprinkle.

Linneaj said:Hi Jen, soon you will be singing, "the front lawn is gone, the front lawn is gone..."

Lucky for me I have an acre lot I can do whatever with that's all full sun!

grannysgarden said:Here is an excerpt from the Epsom Salt Council.

Why Epsom Salt Works
Magnesium and sulfur are two naturally occurring minerals that are major components of Epsom salt. Magnesium is a critical mineral for seed germination. Plants use it to produce chlorophyll and as an aid in the absorption of phosphorus and nitrogen. Sulfur is also a key element in plant growth, helping produce vitamins. Tests by the National Gardening Association show that Epsom salt helps produce more flowers and makes pepper plants grow larger.

Epsom Salt was found in a well in Epsom England a very long time ago and has been used on gardens and people as well. It is a natural, organic substance that I use every spring on my entire garden.

thanks Bonnie! You saved me a lot of typing!

Wow -- that's great information!! Is it too late to use it now? Especially for newly planted rhizomes?

Muddymitts said:Wow -- that's great information!! Is it too late to use it now? Especially for newly planted rhizomes?

No, I just sprinkled some down on mine 2 days ago. Amazon sells a big bag of it depending on how often you use it in the garden. Also keeps away slugs.

Hi Jen, good to see another Kentucky iris lover here! Thanks for the heads up on Epsom salts!

Great -- I have a bag of it sitting in the garage wondering what to do!!

Poor Lynn - does anyone have some Champagne & Strawberries? Yes, I too want to try Epsom Salts but no one has answered the original question.

If you mean how much to use.... just toss it on the garden like you were sewing wildflower seeds. You don't want to cover the earth by any means. Just grab a cupful and toss it on the garden, repeat as you move about. I have never measured how much ES per sq. ft. so not much help here but my method works well for me.

I would think, it *might* be wise to go pretty easy with the Epsom salts, at least without a good soil test for reference. If your soil is 'low" in magnesium, or needs the sulpher , either as a trace element, or to help adjust ph, they would , no doubt, be a welcome addition....but, if you don't KNOW what your soil needs . I'm only guessing that the cost of a good, "professional" soil test is pretty consistent , no matter where you live, but most extension programs have the service, as well as several 'online" places. I think it cost me about $20-$25 (I didn't have it tested for 'heavy metal" contamination, just N-P-K, ph, humus content, and trace minerals). So, for the price of a few iris rhizomes.....you don't have to "guess" what all your OTHER iris might need to grow well . Just mu opinion

crowrita1 said: I would think, it *might* be wise to go pretty easy with the Epsom salts, at least without a good soil test for reference. If your soil is 'low" in magnesium, or needs the sulpher , either as a trace element, or to help adjust ph, they would , no doubt, be a welcome addition....but, if you don't KNOW what your soil needs . I'm only guessing that the cost of a good, "professional" soil test is pretty consistent , no matter where you live, but most extension programs have the service, as well as several 'online" places. I think it cost me about $20-$25 (I didn't have it tested for 'heavy metal" contamination, just N-P-K, ph, humus content, and trace minerals). So, for the price of a few iris rhizomes.....you don't have to "guess" what all your OTHER iris might need to grow well . Just mu opinion

I do do a soil test every year, just have a cheap one to check to make sure ph levels are good. I will say I have never had a problem. I'm not really using a lot of Epsom salt and fell that it would take a lot to change the soil levels that drastically. With this being said. Every year in the fall I also drop a hefty amount of gypsum and then a good dusting of garden lime in all of my flower beds. This returns any soil back to neutral ph over the winter also helps to keep the clay for tightening up to much threw the winter.

I have been warned to keep lime away from Siberian and Japanese Iris. It kills them.

Well I do have some Japanese iris but they dont get the lime. They are not in my normal iris beds. They like my nasty creek dirt because it's mud all the time. As for my siberians, I'm 100% positive that nothing will kill the variety that I have, My boxers think it's the best place to lay, they smash them flat to the ground, trample all over them, rip them out of the ground, they have been sprayed with round up( by accident) the bottle blew up from my husband over pumping it and leaving it in the sun. Nothing has killed them in 5 years. I have pulled them out of the ground and forgot about them for a month. And the still come back healthier then they were before. Lol. And they do get lime on them, Never killed them. But I just have the basic Caesars brother and a very popular yellow one but I don't know the name.

Don't know about Sibs but yes, lime is toxic to Japanese iris. To bearded iris pulverized lime can be a very good thing (after the soil test Arlyn rightly suggested).

Siberians also like acidic soil, so no lime.

Thanks for the info Lucy!!

There was a discussion in our club some time back about using Epsom Salts. One of our "experts" (probably Joe or Riley) said that the minerals can build up in the soil and become toxic. But I was thinking that perhaps it may have to do with our lack of year-round rainfall that doesn't allow the minerals to leach out.

I have been putting lime down this year to stem the "Moss" tide. I have to say that it seems to have helped.