How to Make Your Grass Greener with Epsom Salts

Epsom Salts: A Great Alternative to Fertiliser

If your lawn is being blighted by unsightly yellow patches, you might find yourself wondering what went wrong… and how best to fix the situation (without causing additional damage)!

Of course, local garden centres are full to the brim with fertiliser products, all promising to transform your garden into a lush, vibrant meadow. However, these can be expensive. Plus, if you choose the wrong product, you could end up scorching the lawn instead.

Sigh, getting on top of lawn care can be a tricky business sometimes!

Often, when it comes to nature, it’s best to go back to basics. And you don’t get more basic than the time-honoured wonder cure of Epsom Salts. 

Salt on the lawn might sound like a wild idea, but bear with me whilst I explain exactly how Epsom Salt could be the very tonic your grass is looking for.

Will Epsom Salt Damage the Lawn?

The thought of putting salt on your grass may seem counterintuitive, but we’re not talking about just any old salt here. Certainly, putting a layer of regular table salt on your lawn will probably kill it off altogether. So, what makes Epsom Salt different?

First off, Epsom Salt is technically not a salt at all (!). It is a mineral compound made up of magnesium and sulphate. It may have the same granular consistency as table salt, but it’s not suitable for human consumption. Fortunately, it is suitable for lawns.

So the answer here is no – Epsom Salt won’t damage the lawn, it will work to improve its health instead.

How Does Epsom Salt Work?

Epsom Salt can benefit your garden in several ways. As mentioned, it contains a combination of magnesium and sulphate.

Magnesium is vital for both seed germination and the production of chlorophyll. These are two things which will help your lawn to flourish. Magnesium also improves how well grass can absorb crucial nutrients such as phosphorous and nitrogen – all things that are vital to grass health.

Sulphur also aids chlorophyll production and amplifies the effectiveness of nutrients in the soil. It’s all starting to sound pretty good, right?

A safe and natural fertiliser, Epsom Salt will deliver nutrients to grass and help balance the PH of the soil. It’s inexpensive to buy and acts as a tonic, elevating your lawn to green glory.

If you’re interested in learning more about soil pH, and how important it can be to garden health, I recommend checking out our article on pH soil testing – there’s a lot of useful advice at the bottom of the page. 

How to Apply Epsom Salt as a Fertiliser

So, if you’re sold on the idea of using Epsom Salt, you’re probably wondering how to apply it to your lawn.

The good news is this is really easy to do. Diluting Epsom Salt in water is one of the simplest application methods.

Dissolve 130 g of Epsom Salt into 5 L of water and evenly spray the solution over the lawn. Continue until you’ve evenly covered the whole area. Application could be done using either a garden sprayer or a watering can with a rose.

Although you may choose to adjust the ratios later on, you want to avoid using too much Epsom Salt. This can cause an imbalance in the soil, so it’s best to start off gradually. 

So, there you have it. Turns out our grandmas were right – Epsom Salt really does cure all ailments! The next time your lawn needs a little pick me up, why not consider this cheaper, more natural alternative instead. You might just discover that it’s exactly the tonic your garden needs!